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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and our attorneys have experience handling truck accident cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Though not every case meets our criteria, we offer free, initial consultations so give us a call at 1-800-752-0042. If you can’t get through due to high call volume, please leave a message and we will return your call promptly. Our primary office in based in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) although our lawyers hold licenses in NC, SC, WV, KY, FL and DC. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Furthermore, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and our attorneys have experience handling truck accident cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Though not every case meets our criteria, we offer free, initial consultations so give us a call at 1-800-752-0042. If you can’t get through due to high call volume, please leave a message and we will return your call promptly. Our primary office in based in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) although our lawyers hold licenses in NC, SC, WV, KY, FL and DC. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Furthermore, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.

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A truck crash can cause headaches, figuratively and literally, especially when hazardous materials, such as diesel fuel, are involved. Take, for example, the tractor trailer accident in Suffolk, Virginia (VA) where diesel fuel leaked out and shut down County Street at Madison Avenue, according to the Virginian-Pilot.

When hazardous materials are involved in a truck accident, the situation is usually termed a “HAZMAT incident” by law enforcement and other personnel who are the first responders. A HAZMAT incident can often result in road closures and evacuations, as well as the potential for serious personal injury, even to those who were not directly involved in a crash or property damage in surrounding areas.

When a HAZMAT incident occurs, it is imperative that you take steps to protect yourself and loved ones. The following guidelines will help you know what to do if you find yourself in such a situation:

• Do EVERYTHING law enforcement and HAZMAT personnel tell you to do. This may include “sheltering in place,” which can involve closing doors and windows and turning off air conditioning units for a short amount of time.
• If you see or learn of a HAZMAT incident in your area and feel you are in danger, you do not have to wait for official evacuation orders. Leave your home immediately. Take important papers such as driver’s licenses, birth certificates, and Social Security cards for each member of the family, as well as any medications you or a loved one must have (insulin, blood pressure medication, etc.) but leave everything else.
• If official evacuation orders are given, immediately gather the information listed above (it is a good idea to go ahead and make copies of all these documents BEFORE a HAZMAT or other situation happens, and keep them in a safe, but quickly accessible place), and any medications, then leave as quickly as possible. You will be directed to a temporary shelter, or, if it is in a safe location, may be able to choose to go to a relative or friend’s home.
• If you or a loved one suffers any ill effects from the HAZMAT incident, notify emergency personnel at once. The quicker medical and decontamination treatment can be started, the better the chances there will be no long-term effects.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and our attorneys have experience handling truck accident cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office in based in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) although our lawyers hold licenses in NC, SC, WV, KY, FL and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now—we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Furthermore, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.

JM

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On June 15, a truck accident occurred on I-64 in Virginia (VA). The only vehicle involved was a tractor-trailer rig. Officers were able to determine, however, that the driver fell asleep at the wheel and this is what caused the truck wreck.

Driver fatigue is often a cause of wrecks involving tractor-trailer rigs. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), more than 750 people are killed and 20,000 more people are seriously injured each year in the U.S. due directly to tired and drowsy commercial truck drivers, according to saferoads.org.

In addressing this issue, there are federal and state mandates that limit the number of hours a driver can remain on the road before he or she must (or is supposed to) stop for a number of hours to rest. Unfortunately, these mandates are routinely ignored.

Load delivery deadlines and a need or desire by the driver to make more money (especially if he is paid by the load) are just some of the reasons why some tractor-trailer drivers do not make scheduled stops as they are supposed to. Others may stop, but not for as long as they should.

Drivers routinely deny falling asleep at the wheel and their travel logs may not give correct information. When this occurs, police officers sometimes have to rely on physical evidence such as skid marks or they may have to ask those who were involved or who witnessed the truck wreck if they believed driver fatigue may have been the reason for the accident. Sometimes, the tractor-trailer driver will admit that he was feeling drowsy, but this is rare.

You can learn about the different methods used to determine truck driver fatigue and what you should do in case you’re involved in an accident with a commercial truck by reading our free consumer report. If you still have questions, you can follow the link to frequently asked questions about truck accidents.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and our attorneys have experience handling truck accident cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office in based in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) although our lawyers hold licenses in NC, SC, WV, KY, FL and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now—we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Furthermore, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.

PA

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When a vehicle malfunction occurs, the consequences can be devastating. This was the case on Interstate (I-85) South in Brunswick, Virginia (VA) when a tractor trailer that was carrying two people had a left front axle break. This caused the truck to run off the road and hit multiple trees.

Tragically, the two people in the trailer were killed when the vehicle burst into flames, according to NBC12.com. The burns were so bad that the bodies could not be immediately identified.

There are many questions that need to be answered about this terrible truck crash. What exactly caused the axle to malfunction? Could this problem extend to the model of tractor trailer involved in the wreck? We’ll have to wait and see what the accident investigation reveals.

I want to send my deepest condolences to the families of the two people killed in this truck accident. Losing someone close to you is never easy, but having it happen in such a sudden and terrible manner is heartbreaking.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and our attorneys have experience handling truck accident cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office in based in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) although our lawyers hold licenses in NC, SC, WV, KY, FL and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now—we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Furthermore, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.

PA

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If there was any doubt about the level of risk we all face while sharing the highway with big rigs and other large commercial trucks, the recent accident in Henrico County, Virginia (VA) illustrates what can happen when something goes wrong with a large commercial truck.

A big rig traveling down Interstate 64 (I-64) suddenly had a wheel base break off causing the massive truck tire to bounce across the highway eventually slamming into a minivan driven by Stephanie Bender, a resident of Colonial Heights, VA. She died at the scene on May 14, 2010 as a result, according to wtkr.com.  The truck was  owned by J.E. Liesfeld Contractor Inc. of Rockville, MD, State Police spokesman Sgt. Thomas J. Molnar said.  A company spokesman said that the wreck “very tragic” and said the cause appeared to be equipment failure — a tire seal ruptured, and friction caused the 200-pound tire set to come off the axle.  Under Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations governing commercial trucks, there are inspections required of such vehicles.  It is unclear at this time whether any failure of maintenance or inspection duties apply here.

Here is a news report about this fatal truck accident:
 
 
“The company is very upset this happened, it’s a tragic accident, and the company will do everything it can to assist the family in its time of need,” said Charles Ayers, corporate counsel to Liesfeld.  As a trucking injury attorney often working against trucking company’s, it is unclear to me what the attorney’s comment means in the context of any civil injury lawsuit that may be brought by her family members.

Stephanie Bender was survived by her husband, Terry Lee Bender, Jr, two daughters, her parents, and many brothers and sisters.  Her family has roots in the Macon/Dodge County, GA area.  Many of her co-workers at Capitol One, where she had previously worked, were stunned, and talked about her beautiful smile and the pride she took in her daughters and her family.

The disparity in size and weight between a commercial truck and compact cars, SUVs, and minivans is so great that even when the slightest error or malfunction occurs with a big rig or 18-wheeler, the damage can be catastrophic, especially for the driver and/or passenger(s) in those compact vehicles.

The VA Commercial Motor Vehicle Inspection Team is investigating what caused the tire to break off from the big rig, according to wtvr.com. They will determine if traffic/criminal charges should be filed against the truck driver since there’s a chance the big rig may have had mechanical defects which were overlooked or neglected leading to a death.  This is completely separate from any “wrongful death” civil lawsuit that may be available to the surviving family members.

It  was reported that over 200,000 trucks violate federal safety regulations, but are still operating on roads and highways all across the country. We’ll have to wait and see what the Inspection Team reports.

Regardless of the cause, I want to send my deepest sympathies to the Bender family. The pain of losing someone you love is always gut-wrenching, but it has to be even worse when the loss is so sudden. Mrs. Bender was only 36 years old.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and our attorneys have experience handling truck accident cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office in based in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) although our lawyers hold licenses in NC, SC, WV, KY, FL and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now—we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Furthermore, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.

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A dump truck was traveling down Interstate 95 (I-95) in Woodbridge, Virginia (VA) near Prince William Parkway when the truck driver allegedly suffered a medical emergency. This emergency caused the truck to swerve out of control and hit 12 other vehicles, according to the Washington Post. The dump truck couldn’t even be stopped until it pinned a car against a guardrail, according to wjla.com.

This wreck is an example of the damage a large truck can inflict on the road when operated improperly. Even the slightest miscalculation or problem behind the wheel can lead to a major accident.

Five people suffered injuries and are receiving treatment at a hospital in VA. Fortunately, no loss of life was sustained in this truck accident.

The dump truck driver was charged with reckless driving by Prince William County Police, according to wtop.com.  

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and our attorneys have experience handling truck accident cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office in based in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) although our lawyers hold licenses in NC, SC, WV, KY and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now—we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Furthermore, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.

PA

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Elizabeth P. Lyman of Fairhaven, Massachusetts (MA) was driving her Plymouth Voyager on Interstate 495 (I-495) when she decided to pull off the side of the road at the Springfield interchange in Fairfax, Virginia (VA), according to wusa9.com. Tragically, she would never make it to her destination. A tractor trailer sideswiped the Voyager and hit her while she was standing near the right shoulder of the exit ramp from I-495 west to Interstate 95 (I-95) south. She died at the scene, according to the Washington Post.

Mrs. Lyman was only 68 years old. My deepest sympathies go out to Mrs. Lyman’s family. The grieving process is difficult so I hope they can make it through okay.

Reports indicate the driver of the tractor trailer, which had a full car carrier attached, swerved suddenly to the right in order to avoid hitting a car that was slowing down on the highway. This was the wrong decision since not only did the tractor trailer hit Mrs. Lyman, but also wound up colliding with an SUV.

The tractor trailer driver was charged with operating an overweight vehicle and reckless driving.

Our firm handled a case very similar to this incident. We represented a family who lost a loved one in a trucking accident. The tractor-trailer operator in this case attempted to change lanes, but miscalculated the distance between his truck and the rear of a car. The truck clipped the rear of the car causing it to flip over, which killed our client (who was survived by his wife of 38 years and his four adult children). The tragic wreck occurred on a rural highway in VA. Fortunately, we were able to successfully obtain a wrongful death settlement for the family to compensate for their pain and suffering. To learn more about this wrongful death truck accident case, please click here.  

The wreck on I-495, and the case we handled, illustrates just how important it is to properly operate a large commercial truck. When someone operates a vehicle of such size and power recklessly, the consequences can be deadly.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and our attorneys have experience handling truck accident cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office in based in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) although our lawyers hold licenses in NC, SC, WV, KY and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now—we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Furthermore, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.

PA

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