Archive for July, 2012

NHTSA’s Worst Cars List: Truck Rollovers, Defective Seatbelts and Side Impact Vulnerability Can Lead to Personal Injuries

Here in Texas, we love our pick-up trucks. We use them for work, personal errands and fun with friends and family. But some Texas pick-up truck accidents involve one of the most popular trucks in the country: the Dodge Ram 1500 pick-up truck. It’s a top selling truck and yet has just been named as one of the most dangerous vehicles in the country, due to very poor safety ratings. That means Texas truck driver injuries could be avoided, if truck buyers take the time to read safety reviews before making their purchase.

According to an article in the New York Daily News, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Consumer Reports, the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration and consumer analyst JD Power put the Dodge Ram at the top of its Worst Cars list. The main truck crash danger is roll-over accidents but the cars and trucks on the list have a hefty roster of low safety ratings, including side-impact collisions and defective seatbelt accident injury concerns. There are many causes of truck accidents in Texas, but it pays to avoid known hazards before buying a truck.

The Texas personal injury attorneys at The Herrera Law Firm, Inc. encourage everyone to study safety ratings of any vehicle they’re considering buying. If you’re in the market for a pick-up, pay close attention to statistics regarding pick-up truck roll-overs, malfunctioning seat belts, failed brakes and side-impact faulty airbags.

Because passenger injury in truck accidents is common, it’s also a case of protecting our loved ones. In any Texas car crash or truck accident, you need to know about safety ratings and if passengers are properly protected as well, in terms of safety belt restraints and airbag deployment reliability. The car manufacturer could be to blame if it has known mechanical problems.

Other cars on the list of most dangerous cars on the road were the Chevrolet Colorado Super Cab, the Mazda CX-7, the Mazda CX-9, the Nissan Pathfinder, the Jeep Wrangler and the Suzuki SX4.  There were no European automakers among the worst-scoring seven models, which contained three US-made cars and four Japanese-made models.

Remember, even though certain pick-up trucks have a reputation for being tough and sturdy, dangerous trucks and unsafe pick-ups are not worth the risk. Whether you’re in downtown San Antonio or out in the Hill Country, pick-up truck safety ratings are vital resources for anyone considering buying a truck.

At The Herrera Law Firm, Inc., we believe in aggressive legal advocacy for all pick-up truck accident injury victims. If you or a loved one has been in a truck collision, call a tough personal injury lawyer in Texas. Call us at 1-800-455-1054 or complete our online contact form to schedule a free consultation.

The Herrera Law Firm, Inc.
111 Soledad St., Suite 1900
San Antonio, TX 78205