Keep Texas Roads Safe – Oppose Texas House Bill 19 and Texas Senate Bill 207
by Amber Cortez | March 17th, 2021 | 18 Wheelers
Certain Texas legislators are working overtime to create new laws designed to insulate big trucking and insurance companies from accountability at the expense of Texas families.
And we here at J. Gonzalez Injury Attorneys cannot stand idly by while lawmakers try to make getting the compensation you need after a truck accident an even greater challenge.
With thousands of trucks and commercial vehicles crowding our Texas roadways, drivers safety can’t be left to chance. These commercial trucks and vehicles are often 20 times larger than the average car, meaning devastating consequences to the average driver.
The Statistics Show the Need for Accountability
The most recent estimates from the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) based on reportable crashes indicates:
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- Every 2 hours, 24 minutes, 1 person in Texas is killed;
- Every 2 minutes, 7 seconds, 1 person is injured in Texas;
- Every 58 seconds, 1 reportable crash occurs in Texas.
In 2019, Texas experienced more than 39,000 commercial vehicle crashes and 613 deaths, making Texas highways the most dangerous in the nation with the highest trucking crash injury or death toll of any state in the U.S., according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
These grim statistics serve to remind Texans that roadways can pose a danger to anyone, at any time. In addition, the sheer frequency of these types of accidents remind us that experienced legal representation is needed to fight for the compensation truck accident victims deserve, and if these bills are passed, that could become much more difficult.
We as citizens should work together to share our collective concerns for our safety and wellbeing to our elected officials, but in order to do so, we need to know more about the legislation they want to pass.
Let’s take a deeper look into what these bills propose.
HB 19 serves to protect truck and commercial drivers at fault for accidents in all but the most extreme cases. This signals commercial drivers receive a pass when their negligent and reckless actions injure–or potentially kill–another driver sharing the road.
The bill also absolves the companies that employ these drivers from independent compliance with federal or state safety regulations, including training or maintenance for their vehicles. In essence, HB 19 is designed to shield companies and their contracted drivers from liability in the event of an accident.
In the event an individual is involved in an accident with a truck or commercial vehicle driver, the results can be both devastating and costly. SB 207 limits access to medical care for patients injured in these types of accidents.
They do so by tying physician compensation to payment rates set by the government. SB 207 would limit an injured person’s ability to pursue relief for medical bills and other expenses associated with the crash.
Finding the Right Truck Accident Lawyer Matters Now More Than Ever!
In the ever-evolving legal landscape of Texas, it’s critical you have the right legal team fighting for your rights. When laws are designed to favor big companies and protect them from wrongdoing, you need an experienced truck accident lawyer with proven results to help you navigate the legal challenges that may await.
If you are involved in a crash with a semi-truck, J. Gonzalez Injury Attorneys can help you get your life back on track by getting you the compensation you need to properly recover, and unlike these legislators proposing these bills, we will actually fight to preserve your rights.
There may still be time to take care of your truck accident claim! Before these bills are considered, get with an experienced truck accident lawyer to discuss your legal options TODAY!
