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Archive for the ‘Truck Accident Causes’ Category

DONALDSONVILLE, LA – A tanker truck rolled over on a Louisiana highway, spilling its load of sulfuric acid. The truck accident happened Sunday morning on LA State Highway 3127 near the town of Donaldsonville. The accident area is in the far south east section of the state, 40 miles southeast of Baton Rouge, LA and 67 miles northwest of New Orleans, LA.

The 18 wheeler tanker truck was filled with approximately 4000 gallons of sulfuric acid.

Shortly before 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, 37 year-old truck driver Phillip Vallare of LaPlace, LA was driving a tanker truck west on LA State Highway 3127. The 18 wheeler tanker truck was filled with approximately 4000 gallons of sulfuric acid. ... Read Full Story

SCHUYLER, NY – Two tractor trailer trucks collided Tuesday night on the New York State Thruway, injuring two people. The truck accident happened near Schuyler, New York, to the north of the city of Utica. The area is in the northeast section of the state, 62 miles east of Syracuse, NY and 236 miles northwest of New York City.

Tractor trailers collide in truck accident near Utica New York

At around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night, 53 year old Gerald Miller of Lockport, NY was traveling eastbound on the New York State Thruway. He was driving a 2004 International tractor truck, with two trailers attached… ... Read Full Story

BURLINGTON, MA – An oil tanker owned by Abenaqui Carriers of North Hampton, N.H. crashed on Route 128 North in Burlington early Monday jamming the Route 128 commute. The police report that the tractor trailer smashed into the guardrail that divides the north and southbound sides of Route 128 on Interstate 95 at about 5:30 a.m.

Burlington MA semi truck accident on Route 128 near Boston - Photo Credit: Stan Foreman

Troopers said it appeared that the semi truck skidded on black ice, hitting a 2003 Chevy Impala that was driven by a 65-year-old woman. The woman was not injured in the collision. The tanker was empty so there was no spill on the roadway, however, the accident caused the semi tanker to separate from the cab.

Troopers said the driver, Jamal Davis, 35, of Danville, N.H., was trapped inside the vehicle and emergency crews had to work to extricate him. They were able to get him out of the cab by 7:30 a.m. He was conscious and was taken to the Lahey Clinic in serious condition.

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Troopers cautioned drivers to slow speeds when driving in areas where there is black ice.

Location of the NH oil tanker crash on Route 128 near northbound Route 3 exit.

“The temperature did drop overnight so we do see black ice occasionally. We want everyone to wear their seat belt, follow the speed limits, just stay within the rules of the road,” Trooper Thomas Murphy said.

Officers said the accident is still under investigation. The driver has not been cited yet, but may be once the investigation is completed.

This is not the first time that Abenaqui Carriers of North Hampton, N.H., has been involved in a major truck accident.

The New Hampshire based trucking company has issued a statement on their website saying, “The safety of our operations is our top priority and we will work directly with the authorities as they conduct their accident investigation. We apologize for any inconvenience this caused morning commuters.”

Below is a Google street view of the Yankee Division Highway (Route 128). You can click the mouse button and drag it to pan around the scene of the accident. The northbound Route 3 exit sign is clearly visible here.

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WCVB of Boston contributed to this story.

Gordon & Elias, nationwide truck accident attorneys, state that a variety of factors can cause a truck accident. Simple care and attention to detail by a truck driver or a trucking company can prevent many accidents from happening. Often times putting undue pressure on a driver to perform beyond their limits or sacrificing safety for a healthy bottom line can put truck drivers at risk.  Find additional information about common causes of truck accidents.

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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)

According to Deborah A.P. Hersman, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, fatigue “is one of the most insidious issues in the transportation industry,” and more must be done to fight it, she said.

“We establish a 72-hour prior history in every NTSB investigation,” Hersman said at the National Press Club in Washington Nov. 16. “Unfortunately, we find fatigue in more incidents and accidents than you would think.”

She said the NTSB has recommended the Federal Aviation Administration set hours of service rules for flight crews, aviation mechanics and air traffic controllers, stating it took Congress to change century-old rail employee hours of service rules.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which has issued truck driver hours of service rules three times since 2003, plans to propose a new HOS rule early next year. Read more.

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Atlanta truck accident lawyers,  Gordon & Elias, have prepared an educational video explaining how bad truck brakes and poor maintenance can turn a 35-ton semi truck or tractor trailer into a killing machine.

When trying to establish what causes truck accidents many times the inspection reveals the brakes of the truck or trailer were the cause of the accident. That is why it is imperative that when you hire a Georgia truck accident lawyer that the lawyer understands this cause.

Truck Brakes Need to Be Inspected

The first thing one needs to know about truck brakes is that they are not fixed on the road and that there are many different types of brake problems. Most trucks use air brakes and most trucks require sealed lines. Often times there will be a leak in a line. These are the potential problems that need to be detected before the trucker goes out on the road.

The requirement for the trucking company is that they do what is called a pre trip inspection. Part of that pre trip inspection is the brakes. Many times a trucker will have bad brakes and stay on the road even though he is aware that the brakes are bad. He wants to just keep on going, obviously because maintenance costs money and the trucker doesn’t want to spend money.

This act of negligence can result in costs much greater than brake repairs. We are talking about the cost of a human life.

Trucking Companies are Responsible for Maintenance

“The truck company is suppose to take care of their trucks. If they don’t, they can be held liable”, says Steve Gordon, who is an expert Atlanta & Savannah truck accident attorney. ” But the buck stops with the truck driver in a sense because he or she is the one on the road with a 35-ton big rig that can turn into a killing machine at any given moment.”

Our Georgia truck accident lawyers have experts located nationwide and in Georgia including Atlanta, Albany, Augusta, Macon, Savannah and other metropolitan cities. Our experts, who we call upon, are literally truck brake specialists. They come, access the brakes and do what is necessary to determine if it was a braking issue and whether that was the cause of the accident.

Bad truck brakes can cause the truck to jacknife and skidmarks on the road can determine often times whether a tire or brake engaged stopping the tire.

A Trucking Accident Requires Expert Lawyers

Finally bad brakes can increase the stopping distance of the vehicle. For instance if the truck driver had good brakes, he could stop on time, but if the trucker had bad brakes then he would not be able stop on time.

Bad brakes and poor maintenance of brakes is an issue that is almost always present in a truck accident and needs to be assessed by qualified truck accident lawyers and their experts.

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On Friday, July 24, 2009 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued stringent new braking standards that will save hundreds of lives by improving large truck stopping distances.

The new braking standards require that stopping distances be reduced by 30 percent. NHTSA predicts that the new rules will reduce truck accidents and save 227 lives each year. The new rules are estimated to decrease property damage costs by over $169 million each year plus prevent 300 serious injuries.

The new rules require that a tractor-trailer moving at 60 miles per hour be able to come to a complete stop in 250 feet … down from 355 feet according to the old standard.

The new big rig truck regulations will take 4 years to be phased in, starting with 2012 models.

The new regulations should also accelerate the introduction of the newest braking technology into America’s commercial freight trucking fleets and will assist truck drivers in avoiding collisions with other vehicles on the road.

The new rules apply only to truck tractors. The ruling does not include single-unit trucks, trailers and buses.

The latest statistics from NHTSA are optimistic. They show that large commercial vehicles are involved less and less in fatal crashes. The number of people that were killed in crashes involving large trucks in 2008 was 4,229. That number is down 12 percent from 2007, where 4,822 deaths occured.

According to the press release on the new braking standards at the NHTSA website, secretary Raymond LaHood, of the US Department of Transportation (DOT) said, “Safety is our highest priority … Motorists deserve to know they are sharing the road with large trucks that are up to the safest possible standards, so they can get home alive to their families.”

Truck Accidents 360 is a personal injury lawyer directory and news blog where you can find truck accident  attorneys.