A woman who had recently moved south from Portsmouth, Virginia (VA), lost her life when an 18-wheeler carrying concrete mix struck her turning vehicle on U.S. 17. The trucker was also injured in the crash that remains under investigation.  To read more, click over to “Portsmouth, VA Woman Killed in Collision With 18-Wheeler.”

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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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In McDowell County, near Linville, North Carolina (NC), a semi truck lost control, catapulted down a steep hill and wrecked, killing a passenger and shutting down the highway, the N.C. Highway Patrol said Monday. Find out why this fatal tractor-trailer accident happened.

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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As a personal injury attorney, I, unfortunately, understand how fragile life can be.  More and more I am seeing cases of head-on collisions where one vehicle will lose control and cross the median, crashing head-on into an unsuspecting motorist.  Just last month, two tractor-trailers collided killing both drivers.

It’s even worse when the vehicle that loses control is a 40-ton semi. The force behind such a large vehicle is bound to cause fatalities plus the force of the impact is doubled when the two vehicles strike from opposite directions, making trauma and injury much more likely.

Recently, a northbound tractor-trailer crossed the median and struck a southbound truck head-on near Smith Mountain, Virginia (VA), according to the Virginia State Police.   Tragically, passenger compartments of both trucks caught fire with the drivers still trapped inside the cabs and they both perished in the crash on U.S. 220 South, about 3 miles south of Route 619.

As with any serious accident I think first of the loved ones left behind.  My thoughts and prayers go out with them and I hope that they find peace with the loss of their family member.  The second thing I think of is how could this accident been prevented?   The cause of why the tractor-trailer became a wrong-way driver is still under investigation.

We do not know why this fiery crash occurred but I’m sure the family wants to know what exactly caused the truck driver to come careening across the median.  Statistics show that:

Driver distractions, such as eating while driving, using the car stereo, reaching for something within the car, talking on the cell phone while driving, or texting while driving.

· Speeding, which leads to drifting out of your lane while rounding curves or losing control of your vehicle altogether.

· Driver inattention, which could cause you to drift into the other lane.

· Driver fatigue, which could cause you to fall asleep at the wheel and leave your lane.

· Drinking and driving, which can seriously impair your driving abilities and your reaction times.

· Overcorrecting your driving, which could jerk your vehicle out of the way of an obstacle to your right, but into the path of an oncoming vehicle on your left.

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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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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.

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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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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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With the recent onslaught of snow and ice that has falling in our area it is sure to increase the likelihood of crashes and injuries out on our highways and roads.  In fact, just such an event occurred near Charlotte, North Carolina involving two tractor trailers. Although no one appears to be hurt the accident could have been much worse. Driving a tractor trailer requires extra training and demands a skillful touch especially when it comes to inclement weather.  Very simply, truckers must exercise the utmost care in icy or snowy weather-and must pull over rather than drive in known dangerous weather.

I-77 near Charlotte, North Carolina (N.C.) was closed to clear the trucks but then re-opened in both directions on the Iredell-Mecklenburg county line after an immense wreck left one tractor trailer hanging off a bridge within feet of going into Lake Norman. The incident happened in very icy lanes of I-77 Southbound when a U.S. Mail truck skidded and apparently lost control.

Witnesses say the tractor trailer driver came close to plunging straight into Lake Norman, but was able to make it out from the cab soon after the accident.  We’re told his injuries weren’t life threatening. The tractor trailer wreck happened at Mile Marker 30 along I-77.

While the wreckage was in place, an additional mail truck – another tractor trailer – was involved in a wreck behind the initial one. News channel WBTV stated that it had to swerve in order to avoid the 1st tractor trailer and wound up in the ditch.  The truck driver told the news station that if he hadn’t swerved, he would have knocked the first truck into Lake Norman. It appeared that both trucks were leaking fuel into Lake Norman according to the report by WBTV.

Eyewitnesses at the crash site could see gas spilling into Lake Norman as well as smell it on the accident. Despite the fact that much of I-77 moved well by later that afternoon, the southbound lanes around the bridge along at the county line had frozen over.  When the accident happened, employees working with the nearby North Harbor Club in Davidson, North Carolina rushed over in an attempt to assist the trucker. Fortunately the man was okay, additionally, the truck didn’t plunge into the lake.

Did you know that snow and ice can accumulate on the rooftop of tractor trailers and also can cause serious harm to you and damage to your car?  Each year, there are many incidents in which a driver suffers a serious personal injury or is involved in a car crash after losing control of the car when a sheet of solid ice smashes through the windshield after breaking lose from on top of the truck.

I am sure you are familiar with other incidents where small pebbles/stones or debris strikes your car from huge tractor trailer tires as they tend to be good at throwing up small rubble.  Also, dump trucks often that lose small bits of what they’re hauling as they strike bumps in the road. Usually this only leads to small scratches in passenger vehicles or cracked windshields. However, during wintertime the tops of tractor trailers can easily gather huge chunks of ice that can to break free at almost any time. The substantial flat surface of a trailer top draws plenty of snow and water that can easily shift as the truck moves. The Chicago Daily Herald has reported about several of these tractor trailer rooftop ice sheet accidents in which thousands of dollars in damage and a number of personal injuries occurred caused by falling sheets of ice. New York is looking at modifying its laws regarding cleaning ice from trucks after a woman there had been killed when a piece of ice smashed through a windshield after slipping off a tractor trailer.  So, yes, truckers should be familiar with this danger.  Sadly, there are no reliable statistics on the danger of ice chunks striking cars and causing accidents.   Bottom line: try to avoid hanging out in interstate lanes behind ice covered tractor trailers, and also stay a very safe distance away from tractor trailers that are operating in snowy or icy conditions as well.

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 truck accident case results, our free consumer guide on what to do in case you get into a wreck with a commercial truck, and take a moment to review our web site devoted exclusively to trucking issues. We serve all areas of North Carolina including the Outer Banks, Nags Head, and all counties. We provide FREE injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included among the “Best Lawyers in America” 2010 Edition and selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum (2009). In addition, our firm has the highest rating of AV from Martindale-Hubbell, a national lawyer ranking organization, which means we have a reputation for preeminent legal skill.

Our lawyers proudly edit the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard, as a public information service. We also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube.

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A North Carolina firefighter responding to an emergency call on Jan. 25, 2010, became an accident victim himself when the water tanker in which he was riding rolled over outside of the town of Maxton. According to the Laurinburg Exchange, 18-year-old Quintin Thompson became paralyzed from the waist down.

The accident appears to have occurred when the 19-year-old tanker truck driver overcorrected after the right front tire of the vehicle ran off the side of the road. The truck was reportedly traveling at 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. Speeding and oversteering are among the leading causes of truck rollover accidents, according to an analysis published in the October 2009 issue of the journal Traffic Injury Prevention. That analysis also cites “failure to adjust speed to … loads [and] road surface” as leading factors in truck rollovers.

Tanker trucks are particularly difficult to control because their loads shift with each change in speed and direction. Liquid loads can easily tip or flip a truck when drivers do not exercise the utmost care and caution. And the results can be deadly.

Here is what researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health determined about fire tanker truck rollover risks and outcomes:

Incidents involving motor vehicles account for approximately 20% of U.S. fire fighter deaths each year; cases involving tankers are the most prevalent of these motor vehicle incidents. During 1977–1999, 73 deaths occurred in 63 crashes involving tankers. Of those deaths, 54 occurred in 49 crashes in which tankers rolled over (no collision), and 8 occurred in 6 crashes in which the tankers left the road (no collision).

The NIOSH report includes several recommendations for preventing tanker rollovers, but the one the agency repeats several times in different ways is that truck drivers who transport liquids need extensive initial training and frequent refresher training in how to handle tankers safely.

The National Fire Protection Association regularly updates a standard for the training of all fire vehicle drivers. Also, the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration enforces national laws that require extensive training and scheduled recertification of tanker truck drivers. Fire departments could protect their crew members and ensure their ability to respond quickly and adequately to emergencies by following these recommendations and rules regarding driver training.

EJL

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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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