Jacksonville Personal Injury Lawyer - Tractor-Trailer Accidents

Three-Year-Old Killed on I-95 Wreck With Tractor-Trailer

Eddie Farah — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:35:23 GMT

A three-year-old Pittsburgh boy died in a crash on Interstate-95 in McIntosh County, Georgia Sunday afternoon.

Witnesses say a tractor-trailer, was heading at a high rate of speed before it hit the rear of the 2007 Toyota Sienna van carrying a family of five from Pittsburgh.

The mother, Susan Thornton, was driving and her husband, Daniel, and three children were in the van with everyone buckled in. When the big-rig struck the back of the van, it was pushed onto the shoulder of I-95 and into the tree line, several trees were downed as both vehicles plowed through the trees.

Looking at the wreck, it is amazing anyone lived. Three sets of Jaws of Life had to cut the six victims from the two vehicles. Susan Thornton is in critical condition, another child was seriously injured and her husband and two other children have non life-threatening injuries.

The tractor-trailer was driven by Willie Hill of Jacksonville who was hospitalized in Savannah with a broken pelvis and leg.

WSB-TV News in Atlanta is reporting that charges are pending against the driver.

Our condolences go out to the family involved in this tragic accident that does not appear to be their fault.

According to federal data from 2008, speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to about 31 percent of fatal crashes.

Large Trucks And Fatal Crashes

Large trucks account for about 8 percent of all vehicles involved in fatal crashes and four percent of all vehicles involved in injury and property damage crashes in 2008. In the majority of cases - 74 percent – of the large trucks involved in fatal crashes in 2008, collided with other vehicles.

Nearly one-quarter of all large-truck drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2008 had at least one prior speeding conviction, as did 18 percent of passenger car drivers.

In Florida in 2008, 269 large trucks were involved in fatal crashes in Florida, exceeded only by California (304) and Texas (421), according to NHTSA data.

263 people lost their lives in 2008 in Florida collisions with a large truck, a number that has been in decline since 2004.

A typically fully loaded large commercial truck can weigh over 80,000 pounds, while an automobile weighs about 3,000 pounds. And the unfortunate fact is that 98 percent of fatalities in crashes with a large truck occur to people in the passenger vehicle.

Freight drivers are under tremendous pressure to get the freight delivered on time and an investigation needs to be conducted immediately into what pressure was being put on the driver by the freight company.

Federal regulations govern the trucking industry and involve hours-of-service of the driver and driver logs, electronic records of miles covered, maintenance of the rig. I would want to know about the training of the driver and whether he was distracted by the multitude of electronics one sometimes maintains in the cab, such as monitors, cell phones, texting or entering data into onboard equipment to stay in touch with his freight company.

Florida drivers can report bad drivers, drunk driver, disabled motorists or suspicious incidents by dialing * FHP from their cell phone as part of the Share the Road campaign. #

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Florida Trooper Three Others Injured In Pile-Up

Eddie Farah — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:43:23 GMT

A Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) trooper and three others were injured in an early morning crash on Interstate 4 Monday.

Driver Jack Duran, 45, of Orlando, was behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer traveling westbound when the FHP says he approached a construction zone around 2 a.m. His semi hit a construction vehicle which then hit a FHP trooper’s vehicle, which then ran into another construction truck.

FHP trooper Maurice Hensley, 45, was in his car and had his emergency blue lights flashing to ensure drivers slowed down from the road construction ahead.

Hensley’s car was between two construction trucks that also had flashing arrows and all were reported to be moving slowly in the center lane when the chain reaction began. Trooper Hensley was briefly trapped inside of his cruiser.

Duran is in serious condition and so is Hensley of Tampa along with construction workers William Pettet, 43, of Valrico, and Steven Cofield, 18, of Bradenton.

We are very sorry that someone in law enforcement doing his job was hurt in the line of work as were those who work to make our roads better. It is dangerous work and we wish everyone injured a speedy recovery.

Investigators will look to see if Duran applied his brakes at any time as he approached the slow-down. If he had fallen asleep, he will likely lose his commercial driver’s license and could be charged.

Driver fatigue is a major factor in tractor-trailer accidents. The Department of Transportation (DOT) limits the number of hours a driver may be behind the wheel to 11-hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty. The hours must be kept in the driver’s log.

In fairness, truckers tell us all the time that too often motorists do not pay attention to safety when driving around big-rigs. No doubt that is true. Remember they cannot stop quickly and cannot see you if you cannot see them in their rear view mirror. These drivers are vital to our economy and bringing us goods from around the country, so courtesy is appreciated and essential for safety.

But many are pushed to drive extra hours when they have not had enough rest so the trucking companies can maximize their profits. Let’s hope this investigation does not stop with the driver, but goes all the way to the top including looking at the number of hours this driver had been on the road which may be available electronically as well as through a log sheet. #

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Trucking Regulations Will Keep Drivers On The Road Longer

Eddie Farah — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 15:17:23 GMT

It was an eleventh hour rule by the Bush administration that does not keep us safer on the highways. The administration in its waning days has decided to finalize rules on just how long truckers can stay behind the wheel.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rule allows drivers of big-rigs to work for up to 14 consecutive hours, including 11 behind the wheel. They must rest ten hours between shifts and may not work more than 60 hours in a week.

If a driver takes a 34-hour break, they can then restart their weekly tally.

The older regulation limited driving time to 10 hours, but also cost the trucking industry an estimated $2.4 billion a year.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has shown that there is an increase in crashes after 8 to 10 hours of driving. The courts have already rejected the rules twice but that didn’t stop the Bush administration which finalized them.

Trucking accidents killed almost 5,000 people last year- mostly people in cars not trucks. And federal records show there were more than 400,000 large trucks involved in accidents in 2007.

The trucking industry says the rules, which have essentially been followed for the last few years, have resulted in fewer accidents. On the other side of the issue is the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Public Citizen and the Truck Safety Coalition, a group that focuses on cutting down on truck accidents.

The groups filed a petition for reconsideration of the rules on December 18^th.

Public Citizen even challenged the rule in 2004, citing the government’s own studies that show performance behind the wheel declines after eight hours.

Other studies show that performance does not decline if there is adequate rest in between. More definitive testing is needed, and studies not funded by industry – on exactly how much rest is needed between trips.

The incoming administration may revisit and even overhaul the rule. Otherwise trucking companies may be able to order drivers to work grueling hours that put us all in jeopardy. Public Citizen accurately calls them “rolling sweatshops.”

We have seen too many accidents involving big-rigs that people never recover from physically or financially. Let’s keep sanity on our highways. #

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Chain Reaction Involving Tractor-Trailer Kills One

Eddie Farah — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:58:00 GMT

A driver from Kingsland, Georgia died Friday afternoon after a chain-reaction on the road involving a tractor-trailer.

The tractor-trailer was hauling a load of beer, heading south near Pecan Park Road, when he rear-ended a pickup truck that was pulling a cement mixer. All of this occurred on North Main Street in north Jacksonville, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The 45-year old driver, Tony Baker, was in a truck heading northbound when his truck hit the jackknifed tractor-trailer. Baker was pronounced dead at the scene while the other drivers were okay.

It was just this summer when the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announced that for the second year in a row, the number of large trucks (greater than 10,000 lbs.) involved in crashes in Florida had decreased and were at their lowest recorded levels since 2003.

Aggressive law enforcement programs have helped.

In 2007, partnered with the Florida Highway Patrol in enforcing programs to target aggressive driving, speeding, and following too closely by not only the drivers of big trucks, but the drivers of passenger cars as well that drive carelessly around these trucks.

But it doesn't sound as though Tony Baker was anything but in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Trucker Convicted Of Killing Two North Florida College Girls

Eddie Farah — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:57:38 GMT

A truck driver from Ponte Vedra is facing up to 25 years in prison after he was convicted Thursday night of causing a crash that killed two Flagler College students nearly three years ago.

Miguel Leon was convicted by a jury in St. Augustine, Florida, of vehicular homicide and two counts of reckless driving causing serious bodily injury.

November 19, 2005, the two students, Jessica Kaufmann, 18, and Lindsay Chain, 20, were riding in the back of a 2003 Volkswagen traveling back to St. Augustine after their car broke down on the way to Orlando and another student picked them up.

At I-95 near State Road 206 just around 11 p.m., they slowed for road construction. The tractor-trailer, driven by Leon, rear-ended their car. The big-rig continued moving, running over the Volkswagen, and hit the tow truck.

He will be sentenced later, but could face up to five years in prison for each count of reckless driving and 15 years for each count of vehicular homicide.

Our condolences to out to their families. The conviction doesn't bring back their daughters but ensures this guy won't be driving again.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Big-Rig and Bus Accidents and the Drivers Who Cause Them

Eddie Farah — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:36:00 GMT

Information about who is behind the wheel of a big-rig and bus might have you changing lanes to get away from them on the highway.

A 30-page General Accounting Office study shows that more than a half-million commercial tractor-trailer drivers and bus drivers, with commercial licenses, are also eligible for full disability benefits. That's because they are ill enough to qualify for the benefits. Instead of sitting home, or working other jobs, they are still driving 40-ton vehicles.

There have been plenty of reports of drivers having seizures, heart attacks, or passing out which have led to hundreds of deaths and injuries.

The Transportation Department reports 5,300 died in crashes with commercial trucks or buses in 2006, and another 126,000 were injured.

How does this happen? Drivers can "doctor shop," according to the GAO report, and finally find a friendly doctor who will give them a clean bill of health. Some simply don't mention their health problems when they go for their medical certificate.

While drivers have to make a living and provide a valuable service, there needs to be some reason interjected into the process, such as the suggestion to create a federal databank of medical conditions and treatments, so employers can check on the health of drivers.

Since 2001, there have been none of the eight safety recommendations adopted by the feds and it's very unlikely anything will change before the election.

Until then, just keep changing lanes and getting out of their way.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Truck Driver Gets 7 Years for 7 Child Deaths

Eddie Farah — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:22:28 GMT

Truck Driver Gets 7 Years for 7 Child Deaths

by Eddie Farah

This was one of the most horrible truck accidents this area can remember. On January 25^th, 2006, a tractor-trailer driver reportedly fell asleep behind the wheel and drove his trailer into a car full of Lake Butler children waiting in a car for a school bus.

All seven children died in an inferno. The children were all part of the same family.

The driver, Alvin Wilkerson, of Jacksonville, Florida, was facing seven counts of vehicular homicide and other charges. On Thursday afternoon, Wilkerson pleaded no contest to the seven courts, and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Was seven years enough? Mary Murphy doesn't think so. She had two children in the bus that was hit by the car following the crash. They are still healing, she says.

"There's not any word that could ... the pain that my children have been in. They're only kids, and now they've got to live with this for the rest of their lives too," Murphy said. "Not enough. I believe there isn't enough time for what he did. But, we're not the only ones suffering. His family is too."

Wilkerson, 33, apologized to the family and asked them not to look at him as a heartless person.

After all, he was not drinking or taking drugs. Wilkerson had driven the tractor-trailer for 34 hours with only a short nap. That far exceeds federal standards for being behind the wheel.

Tired and inattentive drivers may be responsible for up to 75 percent of all accidents involving trucks, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. 5,000 people were killed in 2006 in crashes involving large trucks, while another 106,000 were hurt, according to federal statistics.

A couple of years ago, a coalition of consumer groups, headed by Public Citizen,filed a petition challenging the 2005 hours-of-service rules that allows truck drivers to stay behind the wheel for 11 hours a day, up to 88 hours in eight days.

The rules also fail to require electronic on-board recorders, which, following an accident, might be the only reliable way to determine just how many hours a tired trucker was behind the wheel.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Big-Rigs May Get Ever Larger

Eddie Farah — Thu, 29 May 2008 18:45:00 GMT

Americans are frightened by big-rigs on our highways. at 80,000 pounds that is understandable. A poll taken by Lake Research Partners,finds that 66 percent of drivers oppose a proposal to allow bigger trucks carrying heavier loads on the highways. And that sentiment crossed all barriers, age, race and income.

That poll was released just as ademonstration projectbeing proposed by shippers and lobbyists for trucking companies, would allow trucks weighing as much as 100,000 pounds on the roads in six states.

Public Citizen is one organization that is fighting heavier and larger trucks on our highways. At a news conference Joan Claybrook, President of Public Citizencalls it a "demolition derby."

That's because in 2006, big-rig crashed killed 5,000 people and injuryed another 106,000 more.

And while large trucks make up about 3 percent of registered vehicles, 9 percent were involved in fatal crashes.

Besides death and injury, our roads were not made to hold heavier trucks and an aging infrastructure does not need added weight to add to stress.

Introduced by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), the Safe Truck Operations and Preservation Act of 2008, tries to preserve the limit currently on the roads so that the larger trucks can be stopped from the pilot program in six states,Georgia, Maine, Michigan, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin.

Congress will need to hear from you and soon to let them know just how you feel about even bigger-rigs riding alongside you.

Don’t believe the hype that bigger trucks will translate to fewer trucks. That has historically not been true.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Niceville Florida Turkey Crosses the Road, Causes Auto Accidents

Eddie Farah — Sat, 10 May 2008 23:45:00 GMT

Why was the turkey crossing the road?

It's not a riddle, it was a real life nightmare this weekend for a truck driver.

Defensive driving means you are ready for any situation. But a turkey hitting your windshield?

That’s what happened in Niceville, Florida in Okaloosa County, Florida in the Panhandle near Eglin Air Force Base. A man was driving a beer truck when a turkey flew into his windshield. 32-year-old Daniel Milby of DeFuniak Springs had to be hospitalized after he lost control of his truck.

He jackknifed, then overturned and crashed into a guardrail.

And that was not the only injury, another driver Roger Bloomfield, 59 also of DeFuniak Springs was in another car involved in the crash. Luckily he got away with minor injuries.

Not so for the beer truck which sustained about $70,000 in damages. Defensive driving requires you think of anything that can happen. Here’s a new one to add to the list.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Head-On With Bi-Rig Kills Driver

Eddie Farah — Thu, 01 May 2008 10:20:00 GMT

No one knows why 21-year-old James Rowland drifted his pickup trust into an oncoming lane just after midnight early Thursday morning.

The Florida Highway Patrol reports that Rowland was driving east on Normandy Boulevard in Jacksonville when he collided head on with a tractor-trailer.

Both vehicles burst into flames and Rowland was killed at the scene. The driver of the big-rig and his passenger were only slightly injured but the damage to his vehicle is estimated at about $75,000.

Normandy Boulevard had to be closed all night while law enforcement investigated and cleared out what remained of the scorched vehicle. It didn’t re-open until the early hours of daylight.

Truck accidents truly present the greatest danger on our highways today.

If you are involved in a full speed crash with a semi-truck, it is equivalent to colliding with 20 cars at the same time, with very serious and catastrophic consequences.

Please take driving as the serious responsibility it is. A momentary decision to fiddle with the radio, retrieve a CD or answer a cell phone just isn't worth it.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah