Robert Moore and Passenger Injured in Truck Accident on Pacific Street in Mineola, TX
Mineola, TX -- March 15, 2022, 42-year-old Robert Moore and his passenger were injured in a crash with a commercial truck on Pacific Street in Mineola.
Authorities say the incident happened around 6:05 a.m. on South Pacific Street (U.S. Highway 69) near McDaniels Street. Preliminary investigation suggests a Freightliner truck was pulling out of a private driveway onto Pacific when he stopped the truck and got out to close a gate behind him. Reports say the truck was stopped partly in the right travel lane of the road with its flashers on as the driver went back to the gate.
Nearby, Moore was driving an Isuzu NPR truck north on the roadway. Reports say foggy conditions kept him from seeing the truck parked in the road ahead and he crashed into its front left quarter.
A passenger in the Isuzu reportedly received minor injuries in the crash. Moore sustained possible injuries. The Freightliner driver was unhurt.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Robert Moore Accident on Pacific Street in Mineola
Investigators said that in their opinion the crash was caused by the truck driver parking partially in the travel lane. That doesn't necessarily mean the driver or his employer would agree, and they're within their rights to dispute the crash report all the livelong day. Even if things seem pretty straightforward on paper most companies will put up a fight to avoid liability for a wreck. Reports even provide them with a good scapegoat in Mineola since they could try to blame the fog instead of their driver's questionable choices. It's best to anticipate pushback and carefully investigate to find the evidence needed to get rid of any "wiggle room."
Of course some may think there's no particular need to be so thorough since the victims' injuries were reportedly minor. I hope reports got that part right, but after so many years working on truck accidents I can't help but feel a little concern to see damages downplayed right after a wreck. Police at the scene don't always have all the needed information to properly judge that.
Not long ago I worked on a case where a man's supposedly-minor injury turned to paralyzing pain within a week of his crash with a big rig. Scans showed that his "sore back" was actually a ruptured spinal disk and its effects just took a short while to really show. Not only did that injury require extensive testing and surgery, but it also took months of legal battles with the at-fault company's insurer before they agreed to cover the victim's bills as they should have from the start. Ultimately very little about his experience was "minor."
I hope nothing like that happens after the Mineola accident and there's no particular reason to think it will. However, the possibility that things aren't quite what they seem is one of the reasons I always tell folks they need to take action after any truck wreck--even if its impact seems minimal. At worst a victim is overprepared and no action is necessary, which is always better than the opposite.
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