How Will Stronger Trucking Company Insurance Protect the Public?
Consider the following facts: The minimum insurance requirements for interstate trucking companies have not been raised in over 40 years. At the same time, the cost of injuries and fatalities resulting from accidents caused by commercial trucks continues to rise exponentially. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there has been a 72% increase […]
Chicago Truck Drivers and Substance Abuse
In the United States, we rely on the essential service that long-distance commercial truck drivers provide. But the trucking industry has become plagued with substance abuse and mental health disorders. In this article, we will look at the reasons many truck drivers have turned to drug and alcohol use, the types and consequences of substance […]
2017’s U.S. Truck Casualties Saw a 16% Increase, But Why?
On October 3, 2018, the Department of Transportation (DOT) reported that roadway fatalities were down two percent in 2017; however, that did not indicate an across-the-board trend because the casualties resulting from truck accident went up significantly. DOT released the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) numbers but cautioned against […]
4 Things the Trucking Industry Can Do to Stop Accidents
Trucking accidents are some of the most devastating accidents that occur on our highways every day. According to The New York Times, large trucks are disproportionately involved in fatal accidents, causing one-fourth of all traffic accidents which cause fatalities. This is in comparison to a mere 10% of overall non-fatal accidents. Big rigs and 18-wheelers […]
How to Avoid Being in a Truck Accident
Driving alongside an 18-wheeler big rig or semi truck can be scary. Not only is the sheer size of a large truck intimidating, but at some point while sharing the road with one, we inevitably stop and think about just how devastating an accident with such a monstrous vehicle would be. Truck accidents can cause […]
Truck Kills Four College Softball Players
In a tragic accident recently, a tractor-trailer crossed an Interstate median and crashed into a community college softball team bus, killing four of the players. Sadly, it appears the 18-wheel truck driver didn’t attempt to brake at all or move out of the way before the collision. The accident happened near Davis, Oklahoma, where the […]
Can Safety Technology Make Trucks Safer?
Trucking companies are experimenting with new technologies that can help avoid crashes. With the number of trucking injuries – 3,900 fatalities and 100,000 injuries from truck crashes in 2012 – you’d think the federal government would do more to require that companies implement more safety devices. So far, regulations have focused more on restricting the […]
Trucking Accidents On The Rise
Data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shows that trucking accidents are on the increase. From 2009 to 2012, fatal crashes increased over 18 percent. CNBC.com suggests that the reviving economy has put more goods on the road and increased pressures on companies to make deliveries on time. Numbers from the National Highway Traffic […]
Tractor-trailer Doesn’t see Train before Crash
A Kentucky truck/train crash made national headlines recently when security video footage showed the driver, maneuvering into the Warner Fertilizer Plant north of Somerset, Kentucky, completely blindsided by an oncoming train. The impact split the cab from the trailer and sent up a ball of flames and smoke, but the driver survived with some burns […]
Trucking Industry Works to Roll-Back Driving Limits
In the days before the tragic semi-truck accident on the New Jersey Turnpike that killed comedian James McNair and critically injured SNL-alum Tracy Morgan, the trucking industry was lobbying Congress to undo limits on driver hours that had just been imposed last summer. It’s still too early to know exactly what role fatigue might have […]
Who’s Liable for Trucking Accidents?
If you are involved in an accident with a commercial truck, you might think you can resolve it simply with the insurance company for the trucking outfit; unfortunately, most cases are far more complicated. Even though the truck that caused your accident displays a placard label from Acme Company, there may in fact be many […]
Deadly Semi Crash Critically Injures SNL Funny Man Tracy Morgan
A tragic trucking accident has caught the nation’s attention in part because the accident involved well-known comedians. The Walmart truck crashed into a limousine van and killed comedian James McNair, called “Jimmy Mack,” and critically injured SNL alum Tracy Morgan. The tragedy called attention to a serious matter, which is long haul truck drivers who […]
Common Causes of Trucking Accidents
If you’ve been involved in an accident with a tractor-trailer, or you’re a frequent interstate traveler and want to be more educated about possible dangers, you should know that the two most common causes of fatal accidents involving big-rigs are driver error and equipment problems. Driver Error – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) […]
Common Causes of Large Truck Crashes
When it comes to serious crashes involving large trucks, experts say there is rarely one single cause of the accident. When large trucks (usually considered to be those with a gross vehicle weight rating over 10,000 pounds) are involved in accidents with passenger vehicles, data shows that the cars are at fault most of the […]
How to Report Unsafe Truck Drivers
Despite many truck drivers who go about their business in a professional manner, every once in a while you run across a crazy one wielding his 10,000-pound vehicle like it’s a weapon. What can you do? The answer depends on the type of truck service involved. Federal Reporting The U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Motor […]