Deadly Tanker Accident in Dallas, Texas Kills Truck Driver

It's going to be an agonizingly painful Christmas for the family of a tanker truck driver, who was killed in a fiery tanker accident on the Dallas North Tollway Ramp in the early hours last Friday. According to news reports, the tanker truck overturned on the Northbound Dallas Tollway North exit ramp to the eastbound President George Bush Turnpike. The tanker was loaded with diesel fuel, and immediately exploded on impact. The truck driver died at the scene of the crash.

The accident led to the ramp being closed as North Texas Tollway Authority crews assessed the damage to the ramp. Initial investigations found that there was some damage to the bridge deck, a light pole and power feeder lines under the bridge deck.  The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating the accident.

Truck drivers injured in accidents or families of those killed, may have several options for compensation. They may be covered under Texas' Workers' Compensation laws, which allow for a package of benefits to be paid out to an injured worker, or to his family in case of death on the job. However, in case of third party negligence, like an accident caused by reckless or negligent driving by a motorist, these third parties may be named in a wrongful death claim.   Construction companies, utility companies and state and county agencies responsible for the maintenance of highways, bridges and tollways may also be named in a truck accident wrongful death claim, if negligence by these parties causes an accident.

It's important for a trucker's family to know that they may have other options, besides Workers' Compensation. Although Workers' Compensation claims do not require you to prove any fault, these payouts generally tend to be low. It's therefore important that injured truckers and families investigate all options to determine if other parties or entities can be named in a claim.

The Texas truck accident lawyers at Schechter McElwee Shaffer & Harris represent injured victims of tanker, 18 wheeler, tractor trailer and semi truck accidents around the state of Texas.