KILLEEN, TX — One person was injured after a multi-vehicle accident that involved TxDOT trucks in Killeen, Texas on Wednesday, February 4th, 2015. News reports said that the accident happened around 11:00 Wednesday morning.
One woman was hurt after a Texas Department of Transportation truck and sveral other vehicles collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 190. Police said that the TXDOT truck struck the rear of another vehicle, causing a chain reaction accident.
The woman was taken by EMS to a nearby hospital with unspecified injuries.
Local and State Police are helping with the accident investigation.
Scene of the Accident
View of the Road
Commentary:
If the news got the fact-pattern in this accident correct, then the Department of Transportation truck seems to be the cause of the chain reaction accident. The real question is, considering the photos from the scene show no DOT insignia on the trucks, were these actual DOT trucks, or were they contractors working for the DOT? Believe it or not, this seemingly innocuous detail is very, very important with regards to how this accident should be handled. If the trucks were officials from the DOT, then victims need to understand that the government hasn’t exactly made it easy for people to file a claim against them, so victims will need to know how to navigate the maze of red tape and roadblocks impeding their path. However, if the truck was a contractor, this would more than likely be a negligence claim against that company and not the TXDOT. As you can see, seemingly unimportant details make all the difference in situations like this.
— Grossman Law Offices