My colleague Kevin Duffan has written a new blog post for our Virginia personal injury attorneys’ website about a former Chatham, VA, town council member who was involved in a serious accident with a truck. The man may have fallen asleep at the wheel before hitting the truck, according to reports.

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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We’ve all seen chain reaction crashes on the interstate and they usually start when one person loses control and others are unable to stop in time.  This time it wasn’t cars that stacked up like toys, it was tractor-trailers.  The tragic and terrible accident has left one person dead and two other people injured after an accident involving three tractor trailers in Prince George County, Virginia (VA).

Virginia State Police say the accident happened around 4:00 a.m. Saturday on Interstate-295 north near Route 460.  Officials tell 8News a 2007 Freightliner tractor trailer was traveling southbound when the driver ran off the left side of the road, crossing into the northbound lanes, becoming a wrong way driver.

We’re told the driver of that trailer exited his vehicle as a 2000 Kenworth tractor trailer jack-knifed and struck the Freightliner and the driver. The impact of that crash caused both vehicles to run off the roadway.  The Freightliner was carrying rolls of paper which were spillled onto the interstate.

To make matters worse a third tractor-trailer then drove through the wreck and became stuck on the paper.  Tragically, the driver of the Freightliner died at the scene, and their passenger suffered minor injuries and was transported to Southside Regional Medical Center. The driver of the Kenworth suffered serious life-threatening injuries and was transported to VCU Medical Center.  The driver and a passenger in the third truck were not injured.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation, but authorities say fog is a factor in the crash.  The standards expected of professional drivers for commercial driver’s licenses both in Virginia and nationally require them to exercise a higher standard of care and be extremely careful when there are visibility problems like during fog or mist.

Most truck drivers, particularly those responsible for big rigs, understand and obey these duties. Our thoughts go out to the families of the dead and injured.  Although we hear about death almost on a daily basis, it is a terrible feeling when someone you know and love ceases to exist.  We have helped many families get through these hard situations, trying to make moving forward as easy as we can by dealing with the insurance companies and legal issues for people hurt by the negligence of others. If you need personal   injury law advice, please contact us.

CA

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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Any tractor-trailer driver will tell you they can’t stop their big rigs on a dime.  Careless drivers who zip in and out from between large trucks on the interstate seem oblivious to this truth.  In fact, two people were injured and traffic was tied up this morning by an accident on U.S. Route 460 near the I-85 interchange in Virginia (VA) by just this type of accident.

The tractor-trailer had exited from I-85 southbound and was crossing into the westbound lanes of U.S. 460 when a 1993 Jeep Cherokee struck it at the front end and overturned.  Many vehicles have the possibility of turning over but the chances increase when you exceed the speed limit.

To prevent a car or truck roll over:

• Do not steer in a panicked manner when one or more wheels leave the road. For instance, if a front tire slips over a shoulder, slow down gradually and gently ease your vehicle back on to the road.
• Keep your tires properly inflated and replace worn and damaged tires. Flat tires make vehicles more prone to rolling over.
• Load your vehicle properly. Carrying uneven or highly stacked loads makes vehicles harder to control when going around curves.

Unfortunately, the driver of the Jeep was not able to control his vehicle and he suffered minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to Southside Regional Medical Center. Even worse was the fact that a front-seat passenger also suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries. He was taken by med-flight to Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. The driver of the Jeep was charged with reckless driving and investigators believe speed was a factor in the crash.

If you are a passenger hurt in a car accident and it is determined the driver was at-fault by exceeding the speed limit, such as in this crash, then you may still file a personal injury claim.  For the passenger who suffered injuries, a decision will need to be made about filing a personal injury claim against the driver.

This can be a very delicate, and sometimes awkward, situation since the driver may be a good friend or family member. Nevertheless, if you’re facing large medical bills and a protracted rehabilitation period, you may consider filing an injury claim.

Keep in mind, when you file a claim, it’s not a personal attack against the driver (i.e. your friend/relative). You are simply filing a claim against their insurance policy. This is necessary to ensure your medical bills, any lost wages, and pain and suffering are properly compensated.

CA

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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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.

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 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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Accident Involving a Box Truck, Tractor-Trailer, and Pickup Truck Leads to Serious Injuries

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The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently approved a proposed rule by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that would require the use of electronic onboard recorders by certain commercial trucking companies. This new regulation will require trucking companies whose drivers have a record of violating current safety regulations, including hours-of-service rules, to use the recorders in tractor trailers, 18-wheelers, big rigs and all other trucks in their fleet.

This new rule comes on the heels of a texting ban for all truck drivers. Those who violate the texting rule face a fine of $2,750.

Some people in the trucking industry make look at these new regulations and complain about all of the oversight and restrictions. They may even describe an electronic onboard recorder as a violation of privacy. What they fail to realize is that these new regulations are designed to help save lives by reducing the number of truck crashes attributed to preventable actions like texting and/or an overworked trucker falling asleep at the wheel.

The data is as clear as day regarding the risks of texting and drowsy/overworked truck drivers. In 2008, nearly 6,000 people were killed, and over 500,000 people were injured in accidents linked to distracted driving. When it comes to drowsy truckers, roughly 13 percent of all truck wrecks are due to tired truckers. Most of these truck drivers are drowsy and overworked because they violated the hours-of-service regulation which determines the number of hours a driver can operate a commercial truck. With the new electronic onboard recorder, instances of willful negligence should decrease.

Hopefully, when these new regulations are working in concert, we’ll see a precipitous drop in the number of truck wrecks in Virginia (especially those wrecks that can be prevented with proper oversight and responsible behavior from both trucking companies and drivers).

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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The deadliest truck wreck in Kentucky (KY) since 1988 occurred recently taking the lives of 11 people.

A tractor-trailer crossed the median on Interstate 65 (I-65) and slammed into a 15-seat Dodge Van. Ten people in the van were killed, with only two young children surviving the crash. The eleventh victim was the driver of the tractor trailer, according to telegram.com.

This is one of those gut-wrenching wrecks that truly breaks your heart.The victims in the van were on the road heading toward a wedding in Iowa ready to celebrate a joyous occasion. Now, loved ones are devastated and forced to grieve the loss of those closest to them. My deepest condolences go out to the family.

We don’t know what caused the tractor-trailer to cross the median and hit the van. Was the driver distracted in some way? Were they drowsy (the crash occurred early in the morning)? Was there a mechanical error? Police are still investigating the scene of the accident.

One thing we’re sure of is that the cable barriers dividing traffic were not capable of preventing this type of wreck. Christopher Hart, the vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said the cable barriers aren’t designed to withstand the force of a large truck, according to wect.com.

Mark Brown, a spokesman for the State Transportation Cabinet said the barriers are the strongest made and that no system exists to prevent a tractor trailer of such massive size from crossing them.

This tragic crash highlights the tremendous responsibility on truck drivers all across the country, including Virginia (VA). One mistake, or momentary lapse of attention, can lead to a major wreck and loss of life.

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 father and son – Edward Smith, Sr. and Edward Smith, Jr. – were killed when a semi-truck slammed into their Dodge Caravan after the two stopped to help a driver stranded on interstate 81 (I-81) in Wytheville, Virginia (VA).

My deepest condolences go out to the Smith’s friends and family. This is an especially tragic accident considering the father and son stopped on the side of the road to help another driver struggling to travel in the winter weather.

The tractor trailer reportedly swerved to miss the disabled car that was on the road, jackknifed and smacked the Caravan.

Jackknifed tractor trailers, unable to handle the icy roads, caused the biggest problems in Southwest Virginia, according to the Bristol Herald Courier.

“I’d rather drive off a cliff than hit a four-wheeler, cause you know they’ve got families in them, kids inside,” said Joe Soliz, a truck driver. “But when you’ve got 80,000 pounds on your back, pushing you, it’s just hard to stop.”

This is why there are federal regulations specifically dealing with large commercial trucks on roadways during bad weather . Ideally, drivers of commercial trucks like tractor trailers and big rigs would find a place to stop and wait out the storm. Unfortunately, there seem to be many truckers who throw caution to the wind and continue their travels despite icy roads (which could potentially turn to black ice ), high winds and huge amounts of snow.

Truck drivers need to fully analyze the potential consequences of driving in a snowstorm. All of the challenges truckers routinely face (e.g. the sudden movements of other vehicles on the road, poor visibility, etc.) increase exponentially when you add bad winter weather to the mix.

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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