According to reports 31-year old Bradley Newbrough was killed in a fatal semi-truck collision on US-385 south of Andrews TX. The accident happened on May 15 2012 in the afternoon hours. Allegedly Newbrough was driving a 2010 Chevrolet pickup truck north along US-385 when the semi-truck crossed into oncoming traffic.

Scene of the Accident

The semi-truck driven by 40-year old Carlos Granado apparently blew out the drivers side front tire causing the southbound truck to swerve into Newbroughs path. Newbrough was killed immediately in the crash and Granado was taken to a local hospital with nonfatal injuries.

Commentary
Some might view a blown tire as a freak accident but having litigated many truck accidents I feel comfortable saying this may have been preventable. You see in many of the accidents weve litigated not only did we find a driver who conducted an unsafe maneuver or action but perhaps more importantly to this accident a trucking company that failed to maintain a member of their fleet. Without conducting an independent investigation into the rig in question Im obviously speculating but one would think tire care would be at the top of a companys checklist. The company aside for a moment a trucker hauling too fast can also cause a blowout with the evasive actions taken afterwards also very pertinent to liability. For example steering against a skid as opposed to with it can cause a loss of control greater than normal. In many of my posts I speak towards cause and effect and this would be a good example. The cause may be the blown tire but the accidents effects can be amplified by poor maneuvering. Issues like these really speak to the necessity of collecting firm evidence quickly through a separate investigation.

- Attorney Michael Grossman