Recent court ruling speaks to importance of a Truck Accident Attorney in Houston

Back in late 2009, 36 year-old Eric Claxton of Memphis Tennessee was driving a tractor-trailer with a passenger, Eric Burks, down a highway in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. At the same time, Sukhwinder Singh, 48, of Westfield Michigan, was just pulling out from the side of the road, where he had been idling for some time.

Unfortunately, this move caused Claxton to run his tractor-trailer into the rear of Singh’s vehicle. While Singh and his passenger were not injured, both Claxton and Burks died. Court records show Claxton’s fatality was due to a combination of burns and asphyxiation, a process that could have taken more than an hour. Burks was taken to the Lehigh Valley Medical Center, where he died a month later.

Though it happened over 3 years ago, a judge has only recently ruled in favor of Claxton’s widow, who filed charges against Singh and his employer, PVR Transport, back in the spring of 2011.

The money awarded to his widow was well over $2 million, but that’s not necessarily the part of the ruling that raises eyebrows. While the judge held Singh accountable for his negligence (he had been backing up on the highway without any flashers on or checking for traffic), PVR transport was also taken to task. They were found negligent for not giving him proper training, amongst other things.

This speaks to the importance of a truck accident attorney in Houston like the kind you can find at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP. There are plenty of situations where the guilt may seem like it falls squarely on the shoulders of the trucker, when in fact a truck accident attorney in Houston can prove their employer was, at least partially, to blame.

If you’re involved in an accident, speak with a truck accident attorney in Houston. Even if your company has its own representation, it’s important that you understand the case from someone with only your best interests in mind.

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