A Sussex County, Virginia (VA), sheriff’s deputy and the driver of another car wound up hospitalized with serious but not life-threatening injuries on December 7, 2011, when the officer lost control of his cruiser and hit the other vehicle head-on on Virginia Route 40. According to WTVR CBS6 in Richmond, VA, the deputy was rushing to respond to a collision between two tractor-trailers on nearby I-95.
View a larger map of where a Sussex County, VA sheriff’s deputy was involved in a head-on collision

The big rigs had collided when one of the truckers swerved to avoid hitting yet another vehicle, causing injuries to one of the truck’s operators whose semi jackknifed.

I can’t help but imagine the situation playing out like a scene from a Hollywood blockbuster, all squealing brakes and quick cuts to cars and trucks slamming into each in balletic fashion. But as a Virginia personal injury lawyer whose firm regularly helps people injured in crashes involving commercial trucks and head-on collisions, I know there was nothing entertaining or amusing about either of the wrecks.

When large trucks go out of control in real life, the situation often turns deadly. Similarly, any time two cars run into each other head-on, deaths are common. Thankfully, no one lost a life in either of the accidents in Sussex County, but all the injured drivers undoubtedly face large medical treatment costs and long recoveries.

The tractor-trailer driver who caused the interstate accident has been charged with reckless driving. The cause of the crash between the deputy’s cruiser and the car remains under investigation, but if the officer is found to be at fault the other driver could have grounds for filing a civil injury lawsuit.

EJL

About the Editors: The Virginia (VA) trucking accident attorneys at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have experience handling truck accident cases in Virginia, North Carolina (NC), and other Southeastern states. Check out our case results, which illustrate our track record of success in truck accident personal injury cases. Trucking injury lawyers Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To learn more about Virginia truck accident injury law, take a look at this free report written by an experienced truck wreck injury attorney in Virginia.

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My colleague John Cooper has written a new blog post for our Virginia personal injury attorneys’ website in which he notes that federal authorities have approved plans to place tolls on the section of always dangerous I-95 that runs through Virginia. The move is expected to generate monies to fund safety projects on a highway that has seen a number of serious truck crashes.

DM

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling truck accident cases. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA), but our lawyers also hold licenses to practice in NC, South Carolina (SC), West Virginia (WV), Kentucky (KY), Florida (FL) and Washington, DC. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury attorneys host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. Check out our case results. Though not every case meets our criteria, we offer free initial consultations so give us a call at (800) 752-0042. If you can’t get through due to high call volume, please leave a message and we will return your call.

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Like too many previous celebration of America’s independence, Fourth of July 2011 has the potential to be a deadly diving day on the roads and highways of Virginia (VA), North Carolina (NC) and every other state. Citing National Highway Transportation Safety Administration statistics, msn.com noted that the days leading up to and including July 4 regularly see more fatal car, truck, motorcycle and SUV accidents than any other holiday weekend.

“In the summer of 2008 …, 491 people died in car accidents during the three-day Fourth of July weekend. Out of that total, 43 percent died as a result of alcohol-impaired driving,” the website reported.

As a Virginia Beach, VA-based personal injury attorney who has represented injury and wrongful death victims following car and truck wrecks for nearly 25 years, I know firsthand that no crash that kills or injures is a welcome event. But accidents at otherwise happy times can be especially devastating.

In an effort to keep traffic accidents to a minimum this July 4th, and all summer long and year round, the American Trucking Associations, recently published the top 10 safe driving tips from commercial truck drivers.  While the advice is specifically intended to prevent collisions between 18-wheelers, semis, tanker trucks, flatbeds and smaller vehicles, following this advice from people who have logged literally millions of miles behind the wheels of big rigs should help everyone reach their destination safely every time.

• Prepare Your Vehicle: Checking your radiator, oil, and wipers and getting any necessary maintenance can help you avoid many of the problems that strand motorists on the side of the road.
• Check and Inflate Your Tires to the Proper Pressure: Overinflated tires can blow out. Underinflated tires make your vehicle harder to control. And having too much or too little air in your tires lowers your vehicle’s fuel efficiency.
• Drive the Speed Limit: Observing posted speed limits saves money on gas and reduces wear and tear on vehicles. Resisting the urge to speed also makes any driver or motorcyclist more safe. Maintaining a constant speed can reduce fuel costs by 30 percent and give you more time to react to changing road conditions or mistakes by other motorists.
• Remember That Large Trucks Have Large Blind Spots: Drivers of tractor-trailers and 18-wheelers simply cannot see you if you are beside their rigs. If you can’t see a trucker driver in his or her rearview mirror, the truck driver can’t see you.
• Keep Bottled Water in Your Vehicle: A summer emergency kit containing extra water, sunsreen and nonperishable food in addition to flares and tools is as essential as a winter driving kit containing a blanket and chemical hand and foot warmers. Never allow yourself to get stranded without emergency supplies.
• Park Safely Out of Traffic Before Using Your Cell Phone or Any Other Handheld Electronic Device: Taking your eyes and mind off the road and vehicles around you for even two seconds doubles your chance of causing or being involved in a crash.
• Do Not Cut Off Large Trucks: The longer and heavier a truck is, the longer its driver needs to stop. Keep that in mind when changing lanes in front of big rig.
• Honor Right-of-Way When Merging and Turning: You must yield to oncoming traffic whenever you enter a highway from an on-ramp, use an off-ramp or make a right- or left-hand turn from a light, intersection or parking lot. When you do merge, get up to highway speed quickly and do not slow down in front of an 18-wheeler or semi.
• Respond Calmly to Emergencies: If you get in trouble, put on your emergency blinkers and slow down smoothly before coming to a stop on a shoulder or in an emergency lane. Do not stop in the flow of traffic and, at the same time, move over or slow down when approaching police, broken down vehicles or road crews beside the road.
• Save Fuel: Take direct routes, make few side trips and keep your engine well-tuned. You’ll see noticeable savings on fuel and lower your chances of running out of gas when stuck in traffic.

Stay safe, and have a great Fourth.

EJL

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling truck accident cases. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA), but our lawyers also hold licenses to practice in NC, South Carolina (SC), West Virginia (WV), Kentucky (KY), Florida (FL) and Washington, DC. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury attorneys host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. Check out our case results. Though not every case meets our criteria, we offer free initial consultations so give us a call at (800) 752-0042. If you can’t get through due to high call volume, please leave a message and we will return your call.

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Virginia (VA) has many long stretches of road where a tired tractor-trailer driver may pull over and rest. This was the case in Indiana (IN) when a semi driver was killed when his truck rear-ended another semi that had been parked on the shoulder. The driver who caused the wreck was wearing a seatbelt but was killed when the cab was crushed upon impact, find out more.

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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Have you ever been driving behind a car that just refuses to hit the gas and go? A tractor-trailer driver had just that problem on I-95.  Unfortunately the driver was going so slowly that it caused the big-rig to crash.  Find out more.

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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Troopers say the tractor trailer speed was between 65 and 70 mph in the work zone.

“At this point it’s still unclear what the circumstances was, whether it was fatigue or lack of sleep or lack of attention, but it did appear that his attention was caught after striking the second vehicle then subsequently crashed into the tractor and killed the driver,” NC Highway Patrol Trooper Marcus Bethea said.

Investigators say charges are pending at this time.  I hope the police hold the driver responsible and charge him with the fullest extent of the law.  Perhaps then the family will be able to gain some sense of justice. 

But no matter how severe the at-fault driver’s punishment is, it won’t bring the life of a hardworking man back.  A family has been shattered by the death of the mover driver.  This man was at work doing a job he enjoyed.  To make matters worse his son had followed in his father’s footsteps and was in one of the safety vehicles at the time of the crash. He was taken to the hospital for observation of injuries.

This truck wreck is just another example of the devastation that can be caused when large vehicles slam into smaller ones and how important it is that the operators of these vehicles stay alert.

CA.

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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It was a confusing and hectic scene on the side of Interstate 95 near Prince William County, Virginia (VA).  Six people including a Virginia State Trooper were injured in a nine car accident started by a distracted driver, reports The NOVA Insider.  The play by play went like this:

Accident #1:

A Mercedes broke down and pulled to the shoulder of the Virginia highway.  A driver stopped to help the woman and both cars were sideswiped by a distracted driver in a Toyota.

Accident #2:

A Virginia State Police Trooper responded to the crash at the same time the first drivers husband did.  They both parked on the shoulder in front of the accident.  The driver of a Dodge Neon saw the emergency lights and slowed down as required by law.  Unfortunately a tractor-trailer was following too closely and rear ended the Dodge Neon. 

Accident #3

The Dodge neon lost control and struck first the police car and then the officer himself causing injuries to the trooper!  

Accident #4

The police cruiser was pushed forward, pinning the first three accident victims against the guardrail.

Accident #5

After rear-ending the Dodge, the tractor-trailer driver swerved to the left and struck another tractor-trailer.

Accident #6

He then rear-ended a Toyota Camry. The truck driver hit by the trailer-trailer left the scene and police are looking for him.

Police charged Hendricks, the first truck driver, with reckless driving for failure to maintain control due to inadequate brakes. He was not injured in the crash

This unlikely chain of events that left five people injured and traffic backed up for nearly an entire day could have easily been avoided if only the distracted driver had followed the “move over” law.

As you are probably aware, the “move over” law requires motorists to move over, if they can do so safely, when they see an emergency vehicle of any kind, with its emergency lights activated, either on the shoulder of the road or in a traffic lane. 

The first tractor trailer obliviously did not observe the move over law and as a result injured four people.  The law was created to prevent exactly this type of injury.  Also police cited him for inadequate brakes which is extremely dangerous for any vehicle, but especially a commercial big rig.  As a professional driver he should have been more vigilant in maintaining his equipment.  If more drivers are attentive while driving and follow the “move over” then personal injury will decrease. If an accident should occur, however, there are steps which can be taken by those involved to receive legal help from an attorney.

CA.

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 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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A tractor trailer crash on I-95 just outside of Dunn, North Carolina (N.C.) has tragically left a 6 year old child dead. In a sad chain of events an SUV in which the child was riding collided with an 18 wheeler on a stretch of Interstate 95 in Harnett County, North Carolina (N.C.).

In describing the accident scene, a NC State Highway Patrol spokesperson reported that the big rig was traveling northbound on Interstate 95, near the Pope Road overpass, when the SUV attempted to pass it in the left hand lane. The SUV ended up hitting the guard rail and landed upside down

The child was the sole fatality in the Johnston County I-95 tractor trailer wreck along this particularly deadly stretch of highway. The remaining occupants of the SUV included: the driver, age 34, and three other adults along with two other children. The travelers from Pennsylvania were transported by ambulance to the Betsy Johnson Hospital in Dunn, North Carolina (N.C.) for injuries. The Johnston County tractor trailer crash on I-95 is still under further investigation. The driver of the big rig was reported to have suffered no injuries.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, twelve percent of all traffic fatalities in the United States involve truck accidents. Tractor trailer truck accidents are especially dangerous. In such truck accidents, an alarming 98% of the time, the passengers or driver in the other vehicle is killed as opposed to people in the truck.

Although tractor trailers are an important part of distribution of goods, they are involved either directly or indirectly almost every day on our highways. The untimely death of such a young child is terribly tragic. Our prayers and heartfelt sympathies go out to the family in their time of grief. It is hard to imagine the scare and shock of the occupants of this passenger vehicle surviving this tragedy.

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.

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