Anderson Law Firm

Dangerous Distribution: Laws Concerning Cargo Vans In the Spotlight

I blogged a few weeks ago about a deadly Haltom City van crash that killed three flier distributers when the van they were riding in blew a tire and slammed into a tree. There were no seats or seat belts in the back of the van for the “walkers”, which possibly lead to the seriousness of the injuries sustained in the accident.

What I didn’t realize until this Sunday, thanks to an article in the Fort Worth Star Telegram, is that dangerous rides are a fact of life for flier distributors. That’s because according to Texas law, seat belts are not required for adults in a cargo van that has no seats. With no seat belts, restrictions on capacity in the van don’t apply and because no one is charged for the transportation, the worker driving the van isn’t regulated, either.

So, what we have is a situation where people are so desperate to make a dime, they’ll deal with unsafe conditions. Of course for the company hiring the workers, it behooves them not to have seats in the back of the van. Without the seats, they’re able to carry more walkers and more flyers.

To me, this is a classic example of profits over people – something I think is extremely wrong. It surprises even me, a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, that there is a loophole this big in the law!

I think the law obviously needs to be changed. The state law should be the same for all vehicles. That means seats and seatbelts for all.

Car wrecks happen every day in North Texas. It’s crazy to me that it took a terrible accident, like the one in Haltom City, to bring attention to this dangerous practice.