Harris County Texas leads the state in the number of car wrecks each year and sadly the number of vehicle deaths as well. While collisions with trucks are less common, they are disproportionately more deadly.

Maintenance Failure: Semi truck businesses who are all about the bottom dollar can push state required safety measures on the back burner which can lead to 18-wheeler accidents. These behaviors are unsafe and these decisions could be life or death for truck drivers as well as other people on the road. Things like skipping routine maintenance checks, falsifying logged hours so drivers exceed the 11 hour limit, and putting inexperienced drivers on the road can all result in unnecessary injuries for everyone involved.

Trucking companies must routinely inspect and repair 18 wheelers, semi trucks and commercial vehicles to keep the driver and the vehicle safe on the road. It is the responsibility of the company, the maintenance contractor and the driver to ensure the vehicles are serviced and ready for transport. If you fall victim to an 18 wheeler wreck due to the lack of maintenance of a truck, it is the driver and trucking companies fault and need to be held liable.

The commercial trucking industry is a very lucrative business. As with every business, a company's main focus is to receive the most profit and limit expenses. Sometimes, corners are cut to limit spending and can lead to serious repercussions. Ways that a trucking company may limit spending is forgo maintenance on a few trucks. If trucks are not maintained, they run the risk of causing accidents while a truck driver is on the road and leaving you in danger.

If you have been involved in a semi truck wreck, you deserve to know if it was due to the negligence of the trucking company to maintain the vehicle. Trucks need oil changes, new tires, wheel alignments, maintained brakes and lights. If any of these are not properly maintained the trucking company may be liable for damages resulting in a wreck. At the time of an accident you may not know if it was due to the negligence of the driver or their company. That is why an investigation needs to be conducted immediately.

Blind Spots: Every vehicle suffers from having their own blind spots. With tractor trailers, they have much larger blind spots making it difficult for them to see another car driving by. Semi trucks have four major blind spots: in front of the cab up to 20 feet, below and behind the driver’s window, the right side of the truck’s cab, extending backward diagonally, and directly behind the truck’s trailer, extending for about 30 feet. If a driver does not check their mirrors responsibly or is driving aggressively, it is the truck drivers fault for a collision.

Trucking companies will try to use the defense that the other driver was in their blind spot, the driver didn’t yield or speed up to avoid the crash, or that it is the drivers responsibility to be mindful when driving next to big rigs. If you have followed the rules of the road and still find yourself in a wreck with a semi truck due to their negligence, don’t let their attorney’s pin the accident on you. Hire a trucking accident attorney immediately to protect your rights to compensation.

FMCSA reports that one third of all truck collisions occur in the truck's blind spot. Vehicles on the road have a duty to check their blind spots and it is no different for a semi truck. As a driver on the road, it is important to be aware of a truck's blind spot and try to avoid a wreck but sometimes it cannot be avoided if the big rig driver neglects to clear their blind spots as well.

18 wheelers have blind spots on all four sides of the vehicle creating more chances to cause an accident. Motorists on the road can make sure they maintain safe distances when driving next to these trucks to steer clear of a wreck. However, if a truck driver is tailgating, driving aggressively or not checking their blind spots before changing lanes they would be at fault for the accident. Truck drivers have been properly trained to drive these vehicles and it is part of their job to ensure they are being safe while on the road.