Taking a long road trip gives all drivers an idea of what professional truckers experience, especially fatigue. Even just a few hours a day behind the wheel can strain a person’s attention and focus, and many commercial drivers admit to feeling sleepy behind the wheel. Now, Congress wants to revise the federal truck driver hours of service rule to reduce fatigue. To learn more about the proposed regulation, visit “Congress Proposes Regulations to Prevent Fatigued Truck Driving.”

CD

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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A new federal ban of handheld cell phones use for truck and bus drivers prohibits comes in the wake of research showing that commercial drivers reaching for a phone are three times more likely to be involved in an accident. To read more, visit “USOT Bans Truck Drivers’ Cell Phone Use.”

CD

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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In a new post to our Virginia personal injury attorneys’ website, my colleague Kevin Duffan reports on a General Motors recall of more than 9,000 pickup trucks. The 2011 Chevrolet Colorado and GM Canyon trucks “may have been built with an automotive transmission clip that could slip and inaccurately show the position of the transmission gear,”a Reuters report in the Daily Press states. With the massive recalls at Toyota still fresh in our minds, faults that can lead to injury are of concern.

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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My colleague John Cooper has posted a blog on our firm’s Virginia personal injury attorneys’ website discussing how truckers who are hauling fireworks for July 4, 2011, celebrations have been granted an exemption from normally strict federal controls on to the length of their work day. Given the large number of accidents caused by fatigue that our experienced Virginia (VA) trucking injury attorneys deal with, we are concerned by this relaxation of hours of operation regulations and its safety implications.

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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There is a bill making its way through the Congress that would allow the federal weight limit for truck to increase from 80,000 pounds to 97,000 pounds, according to wect.com.

The legislation, H.R. 1799, is part of a larger bill that’s called the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act. The logic is simple: heavier trucks mean more items can be transported from point A to point B.

State law regarding weight and size limits for trucks varies depending on what kind of load the truck is carrying, but federal law does not allow trucks heavier than 80,000 pounds on interstate highways.

Numerous organizations, including the American Trucking Association, support increased weight limits due to the potential for increased productivity, but safety needs to be considered.

Heavier trucks mean that when a truck accident occurs, the damage will probably be more extensive. Just imagine a 97,000 pound truck slamming into your car on I-64, I-664 and any other major road in Virginia (VA). Not only would the car be damaged, but the severity of injuries to any occupants would be even worse.

“Anytime a tractor trailer is involved in a crash, especially a loaded tractor trailer, generally the results are catastrophic,” explained North Carolina Highway Trooper Jim Hager in the wect.com article. ”The best way I can associate it is, it looks like a war zone afterwards.”

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.

PA

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They are supposed to be safety features to help safeguard drivers who are involved in accidents with tractor trailers.

But new crash tests and analysis by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety demonstrate that underride guards on tractor-trailers can fail in relatively low-speed crashes with deadly consequences.

Now the Institute is petitioning the federal government to make manufacturers provide stronger underride guards that will remain in place during a crash and to make guards mandatory on more large trucks and trailers.

Rear guards are the main countermeasure for reducing underride deaths and injuries when a passenger vehicle crashes into the back of a tractor-trailer. In 2009, 70 percent of the 3,163 people who died in all large truck crashes were occupants of cars or other passenger vehicles.

Nothing is more terrifying than the thought of rear-ending a tractor trailer that has stopped suddenly in front of your vehicle and our thoughts are with the victims.

A rear-end collision is one of the most common types of crash. It is a traffic accident wherein a vehicle (usually an automobile or a truck) crashes into the vehicle in front of it, usually caused by tailgating or panic stops. It may also be a rail accident wherein a train runs into the rear of a preceding train.

Our firm has reported on a number of cases in which vehicles have become trapped under trucks. A man was trapped under his truck on Charleston, West Virginia’s (WV) West side on Thursday, January 27, 2011, after his vehicle had an accident.

The report on the failure of underride guards could open up the manufacturers of trucks to legal action unless the issue is rectified.

We recently reported on how the South Carolina Supreme Court has decided that Ford can face a wrongful death lawsuit regarding the materials they use in their car and truck windows. This decision comes just days after the same court ruled that another car company, Mazda, could be sued for wrongful death regarding which type of seat belts they install in their vehicles.

DM

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 (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 pro bono public information services.

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A major tractor-trailer crash involving three trucks occurred on I-295 in Prince George County, Virginia (VA). This truck wreck resulted in the death of one driver and serious injuries to another trucker.

Reports indicate one truck was traveling south on I-295 near Route 460 when it crossed the median onto the northbound side, and slammed into another big rig, according to WRVA.com. Tragically, the driver of the first truck died from his injuries, and the driver of the second truck was hurt so badly that his injuries are considered life-threatening. He is receiving treatment at VCU Medical Center (MCV).

A third tractor-trailer was also involved in the accident when it slammed into cargo that was ejected from the first truck in the crash.

Our firm is familiar with these types of truck accidents. Our firm represented a client who was seriously injured when his tractor-trailer clipped the left rear corner of a stopped vehicle because there was a third truck passing him in the left-hand lane at the same time. A huge fireball resulted from the crash and our client was ejected from his big rig. Our client suffered various broken bones and had significant gastroentrological and urological problems as a result of the wreck. Our client was not able to return to his job. Given the severity of his injuries, we fought hard to get our client proper compensation and successfully settled the case for $450,000,even though the insurance company blamed our client for contributory negligence or partial fault causing the collision.

Every case is different. It sounds as if the truck driver hit in this recent wreck did nothing wrong and suffered as a result of a loss of control by truck number one who was a wrong way driver. Further investigation will reveal what happened and if there is any excuse for what sounds like reckless driving.

Let’s hope the injured truck driver at VCU Medical Center does not suffer the same fate and is able to eventually return to work.

PA

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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The accident on the afternoon of November 8, 2010, could have been much worse. What began with a tire coming loose from a dump truck traveling west on I-264 between Witchduck Road and Independence Boulevard, became much more serious when the tire struck a car and caused that vehicle to crash as well.

That bad situation nearly became tragic when a third vehicle ran into the rear end of a Virginia (VA) Department of Transportation emergency response truck whose driver had arrived on the scene to assist with the first accident. Fortunately, only a single person involved in the multiple collisions sustained noncritical injuries.

A somewhat similar scenario had played out along I-64 in Newport News three days earlier. A VDOT worker and a Virginia state trooper required hospital treatment for injuries they suffered when a car crashed into their vehicles as they responded to an earlier crash.

The two accidents emphasize, once again, how important it is for all drivers approaching a crash scene, traffic stop or people working on the side of the road to slow down and, when safe to do so, change lanes to create a safe space for the emergency responders and maintenance workers.

The accident along I-264 also points to the dangers posed by large truck tires. Overinflated, worn and improperly maintained truck tires cause thousands of serious traffic accidents each year. Sometimes, even tires in great condition can puncture or detach when used on roads in poor repair. Semis, tractor-trailers, dump trucks and flatbeds that lose tires often lose control and smash into highway barriers, cars and other trucks. Injuries and deaths often result.

Trucking companies and truck drivers must do all they can to ensure that they operate safe vehicles in a safe manner. When accidents do occur, other drivers need to protect themselves and others by giving crashed vehicles and responders a wide berth.

EJL

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 is 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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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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If there was any doubt about the level of risk we all face while sharing the highway with big rigs and other large commercial trucks, the recent accident in Henrico County, Virginia (VA) illustrates what can happen when something goes wrong with a large commercial truck.

A big rig traveling down Interstate 64 (I-64) suddenly had a wheel base break off causing the massive truck tire to bounce across the highway eventually slamming into a minivan driven by Stephanie Bender, a resident of Colonial Heights, VA. She died at the scene on May 14, 2010 as a result, according to wtkr.com.  The truck was  owned by J.E. Liesfeld Contractor Inc. of Rockville, MD, State Police spokesman Sgt. Thomas J. Molnar said.  A company spokesman said that the wreck “very tragic” and said the cause appeared to be equipment failure — a tire seal ruptured, and friction caused the 200-pound tire set to come off the axle.  Under Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations governing commercial trucks, there are inspections required of such vehicles.  It is unclear at this time whether any failure of maintenance or inspection duties apply here.

Here is a news report about this fatal truck accident:
 
 
“The company is very upset this happened, it’s a tragic accident, and the company will do everything it can to assist the family in its time of need,” said Charles Ayers, corporate counsel to Liesfeld.  As a trucking injury attorney often working against trucking company’s, it is unclear to me what the attorney’s comment means in the context of any civil injury lawsuit that may be brought by her family members.

Stephanie Bender was survived by her husband, Terry Lee Bender, Jr, two daughters, her parents, and many brothers and sisters.  Her family has roots in the Macon/Dodge County, GA area.  Many of her co-workers at Capitol One, where she had previously worked, were stunned, and talked about her beautiful smile and the pride she took in her daughters and her family.

The disparity in size and weight between a commercial truck and compact cars, SUVs, and minivans is so great that even when the slightest error or malfunction occurs with a big rig or 18-wheeler, the damage can be catastrophic, especially for the driver and/or passenger(s) in those compact vehicles.

The VA Commercial Motor Vehicle Inspection Team is investigating what caused the tire to break off from the big rig, according to wtvr.com. They will determine if traffic/criminal charges should be filed against the truck driver since there’s a chance the big rig may have had mechanical defects which were overlooked or neglected leading to a death.  This is completely separate from any “wrongful death” civil lawsuit that may be available to the surviving family members.

It  was reported that over 200,000 trucks violate federal safety regulations, but are still operating on roads and highways all across the country. We’ll have to wait and see what the Inspection Team reports.

Regardless of the cause, I want to send my deepest sympathies to the Bender family. The pain of losing someone you love is always gut-wrenching, but it has to be even worse when the loss is so sudden. Mrs. Bender was only 36 years old.

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.

PA

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