Truck Crashes Are Sometimes the Result of Bad Roads-Even in Texas!

Texas sometimes has a reputation for having good roads. After all, we don’t get much snow or ice. Everyone knows that we love to drive and often take long trips—it’s a very big state. Unfortunately, Texas is not immune from bad road conditions that can cause significant truck crashes.
In addition, hazardous roads and highways can turn a bad accident into a fatal crash. Weak or missing guardrails, poorly designed medians, and narrow or non-existent shoulders can make a wreck caused by an impaired driver or poor truck maintenance much worse. In short, bad roadways can both cause and contribute to serious truck accidents.

7 Common Causes of Bad Roads in Texas

Examples of road conditions that contribute to or cause truck accidents include:

1. Deterioration and damage to the road surface. Ironically, roads that trucks travel most frequently become the most damaged. Roads with potholes, worn or uneven surfaces, and damaged markings can cause a crash or make a bad accident worse.
2. Improper design. Ramps that are too short or incorrectly banked, curves on high-speed highways, and traffic lights that don’t allow time for trucks to stop can cause or intensify truck accidents. Shoulders that drop off too quickly can cause a truck to overturn.
3. Poor signage. When a truck driver gets lost because of bad, non-existent or obscured signs, the chances of an accident increase. The driver may be forced to turn around in an unsafe way or try to go under an overpass that is too low.
4. Missing or poorly maintained guardrails. Guardrails can be lifesavers, especially for people in smaller vehicles involved in truck crashes. When a weak or missing guardrail causes a car or small truck to leave the road, the chance of serious injury or death becomes much greater.
5. Debris on the roadway. Large roadkill, shredded tires, vehicle parts, dropped or spilled cargo, and other roadway hazards can cause truck accidents when drivers try to avoid the hazards or hit them head-on.
6. Bad drainage that causes flooding. Plowing through standing water at high speed can damage brakes, cause a truck to stall or force the driver to try to avoid the water. These scenarios can result in serious crashes.
7. Poorly marked construction zones. Work zones that are not properly marked with warning and stop signs, lane markers or flaggers are common causes of truck accidents. When work vehicles are not properly separated from traffic, every vehicle, including tractor-trailers, is vulnerable.

Truck Crashes Caused by Bad Roads Can Be Complicated

Road problems such as these could be the fault of a state, county, municipality, or a subcontractor. When victims of truck accidents try to obtain compensation, it is important to have an attorney who knows how to identify the liable party and knows the special rules that may apply to plaintiffs in liability claims against such entities.

Were You or a Loved One Hurt in a Truck Crash Caused by a Bad Road?

If you were injured because bad road condition caused a trucking accident, please contact us to see how we can help you.