Missouri Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

Fiery 5-Vehicle Crash Caused By Traffic Backup from Separate Semi-Truck Wreck

Thu, 17 May 2012 11:05:31 -0600

On Wednesday afternoon, there were two serious accidents involving semi-trucks within a three mile stretch of Kentucky highway - and they happened just hours apart.

Both crashes happened on Interstate 75 in Whitley County, just north of the Tennessee state line. At around 1:27 p.m., a southbound tractor trailer driven by 62 year-old James B. Hamilton rear-ended another semi-truck. Hamilton was seriously injured: he sustained facial and rib fractures, and a partially collapsed lung. He was airlifted a Knoxville hospital, where he remains in intensive care, though his condition has been upgraded to stable.

To put it mildly, cleaning up the accident scene was somewhat complicated. Hamilton's truck was en route to multiple Subway restaurants in North Carolina: it was loaded with 40,000 pounds of salami, which spilled onto the interstate. It took crews nearly three hours to clear the sandwich meat and crash debris, which caused southbound traffic to back up considerably during that time.

This traffic jam was the catalyst for a second accident which involved two semi-trucks, an RV pulling a trailer, a van and a pickup truck - and that crash proved to be fatal.

At around 3:27, a semi crashed into a pickup truck that had slowed in response to the traffic congestion caused by the earlier accident. The semi pushed the pickup into a van, shoving both vehicles out of the way, and then proceeded to strike an RV and another semi-truck before finally coming to a stop. The RV's trailer was hauling three dragsters, a muscle car and racing fuel. The impact caused a massive explosion.

Both the trailer and the second semi caught fire. Brian Folk, an occupant of the RV, described the sound of the fuel tanks and tires exploding to WKYT 27. "It sounded like a land mine going off every one minute," he said. There was also a fire in the cab of the first semi.

Collisions Between Passenger Vehicles and Farm Equipment Cause Injuries, Fatalities

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:24:37 -0600

Planting season is here, and Missouri drivers would do well to be extra cautious while traveling near farm machinery on our state's roadways. Our Missouri truck accident attorneys understand that farm vehicles and equipment sometimes need to share the road with passenger vehicles. Motorists must be able to understand how these pieces of machinery work and how to properly navigate around them in order to keep our roadways accident and injury free.

Early Sunday morning, a North Carolina man was killed when a car rear-ended his tractor. According to local law enforcement, the tractor's headlights were functional, but it did not have proper rear lights or reflectors, which are required by North Carolina law. As a result of the impact, 47 year-old Michael DiCiccio was ejected from the tractor and pronounced dead at the scene. DiCiccio's passenger was also thrown from the vehicle: he suffered a broken leg and was taken to a local hospital by private vehicle. Meanwhile, the driver of the car suffered minor injuries. He was taken by ambulance, treated and released. His car was totaled.

The dangers created by the close proximity of passenger vehicles and farm equipment are a concern for safety advocates throughout the country. In Missouri, farming vehicles can legally be on the roadway at any time, provided they use reflectors to draw attention to slow moving machinery. It's essential for other drivers to make safe choices around these vehicles, according to Sergeant Brent Bernhardt of the Missouri Highway Patrol. "Farmers have to transport these big pieces of machinery to get their jobs done, and it takes both the people in the agricultural business as well as us motorists to make sure that we're safe," Sgt. Bernhardt told KTVO.

To address this issue, it seems clear that all drivers - regardless of what they're driving - must make safety a priority. A 2011 USDA report supports this assessment: "Effective solutions to the hazards and risks associated with moving agricultural equipment on public roads are not easily devised or implemented, but until all stakeholder groups become engaged in the effort, little progress can be expected," the report says.

Semi-Truck Runs Over and Drags Stopped Car on I-55 in Illinois: Both Drivers Killed

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:10:43 -0600

In 2010, there were 115,398 U.S. auto accidents that involved semi-trucks, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA): 3,797 Americans were killed and 64,338 were injured in these crashes. Meanwhile, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports that only 14% of 2010 semi-truck crash fatalities were actually occupants of the semi-trucks. In fact, 72% of those killed were passenger vehicle occupants, and 13% were pedestrians, bicyclists or motorcyclists.

More often than not, collisions between semis and passenger vehicles result in serious injuries and deaths. It's a matter of sheer physics: when fully loaded, an average big rig can weigh more than 80,000 pounds, while a typical passenger vehicle normally weighs about 3,000 pounds. Given this vast discrepancy in size, it's easy to see why passenger vehicle occupants are so vulnerable when they collide with large trucks. Furthermore, because of their massive size and weight, semis are far less maneuverable than passenger cars and trucks. They require extra time and space to change lanes, to execute turns, to accelerate, and - importantly - to stop.

On Tuesday, a Chicago woman and a Kansas truck driver were both killed in a particularly brutal rear-end crash near Lincoln, Illinois. According to state police, a motorist contacted local law enforcement shortly after 11:00 p.m. on May 8 and reported a stopped vehicle in the southbound lanes of Interstate 55. The caller said the car was stationary in the right lane of traffic and had no lights on.

When deputies responded to the call, they found wreckage: a southbound semi-truck had slammed into the back of the stopped car. The force of the impact caused the semi to literally run over the smaller vehicle and drag it across the highway, through a guardrail and over the center median.

Semi-Truck Crash Leaves 1 Injured, 2 Teen Girls Dead

Fri, 04 May 2012 16:46:02 -0600

Our Missouri truck accident lawyers have written at length about the catastrophic injuries that can occur when passenger vehicles collide with big rigs. Semi-trucks are especially dangerous when accidents occur: because of their size and weight, passenger vehicles are often simply no match for them. The results are, more often than not, serious injuries and fatalities.

This week, an Ohio town is grieving the loss of 2 high school girls in just such an accident. On Thursday afternoon, 17 year-old Miranda Lane was traveling east on Ohio Highway 73 when she approached the intersection at U.S. 127. According to police, Lane failed to yield the right of way at that intersection and subsequently collided with an oncoming tractor-trailer. Lane and her passenger - 16 year-old Mathilde Jessen, an exchange student from Denmark - were both wearing seatbelts, but they sustained critical internal injuries in the crash. Both girls were pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the truck was uninjured. In addition, the accident caused a third vehicle - a pickup truck -to be struck: the impact caused it to flip over. That driver, 61 year-old Edward Schatzle, was taken to a local hospital by medical helicopter.

According to WRKC in Cincinnati, several people who witnessed the accident said the collision happened so fast that there was no way the truck driver could have avoided hitting Lane's car. Meanwhile, the Dayton Daily News interviewed a driver who lives near the intersection and knows it's a dangerous spot. Jason Robinson said he didn't see the accident, but that he went to the scene upon hearing the sirens. "It's a bad accident all around," Robinson said. "There is a long history of accidents at this intersection. It's needless. Pointless."

Missouri Man Killed in Head-On Crash with Tractor-Trailer on I-70

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:29:06 -0600

Last week, a Missouri man was killed and 4 others were injured after a head-on collision with a semi-truck. It happened on Thursday evening in Callaway County: 24 year-old Jason Hopkins was traveling west on Interstate 70 near Kingdom City when he lost control of his 2001 Pontiac, crashed through the cable median barrier, and drove into eastbound traffic. He collided with a tractor-trailer head on.

A passenger in the Pontiac - 22 year-old Erskin L. Johnson - was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol. Hopkins was taken by ambulance to University Hospital in Columbia with moderate injuries. The vehicle's 3 other occupants were seriously injured: 18 year-old Mary A. Chapman and 21 year-old Marcus L. Singleton were airlifted to Columbia; 15 year-old Bryana J. Jordan was transported by ambulance. No one was wearing a seat belt. The driver of the semi-truck, 64 year-old Charles M. Boerstler, was not injured in the crash.

As of this morning, KRCG 13 reported that 2 of the injured have since been released, and that Hopkins' condition has been upgraded to good. The accident remains under investigation - it is not known what factors may have caused Hopkins to lose control of his vehicle.

Sergeant Paul Reinsch, spokesperson for Troop F of the Missouri Highway Patrol, said that cable barriers are usually an effective tool in preventing median crossover crashes. "We have very few that go through," Reinsch said. "Normally when they hit them at an angle, [the barrier] grabs onto them."

Missouri has used cable median barriers for about 12 years: there are currently 550 miles of barriers on our state's roadways. Indeed, cable median barriers have proven to be safer than concrete dividers and guardrails, according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). However, there's been some disagreement about whether or not this method is cost-effective: the barriers are relatively inexpensive to install, but repairs can become more costly. And these repairs are needed regularly: last year, on I-70 alone, the cable median barriers took nearly 700 hits. From MoDOT's perspective, this statistic represents hundreds of lives saved.

Missouri Pedestrian Suffered Gunshot Wound to the Face Before Being Struck By Semi-Truck

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:36:29 -0600

Any collision involving a semi-truck can have serious consequences. When the other party is a pedestrian, however, the aftermath can be especially deadly. On Tuesday near Cape Girardeau, a pedestrian was struck by a tractor trailer on the interstate. The incident was further complicated by a discovery made by medical personnel after the victim was taken to a local hospital: he had suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face before the truck hit him.

The collision happened Tuesday morning on Interstate 55 (near mile marker 90) at around 9:00 a.m. According to the Southeast Missourian, the victim (who has not yet been identified) had gotten out of his truck and attempted to cross the highway when he was struck by an eighteen wheeler. By all accounts, the truck driver took every possible action to avoid the collision, nearly rolling his truck in the process.

Police and EMTs responded: the victim was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where it was discovered that he had suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face immediately before exiting his vehicle. He was then transported to a St. Louis hospital, where he is listed in serious condition with life-threatening injuries. Local police are investigating the incident as an attempted suicide, but they have declined to provide specific details, out of consideration to the victim's family. Police are also declining to comment on whether or not the victim may have walked into traffic intentionally.

While we don't have all the details about this particular incident, we do know that pedestrian fatalities on interstates and other highways are becoming more and more prevalent. Sometimes, drivers leave their vehicles after a minor collision, break down, or other incident, and then find themselves walking on busy roadways. Since other motorists don't usually expect to see pedestrians on highways, it's becoming disturbingly common for collisions to occur under these circumstances.

MoDOT's Big Trucks Campaign Aims to Prevent Semi-Truck / Passenger Vehicle Collisions in Missouri

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:35:34 -0600

Beginning today, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is conducting a month-long awareness campaign connected to driving safely around commercial vehicles. According to MoDOT's official news release regarding the campaign, crashes involving passenger vehicles and big rigs are actually on the decline. However, when these accidents do occur, research has shown that it's most often passenger vehicle drivers (especially young ones) who "unnecessarily endanger themselves due to inattention and reckless driving around big rigs."

If you've never driven a commercial truck, you may not understand that these vehicles are very different from passenger cars and trucks. Because of their sheer size and weight, they take longer to speed up and longer to slow down. Consequently, it's important to allow big trucks extra space, so you don't put yourself - and your passengers - in jeopardy.

Recently, in New York, a woman died after the car she was riding in was smashed into a concrete divider by a tractor-trailer. Police are still investigating, but they say it appears that the fault lies with the car's driver. The passenger vehicle was a livery cab - a non-medallion car service that was ferrying the 26 year-old woman from the Bronx. Some witness reports suggest that the cab may've been backing up when it was struck, and police speculate that the driver may have missed the correct exit and then attempted to backtrack.

The cab driver was taken by ambulance - he suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the tractor trailer sustained minor injuries, and he was treated at a nearby hospital and released. However, the 26 year-old woman (who was riding in the backseat) was killed. Her body was trapped inside the vehicle for nearly 5 hours: at this point, it is not known whether she died as a result of injuries sustained in the accident, or in the fire that erupted as a result of the collision.

13 Year-Old Students Take Charge When Their Bus Driver Seizes, Slumps Over

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:56:34 -0600

In recent months, it seems that there have been all too many crashes involving school buses - our Missouri truck accident lawyers have written about these wrecks at length. However, this week, we were amazed to hear about a school bus crash that was averted when a couple of 13 year-old boys acted swiftly and bravely to protect their classmates.

It happened in Milton, Washington, on the first day school was back in session after spring break. Surveillance footage from the bus's camera system shows the driver's hands suddenly flailing and his eyes rolling back into his head, and then he slumps to the side - later, it would be determined that he'd had a seizure. Seconds later, the footage shows a student - 13 year-old Johnny Wood - pointing at the driver and jumping up. In the background, students can be heard yelling "Oh my God!" and "Call 911!" and "Take the keys out of the ignition!"

The bus appeared to be out of control at that point - and headed directly for a church. Then another student - 13 year-old Jeremy Wuitschick - came running up the aisle. Wuitshick grabbed the wheel, removed the keys, and steered the bus to the side of the road. In the meantime, Wood, who had Red Cross first aid training, started chest compressions on the driver.

"I ran up and tried doing chest compressions, but his eyes were rolling back and I could tell it was getting harder for him to breathe," Wood told reporters.

"I was just thinking, 'I don't want to die.' I turned to the right. Turned to the side of the road. Took the keys out of the ignition. We started slowing down," Wuitshick said.

Farm Equipment Involved in 1 Injury Accident & 1 Fatal Collision on Missouri Roads Last Weekend

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:35:20 -0600

Our Missouri truck accident lawyers recognize that a number of various vehicles travel our roadways, whether they be passenger-vehicles, tractor trailers, motorcycles, semi-trucks, and yes, even farm equipment. It is important for motorists to know how to effectively share our roadways with each of these vehicles to help reduce the risks of accidents resulting in injury -- or death.

Recent Missouri Accidents Involving Farm Equipment

• Friday, March 30; Cardwell, MO: The Missouri Highway Patrol reports that a 2003 GVM Prowler (a large fertilizer spreader) had bypassed a field entrance and stopped on Route AC. A 1999 Ford Taurus driven by 21 year-old Justin Wilder was stopped behind the Prowler when, suddenly, the Prowler started to back up. It backed over the Taurus, and Wilder was pronounced dead at the scene.

• Sunday, April 1; Dutchtown, MO: This accident involving farm equipment ends in a way that might surprise you. At around 10:45 a.m., 85 year-old Imogene M. Durney ran off the road after she was distracted by reaching for something on her dashboard. She crashed into a front-end loader basket attached to some farm equipment that was parked on the side of the road. The twist? The Highway Patrol says that if Ms. Durney hadn't crashed into the equipment, her vehicle would have plunged 50 feet into a ditch. Instead, Ms. Durney escaped the accident with moderate injuries, although her vehicle was totaled.

There's a great deal of farmland in Missouri, and most of our residents can expect to see farm equipment on the road at some point, if not regularly. Ohio State University offers several tips to help motorists share the road with farming vehicles in a safe, efficient manner.

New FMCSA Rules Designed to Reduce Risks of Trucking Accidents in Missouri and Nationwide

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 07:26:01 -0600

Recently, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) introduced revisions of a few hotly debated rules. These revisions aren't making trucking companies too happy - but safety advocates aren't fans, either.

The rules, which aim to improve highway safety and reduce the number of trucking accidents, requires that truckers limit the amount of time truckers can spend behind the wheel. The daily driving limit remains 11 hours, as it was before, but new rules also require drivers to be off duty for 34 hours, including two-full nights, once they reach their driving limit for the week. The rules also require at least a 30-minute break after seven straight hours behind the wheel, and a maximum work week of 70 hours (previously, 82 hours was the maximum). If a company exceeds these new limits, they could face fines up to $11,000 per offense. Individual drivers can be fined $2,750 per offense.

Companies report that these limits are going to make them fall short of their destinations and deadlines, before having to take a break for the day, according to the The Wall Street Journal. The consequences, they say, will be more trucks on the road and more costs associated with shipping expenses. Meanwhile, safety advocates have pressed for these limits, arguing that they combat driver fatigue, a common factor in accidents involving big rigs. However, these groups had hoped to see the daily driving limit reduced to 10 hours instead of 11.

Federal regulators report that the measures are necessary to reduce the number of highway deaths from accidents that are caused by truck-driver fatigue. Fatigue was reported to be a possible cause in the deaths of six people last year when an 18-wheeler plowed into an Amtrak train in Nevada.

According to Transportation Department data, nearly 3,000 highway fatalities occurred because of accidents that involved a truck in the last 10 years. Another 51,000 motorists were injured in these accidents. Nearly 1,500 vehicles were involved in fatal accidents with trucks in Missouri in 2008 alone.

The trucking industry strongly opposes these new limits. They say that the number of trucking accidents in recent years has seen a steep decline and that these rules are unnecessary. They also say that the burden of these new rules would most likely affect small trucking firms, as they wouldn't be able to adapt to as easily as larger companies with fleets of thousands of trucks.

To comply with these new rules (which all companies must do by July 2013), a number of trucking companies would be forced to either slow their transports by making fewer trips or by adding more drivers to routes that require more than 10 straight driving hours. This would most likely affect a company's overnight or same-day services.

Taking Simple Steps to Increase Safety and Prevent Car - Truck Crashes in Springfield, Missouri and Nationwide

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 11:17:44 -0600

Our Springfield truck accident lawyers know that collisions between large trucks and smaller passenger vehicles commonly cause serious or fatal injuries: in 2009, 3,380 Americans died and an additional 74,000 were injured in collisions involving commercial trucks. We also know that the vast majority of accidents are caused by a driver's error. The simple fact is that many of these accidents can be prevented if Missouri drivers make safety a top priority when they're behind the wheel.

Such an adjustment is needed now more than ever. For the past 6 years, Missouri has seen a steady decrease in the number of people killed in car accidents, but that appears to be changing in 2012: the Missouri Highway Patrol is reporting a disturbing spike in the number of crash fatalities this year. As of March 14, there have been 139 Missouri deaths, a 28% increase compared to March 14, 2011. In southwest Missouri alone, the crash fatality totals are up 44% from last year. Even more shockingly, 2/3 of Missourians killed in 2012 were not wearing seat belts.

Traffic Accident Statistics:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) reports that there were nearly 33,000 people killed in U.S. traffic accidents in 2010. This statistic illustrated the lowest number of roadway fatalities in a single year since 1949. The same year, an estimated 2.25 million suffered from car accident injuries throughout the country. Some speculate that driver distraction accounts for the 2012 spike, since drunk driving and drowsy driving are on the decline. And of course, fatalities are more likely in accidents when vehicle occupants aren't wearing seat belts.

The Missouri Highway Patrol offers the most recent detailed traffic accident statistics for the state. Their report outlines the most prevalent factors affecting 2010 crashes throughout Missouri. Among their findings:

• Speed was a factor in nearly 20% of all car accidents.

• Speed was a factor in nearly 40% of all fatal car accidents.

• In accidents where speed was a noted cause, nearly 325 people were killed and another 12,250 were injured.

• Someone was killed every 43 minutes in a speed-related car accident.

• Alcohol was involved in nearly 5% of all car accidents.

• Alcohol-related car accidents accounted for nearly 30% of the fatal accidents that occurred during the year.

• Someone was killed in an alcohol-related accident every 2.2 hours.

• Drivers under the age of 21 accounted for about 26% of all car accidents.

• Teen drivers caused more than 15% of fatal car accidents.

Collisions Between Motorycles and Big Trucks Create Deadly Consequences in Missouri and Nationwide

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 13:44:57 -0600

On Wednesday, in Guilford Township, Pennsylvania, a box truck collided with a motorcycle, killing a father of 3. Witnesses reported seeing the truck crossing over the highway and moving diagonally into the motorcycle's path. The motorcyclist, 37 year-old Keith Monninger, had no way to avoid a collision: he crashed into the truck and died as a result of his injuries. Monninger's brother-in-law and business partner, Rod Thomas, characterized Monninger as "a very safety minded motorcycle rider" who never went without a helmet.

The box truck left the scene, and police followed up on numerous tips in an effort to locate the driver. Earlier today, a tip led them to the box truck involved in the accident, and they subsequently issued a warrant has been issued for the arrest of 29 year-old Leon Chalmers Deardorff Jr., the alleged driver. Police believe they know Deardorff's general location and are urging him to turn himself in.

Accidents of this nature are totally preventable. Our Missouri truck accident lawyers support the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) in its efforts to promote motorcycle safety, and to prevent tragedies like the one in Pennsylvania. The MSF is a non-profit organization internationally recognized for its motorcycle safety training and motorcycle rider curriculum materials. Their goal is to encourage a lifelong learning approach for motorcyclists. They also develop trainers and rider coaches in their continued initiatives, all aimed at improving overall motorcycle safety.

When it comes to motorcycle accidents, there can be no collision worse than one with a big rig. We urge all Missouri motorcyclists to check out the MSF website for education pamphlets, course locations, and safety information in general. Read the following information as it applies to motorcycle and large truck or semi-truck accident avoidance on Missouri roadways.

Safe Riding Practices to Help Prevent Motorcycle/Large Truck Collisions

• Take a quality, hands-on rider safety training course.
• Follow all traffic laws: they are designed to protect you.
• Know your motorcycle and continuously work on your riding skills.
• Maintain constant awareness of your surroundings. Be on the lookout for potential hazards.
• Do not ride behind a truck. Avoid the blind spots on large trucks, tractor-trailers, or tandem trailers, which are much larger than any other vehicles.
• If a large truck is tailgating you, change lanes. The difference between stopping distances is significant, and poses a huge risk to you as a rider.
• When driving alongside or near a big truck, always be prepared to make evasive maneuvers when needed.
• Don't assume a truck driver (or any other driver) sees you.
• Be prepared for wide turns in front of you.
• Wear bright clothing and utilize reflective materials.
• Always signal your intentions (use hand signals too, when possible).
• Use your horn to get a truck driver's attention.
• Take up an entire lane.
• Make yourself seen.
• Keep the distance between you and the truck greater at higher speeds, after dark, and in inclement weather.

Missouri Car - School Bus Collisions Prompt NTSB Safety Recommendations for All Drivers

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:12:31 -0600

Our Kansas City auto accident attorneys have noticed a troubling increase in the number of collisions between Missouri buses and passenger vehicles. Consider these recent crashes, all of which happened in February 2012:

• February 3 (Centerview, MO): A northbound Crest Ridge school bus attempted to make a left turn and pulled into the path of a westbound car. Two girls on the bus (an 11 year old and a 12 year old) sustained minor injuries in the crash. Meanwhile, the occupants of the car suffered moderate injuries and were taken from the scene by ambulance. The bus had minor front end damage. The car was totaled.

• February 22: (Grandview, MO): This time, a passenger vehicle turned in front of a Hickman Hills school bus. The car's driver was the only injured party (minor), but a student who may have suffered an asthma attack was also taken by ambulance, and the bus driver (who is pregnant) was also taken as a precaution.

• Feb 29 (Eldon, MO): A School of the Osage bus driver failed to yield to an oncoming passenger vehicle on US 54, which caused a collision. Both occupants of that vehicle were injured: the driver was airlifted from the scene with serious injuries; a passenger was taken by ambulance with moderate injuries. No students were aboard the bus at the time of the crash.

Captain Tim Hull of the Missouri Highway Patrol has said that "Bus transportation remains the safest form of transportation in Missouri." And it's true that bus passengers are generally well protected: in a car-bus collision, as demonstrated in the accidents above, occupants of passenger vehicles are considerably more vulnerable to injury. This fact is a great relief to parents of school age children, as well it should be.

Teen Drivers and Commercial Trucks Can Be a Dangerous Combination in Missouri and Nationwide

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:08:15 -0600

In 2011, teen drivers near the nation's Capital pledged to help make our roadways a little bit safer by allowing more room on our roadways for large trucks, by staying out of their blind spots, and by signing a "No Texting Promise." Teens vowed to consciously practice these habits as a part of a truck safety demonstration they attended that was organized by national safety officials and families of distracted driving crash victims, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Given the rapidly growing number of fatal accidents caused by distracted driving - especially in teen drivers - our Missouri truck accident attorneys believe that more events like this one are desperately needed.

At this FMCSA event, officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) spoke to students in the area about the importance of safe and cautious driving around big trucks in an attempt to prevent truck accidents in Missouri and across the country.

It's important for motorists to recognize that these large trucks drive differently than passenger vehicles do. While a passenger vehicle may be able to brake suddenly when required, a fully loaded tractor-trailer requires nearly twice the distance to stop. Tractor trailers also have large blind spots, or "No Zones," that motorists must avoid. In 2009, nearly 100 large trucks were involved in fatal motor-vehicle accidents in Missouri. A large truck is officially classified as vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds.

"We want everyone to be safe, but as newer drivers, teens must adhere to a few simple rules," said Anne Ferro, Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. "They are: buckle up, don't drink and drive; don't speed, don't text or use your phone, and steer clear of a truck's blind spots."

Do Stability Control Systems Help Prevent Missouri Trucking Accidents?

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:48:24 -0600

In this post, our Missouri truck accident lawyers share information from a US Department of Transportation study. The study tested how stability control systems on tractor trailer trucks work in reducing rollovers for semi-tractor trailers. The study verifies that stability control systems do function, but they can only do so much. Many tractor trailer accidents can still be traced back to driver error.

A major tractor-trailer accident that happened in Missouri last summer is relevant to this discussion. In August 2011, a UPS tractor trailer traveling westbound on I-44 caused the highway to be closed between Stanton and St. Clair for several hours. The driver was pulling tandem trailers and overturned shortly before 8 a.m. One hour later the driver was still trapped, as local firefighters worked to free him from the wreckage. The tractor-trailer accident closed both westbound lanes and one eastbound lane of I-44. No other vehicles were involved and the driver, with serious injuries, was taken to St. John's Mercy Hospital in Creve Coeur by helicopter.

According the Missouri State Highway Patrol initial tractor-trailer crash report, the driver was traveling westbound when he left the road on the left side and struck the cable-median barrier; then he reentered the road only to leave it on the left side again where the truck and first trailer then overturned. Reports suggest the driver over-corrected after the leaving the road the first time, which caused the tractor-trailer to leave the road a second time and tip over.

The news is full of tractor trailer accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has conducted an extensive study on tractor semi-trailer roll stability to evaluate stability control systems. NHTSA wanted to assess the latest technology developed in the trucking industry. Vehicle stability control systems attempt to keep a trailer more stable when one or more of the wheels begin to leave the road as occurs during turns, lane changes, swerving, or jack-knife type incidents.