Virginia Trucking Accident Attorney Blog » injuries

Pickup Truck Driver Hits Car Head-On in Franklin County, Woman Seriously Injured

rshapiro — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:08:49 +0000

An allegedly intoxicated pickup truck driver tried to pass a car on Route 122 near Harmony School Rd. in Franklin County, Virginia (VA). This led to a terrible accident where the truck driver slammed head-on into another car. To learn more, check out this blog published by my colleague John Cooper…

Woman Seriously Injured by Allegedly Intoxicated Pickup Truck Driver

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

The Steps We Take to Build Your Personal Injury or Wrongful Death Case

rshapiro — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:03:29 +0000

Our firm has been asked to look into what initially appeared to be a mysterious death or loss of life in a commercial truck accident. Sometimes, family members have only suspicion but not much hard evidence. They ask us to uncover the truth about what caused the accidental or unexpected death of their loved one.

Our firm takes initial steps to help build your case, whether the claim stems from a car/truck wreck, railroad accident, or medical malpractice wrongful death. Learn what these steps are by reading this article:

Building Your Case: How Experienced Injury Lawyers Investigate Catastrophic Injury and Wrongful Death Accident Claims

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Axle Malfunction Leads to Tractor-Trailer Wreck in Brunswick, 2 People Killed

rshapiro — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 21:29:21 +0000

By Jim Lewis, Truck Accident Attorney

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.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Health Insurance Company May Pursue Repayment for Medical Bills

rshapiro — Mon, 17 May 2010 15:28:51 +0000

There is a provision in some health insurance plans that enables the insurance company to pursue reimbursement for the medical expenses they covered while you were recuperating from the injuries sustained in a truck wreck. They can do this through the “right of subrogation.” This doesn’t apply to all health insurance plans, but it’s important to know if your plan has this provision in the fine print.

To learn more, check out this article written my truck wreck injury lawyer Rick Shapiro:

Health Insurance Reimbursement/Repayment Virginia Truck Accident and Injury Cases

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Driver Injured in I-40 Lumber Truck Crash

rshapiro — Sun, 09 May 2010 15:27:36 +0000

A large commercial truck, which was carrying lumber, fell onto its side and spilled logs across all westbound lanes of Interstate 40 (I-40) in Harmon Den. North Carolina (NC). This accident wreaked havoc on the highway causing a massive traffic jam. According to report, one driver suffered injuries. The exact cause of the truck accident is unknown at this time. To learn more, check out this article on our firm’s North Carolina site:

Lumber Truck Crash Closes I-40 In Harmon Den, NC

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

“Underride” Truck Wrecks Can Cause Very Serious Injuries

rshapiro — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:11:32 +0000

Many trucks come equipped with a rear impact guard, which is essentially is a bar hanging below the truck’s cargo hold. This guard is important in helping prevent “underride” accident injuries where a car hits the back of a truck and the impact can wind up causing a serious head injury to the driver and passengers in the car. To learn more, take a moment to read an article written by my colleague John Cooper.

Click here: Passenger Injuries and Death In “Underride” Truck Accidents

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Bad Brakes Can Lead to Jacknifed Tractor Trailer Accidents

rshapiro — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:44:41 +0000

According to the American Association for Justice, 4,000 people are killed in tractor trailer accidents. These accidents also cause more than 80,000 serious injuries every year along major highways including Interstate 95 (I-95) and I-85 in Virginia (VA). My colleague John Cooper wrote an article about the risks associated with tractor trailer wrecks, especially jacknifed tractor trailers. One of the most common elements leading to a jacknifed trailer are bad brakes and, unfortunately, many commercial truck companies neglect keeping their truck’s brakes in tip-top shape. To learn more, check out John’s tractor trailer accident article here.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Dump Truck Hits 12 Cars on I-95, Five People Injured

rshapiro — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:29:49 +0000

By Jim Lewis, Truck Wreck Lawyer

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.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Drowsy Drivers Can Lead to Serious Trucking Accidents

rshapiro — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:42:10 +0000

Here is a video made by Virginia trucking accident attorney Rick Shapiro discussing the risks associated with overworked and drowsy truck drivers…

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Big Rig Truck Driver Fatigue is Often an Accident Waiting To Happen

bmurray — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:28:04 +0000

As stated by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), more than 750 people are killed each year and more than 20,000 are injured due to fatigue of truck drivers operating commercial truck vehicles. Tired drivers are deadly drivers. Adding to this mix is the fact that operating an 18 wheeler is generally a low paying job. This can lead many truckers to drive long hours in order to make more money. To make matters worse commercial truck employers do not help the situation by imposing tight delivery deadlines on their truckers.

Nodding off is usually a result of sleep deprivation that can cause the trucker to drift into other lanes. Ineffective down-breaking, rollovers and jackknifing are also typical results caused by inattentive and fatigued truckers. Multi-vehicle accidents are not uncommon when a truck is involved. Truck operators themselves are exposed to these common dangers with about 600 commercial truck drivers per year dying in highway accidents.

All truckers are required to keep log books and are usually helpful in litigating a case to prove liability based upon driver fatigue. In addition, there are black boxes and electronic onboard recorders (EOBR) that can be useful tools in reviewing past behaviour and events that may have lead up to collision with a truck.

It’s often the case that truck accidents involve overlapping laws and regulations. It is quite common that a trucking accident lawsuit will be brought against a trucking company as well as the commercial truck driver. However, government agencies, truck mechanics and maintenance companies, truck manufacturers and their insurance companies are possible defendants. Their involvement in an accident should be investigated before a suit is filed. In tractor trailer collisions, the history of inspections and weigh station stops are always crucial in discovering information. Also, if you include any recent road changes, like re-grading or new signage may potentially lead to liability of governmental agencies and subcontractors.

With all these appearant dangers, passenger vehicle drivers should steer clear of 18 wheelers as much as they can on highways. For example, it is also important to keep in mind that big rigs have a shorter braking distance than cars, so when you are switching lanes after passing a truck always bear in mind that the big rig will be coming up quickly from behind. At the very least make sure the trucker’s two headlights are far enough away in your rear view mirror before re-entering the lane. Even with the added caution, most tractor trailer truck accidents occur, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, on rural highways in the middle of the day and on weekdays. So, oddly enough highway driving is statisitcally not the most likely location for a car-truck collision.

Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm is based in Virginia (VA), with an office also in Elizabeth City, in Northeast North Carolina (NC), practicing primarily in the southeastern U.S. and handles only injury law, including car, truck, railroad, and medical negligence cases and more. Our Carolina injury law website is: http://carolina.hsinjurylaw.com, the firm edits the injury law blogs Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, as well as the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard and also hosts a YouTube injury law video library covering many FAQ’s on personal injury subjects. Lawyers licensed in: VA, NC, SC, WV, DC, KY.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.