Virginia Trucking Accident Attorney Blog » injury lawyer

Roadside Tractor-Trailer, Bus Safety Inspections Save Lives

jcooper — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:29:38 +0000

By John Cooper, Truck and Bus Accident Injury Attorney

Everyday seems to bring news of another tractor-trailer or tour bus crash on East Coast interstates in which the commercial vehicle’s driver or someone in a car, pickup or SUV suffered injuries or got killed. Too often, the wreck was caused by the big rig or bus. And too many times, the at-fault driver lacked the proper training, license or health — the trucker was sick or impaired by drugs or alcohol. Sometimes, the vehicle itself was unsafe because it had bad tires, inadequate equipment, even a poor hitch between cab and trailer.

Roadside inspections can get potentially dangerous drivers, 18-wheelers and large buses off the road before accidents happen. Recognizing this, trucking and busing groups, state and local police departments, and the Federal Motor Carrier Association have teamed up for years to support random checks of commercial trucks and buses.

A state in which a cooperative random roadside safety inspection program is working particularly well is Pennsylvania (PA), There, according to the Pocono Times, the 2010 Pennsylvania Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program made it possible for “more than 93,000 random truck inspections [to be] conducted across the state, a 14 percent increase from 2009.”

In Virginia (VA), where tour bus crashes on interstates recently claimed several lives and injured dozens more, state troopers participated in Roadcheck 2011 during early June. The goal of that operation was to ensure more than 70,000 truckers, trucks, bus drivers and buses were interviewed and inspected across Canada, Mexico and the United States to increase safety.

Such programs work — up to a point. FMCSA data show that the rate of fatal crashes per 100 million miles traveled by large trucks and buses have fallen consistently from 3.82 in 2008 to 1.17 in 2010. The goal, of course, is 0 per every mile traveled.

Still, as a Virginia-based attorney who has often represented victims of trucking accidents, I’m encouraged by the trend. Unsafe vehicles and drivers have no business doing business on U.S. highways. I’d like to see programs that encourage and support roadside inspections of commercial vehicles extended.

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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Five Killed, 10 Injured When Tractor-Trailer Slams Into Stopped Cars in NC

rshapiro — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 10:24:13 +0000

By Rick Shapiro, Truck Accident Injury Lawyer

In the second fatal accident involving a large commercial truck in North Carolina (NC) in less than four days, a tractor-trailer driver “plowed into a line of eight vehicles stopped in the right lane [of I-26]. … Five people were killed and 10 were injured.” The accident occurred on the interstate near the town of Fletcher just before 11 pm on Sunday, February 20.

The semi driver faces multiple manslaughter charges, and several of the injured car drivers and passengers remained hospitalized on Tuesday. The truck driver also appears to have given police a falsified or invalid medical certificate attesting to his physical and mental health and ability to operate a big rig safely.

No cause for the accident in which five people lost their lives and twice that many had their lives changed forever has been reported. The multiple criminal charges do point to the tractor-trailer’s operator being at fault, however. The time of the accident — near midnight — could also suggest that the truck driver had limited vision of the highway or suffered from fatigue.

Semis and 18-wheelers take much longer to stop than smaller vehicles, so it is important that the people behind the wheel of large commercial trucks remain alert and responsive to changes in road conditions and traffic flow that can lead to accidents in which people get killed or hospitalized.

Whatever caused the wreck, as an attorney with a firm whose lawyers have decades of experience representing victims of trucking accidents, I offer my condolences to families and friends of those killed. I also wish the injured parties speedy and full recoveries.

EJL

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm that focuses on injury and accident law, and our attorneys have experience handling truck accident cases. 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 pro bono public information services. 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 (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.

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Distracted Driver Crashes into Disabled Vehicle

rshapiro — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:13:04 +0000

By Rick Shapiro, Personal Injury Attorney

Whose fault is it when a vehicle becomes disabled and the driver of another vehicle crashes into it? Easy, it is the fault of the inattentive driver. These crashes happen more often than not, 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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Firefighter Killed By Big Rig

rshapiro — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:22:56 +0000

By Rick Shapiro, Personal Injury Attorney

When we hear in the news that a fire fighter has been killed, we expect it to be while in the line of duty, not in a car accident. So I was surprised and saddened to learn of the death of a Clifton Forge Firefighter, Mr. Ashley Weikle.

Ashley was killed in a fatal crash on Interstate 64 (I-64) in Roanoke, Virginia (VA) on Dec. 3, 2010. He was involved in a head on accident with another tractor trailer. According to state police, the at-fault driver ran off the left side of the interstate, crossed the median and hit Ashley, sending the cab of his truck plunging into the river.

Our deepest condolences go out to his family. It is terrible to lose someone in a preventable accident, even more so during this time of year.

The driver of the other big rig was not hurt but was charged with reckless driving.

There is no word yet why the at-fault drive lost control, but the power, size and weight of a commercial tractor-trailer make the impact of a truck collision much worse and the chance of serious injury and death much higher. The death rate for truck crashes is 50 percent higher than for car accidents, and many injuries may cause life-long disability and permanent or chronic health problems.
CA.

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Chain Reaction Big-Rig Wreck Shuts Down I-26

rshapiro — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:49:56 +0000

By Rick Shapiro, Personal Injury Attorney

Eastbound Interstate 26 (I-26) was shut down briefly Saturday afternoon near Johnson City, North Carolina (NC) after a tractor-trailer caused an accident involving three other vehicles, according to the N.C. State Highway Patrol.

The big rig driver was charged with failure to reduce speed to avoid a collision after his tractor-trailer struck a Mitsubishi and another tractor-trailer. The second tractor-trailer was pushed into a Camry in a chain reaction crash. Traffic was slowing on I-26 because another vehicle was pulled to the shoulder and persons were trying to retrieve debris on the interstate.

Luckily there was only one minor injury. “Only thing not drivable was the tractor-trailer that caused the wreck,” Police said. The cars that were sandwiched between the big-rigs were very lucky that they didn’t suffer more serious injuries as the death rate for truck crashes is 50 percent higher than for car accidents, and many injuries may cause life-long disability and permanent or chronic health problems.

As experienced truck accident/injury attorneys, we don’t know why the truck driver was unable to reduce speed to avoid the accident but North Carolina is ranked sixth in the nation for total accidents involving tractor-trailers. Why is this? Well it’s partly because over 50 percent of the trucks inspected in NC had maintenance or safety violations. We hope this wasn’t the case in this accident but truck drivers can never be too careful and should meticulously maintain and inspect their vehicles.

CA.

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Interstate Fog Causes Chain Reaction Crash

rshapiro — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:51:42 +0000

By Rick Shapiro, Personal Injury Attorney

Have you ever noticed that a little rain or a little fog will turn the interstate into a warzone? You’d think that the poor weather conditions would make drivers more cautious. However as we all well know, that is often not the case. Tuesday morning on Interstate 77 (I-77), near the North Carolina (NC) and Virginia (VA) state line, a series of five crashes killed two people and sent 16 others to the hospital, reports the State Police.

The chaos began when a group of cars and big rigs crashed in the fog. Whether they were driving to fast for the weather conditions, or driving distracted we don’t know. But we do know that a chain reaction of crashes continued after that.

State Police described the scene as “vehicles are literally stacked on top of one another. Tractor-trailers are jackknifed and/or overturned onto their sides.”

Officers say two people died in the I-77 southbound crashes, while rescue crews took the injured to hospitals in Virginia and North Carolina. Of the 16 who were hurt, State Police say four were seriously hurt.

I really feel bad for all those injured, especially the two folks who lost their life. My thoughts go out to their families and their tragic loss during this holiday season.

These types of accidents are not only traumatic but also very confusing for all those involved. Who is at fault when a car rear-ends you and pushes you into another car? With all the fog and accidents, who really hit who? It can be a major headache for you in determining liability and filing a claim with your insurance company.

CA.

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Head On Crash With Dump Truck Traps Two

jlewis — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 16:59:13 +0000

By Jim Lewis, Personal Injury Attorney

A car collided with a dump truck head-on in Patrick County, Virginia (VA) sending two women to the hospital, Virginia State Police said. A dump truck driver, who was heading west, hit the brakes and skid out of control and into the eastbound lanes hitting the victim’s car head on.

Commercial truck drivers spend their entire work day on the road. Their only job is to drive from point A to point B. Commercial drivers have a duty to drive more cautiously since their vehicles are much larger and dangerous than the general public. Therefore when a terrible accident such as this occurs it is imperative to track down the proper trucking company that may be responsible.

I can’t image how terrified those two women must have been to see a huge dump truck come barreling across the median and crash into them. Although head-on collisions are a somewhat rare type of car accident, consisting of only two percent of all vehicle crashes, one out of ten traffic accident victims dies because of a head-on crash.

The two women in the car were both trapped in the vehicle and flown to the hospital with injuries to Winston-Salem, North Carolina. At this point, no charges have been filed but the investigation is continuing. I hope the two women receive the best care possible and their families find justice.

CA.

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Tractor-Trailer Hits Virginia (VA) State Trooper Conducting a Traffic Stop

jcooper — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:51:51 +0000

By John Cooper, Virginia Truck Accident Lawyer

A too-common — and often fatal — traffic accident occurred near the complicated Bowers Hill interchange between I-664, U.S. 58 and U.S. 460 in Chesapeake, Virginia (VA), around lunchtime on September 21, 2010. A tractor-trailer veered onto the shoulder of the highway and struck VA Sr. State Trooper S.E. Hawkins. According to a Virginian-Pilot article published the following day, Hawkins is expected to recover from injuries that include “broken bones in his lower right leg, fractured ribs and a gash on his right arm.”

The driver of the tractor-trailer has been charged under Virginia’s so-called “move over law,” which requires the driver of any car, truck, bus, motorcycle or other vehicle to both slow down and, when possible, change lanes when they see a police officer or public safety worker stopped or working on the shoulder of a road. Since 1999, an average of 15 police officers and troopers have lost their lives each year after being hit while standing by the side of a road or highway. Dozens more get injured when passing drivers fail to give the law enforcement officers a safe space. Across Virginia, eight state troppers have been involved in roadside collisions during 2009 and 2010.

Anyone stopped on a shoulder is at risk for getting slammed into by another car or truck. Police and public safety workers such as tow truck drivers and EMTs are at particular risk, though, because so much of what they do to help and protect others takes place in the face of onrushing traffic. The tractor-trailer driver involved in the Bowers Hill collision apparently did try to change lanes but could not do so because other drivers blocked him. This illustrates how everyone in every lane needs to be aware of, and make room for, emergency responders.

I’m glad that Senior Trooper Hawkins will soon be better. I hope none of his fellow officers have to face such a recovery.

EJL

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm focused on injury and accident law. Our attorneys have experience handling truck accident cases, so check out our case results. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA), but our lawyers also hold licenses to practice 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, Norfolk Injuryboard, Eastern Shore Virginia Injury Attorneys Blog and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as pro bono services.

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North Carolina (NC) Police Fed up with Careless Truck Drivers, Create Operation Road Watch

jcooper — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:43:41 +0000

By: Randy Appleton, Trucking Injury Attorney
Aggressive driving and unsecured loads are just a few of the things that North Carolina State Troopers are trying to protect motorists from. Find out how they plan to do it.

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Tractor Trailer Backs Up, Kills Driver, in Suffolk Virginia

jlewis — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:04:13 +0000

One person was killed in a truck crash on South Quay Road in Suffolk, Virginia. A pick-up truck hit a tractor trailer who was blocking the road. To learn more, check out this article:

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