Dallas, TX — May 24, 2024, two people were injured following a tractor-trailer accident at around 12:15 p.m. on Buckner Boulevard.
According to officials, the crash took place in the area of South Buckner Boulevard/Loop 12 and Cordell Drive.
Investigators said that a 53-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy were in a Chrysler Aspen going southbound along Buckner. Up ahead, an 18-wheeler was going to make a right turn, but it reportedly began backing up after going too far. As it backed up, the Chrysler hit the back of the trailer. Due to the collision, the woman in the Chrysler had reportedly serious injuries. The child’s injuries were described as moderate.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
If the details mentioned here are accurate, why exactly did the truck driver think this maneuver was okay? Unless something unusual came into play authorities made no mention of—for example, a worker being outside the truck flagging down traffic—there’s virtually no way this was a responsible decision. Unfortunately, any experienced trucker will attest to the fact that many trucking companies out there encourage this sort of behavior.
Some companies simply have no regard for the safety of others, plain and simple. It leads them to set unreasonable deadlines which lead drivers to cut corners to save time. Or, companies might incentivize drivers doing as much work as fast as possible, essentially rewarding drivers for breaking the rules until it leads to catastrophe. Alternatively, driver experience and qualification is another common problem. If a company fails to train new drivers, overlooks drivers who have a history of reckless driving, or otherwise fails to properly vet their drivers, those unqualified, dangerous drivers operating multi-ton trucks essentially become ticking time bombs.
Here’s why all of that’s so important. If evidence shows that a truck driver’s mistake led to this accident, they would obviously deserve to face appropriate consequences. But those consequences can only set that individual straight. If their employer’s behavior fostered an environment that made that mistake inevitable, they’re likely to continue that behavior unless someone gets them to clean up their act. So as straight forward as details here may seem at a glance, there could still be a lot more to this story.
