Trucker Driving Without Due Care May Have Caused Texas Woman’s Death
Mar 18, 2016
Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Perlmutter & Schuelke, PLLC
Austin, TX (Law Firm Newswire) March 18, 2016 – The trucker involved in this accident was a state prison inmate. The head-on collision killed a woman.
An 18-wheeler accident took the life of a 43-year-old Mexia woman on Highway 7 at County Road 181, heading eastbound. The trucker, heading west, pulled out to pass a slower vehicle and ran head-on into the woman’s 2015 Nissan Versa. The female driver was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. According to the police, the trucker was attempting to pass in a “no passing” zone.
“The trucker in this accident had earned his commercial license while enrolled in a vocational program while in jail,” said Austin personal injury attorney Brooks Schuelke of Perlmutter & Schuelke, PLLC. It is not uncommon for offenders to be assigned to freight transportation and driving 18-wheelers. There are approximately 40 prisoners on the road working as truckers for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).
Venson Williams earned his trucking license in 2009. After he was paroled from prison after serving five years for theft and credit card abuse, he continued to work as a truck driver for the TDCJ. He had a clean driving record.
Williams was traveling in a three-truck convoy at the time of the accident. The convoy was on its way to Gatesville from Huntsville. In truck convoys such as this, there are typically two inmates driving and one supervisor in the third rig.
“In order to determine liability in this accident, the police examine pertinent information obtained at the scene and interview any eyewitnesses to the crash. According to one witness, Williams pulled out to pass a slower vehicle. The question becomes was he driving with due care and attention,” said Schuelke, not involved in the case. “Since he was attempting to pass in a no-passing zone, there may be the possibility of criminal charges once the investigation is completed.”
This case involves unique issues that will need to be examined. For example, what caused Williams to make the decision to pass in the no-passing zone. Was he trying to keep up with the other drivers in the convoy?
Other questions that may need to be answered relate to the speed Williams was traveling, whether or not there were any mechanical issues with the truck, if any mobile devices were used just prior to the crash, whether or not the driver may have had a medical issue while behind the wheel of the truck or if the trucker was negligent in not obeying road signs.
For victims who have been in a collision with a big rig, it is vitally important to contact an experienced trucking accident attorney. These kinds of accidents are quite complex and involve more than just the trucker and the victim. “Often there are questions of jurisdiction and many insurance companies involved, as well as other third parties that may be sued. Nothing is as it seems on the face of the case. Find out what your legal rights are to obtain fair and equitable compensation,” said Schuelke.
Learn more at http://www.civtrial.com
Perlmutter & Schuelke, PLLC
206 East 9th Street, Ste. 1511
Austin, TX 78701
Call (512) 476-4944
- Another Tragic Wreck on Highway 290
This afternoon, there was a terrible wreck on Highway 290 in McDade. Details are still coming in, but it appears that four people have died, including two children. Unfortunately, this is only the latest tragedy along Highway 290, which seems to be becoming more and more dangerous. For example, three people were killed about a […] - Lessons From A Self-Driving Car Wreck
Last week, Google reported on a new wreck involving one of its self-driving cars. Google is trying to sell this as the first wreck involving its self-driving cars, but reports of other wrecks are out there. Regardless, a new article from a computer/tech writer brings out one of the important issues with self-driving cars — […] - Unprecedented Actions: HoverBoard Industry Is Deemed Unsafe
Last Thursday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission took the unprecented step of sending a letter to all hoverboard manufacturers, importers and retailing telling them that all hoverboards are potentially unsafe. One major manufacturer, Swagway, has also told people who own its hoverboards to quit using them until they are deemed safe. This is a shocking […]
