The St. Louis Business Journal recently reported that the Federal Highway Administration had approved Missouri’s four-billion-dollar plan to build dedicated truck lanes along I-70. The Missouri Department of Transportation’s plan calls for building extra highway lanes specifically for trucks. The lanes will run for about thirty miles along I-70 in Saline and Cooper counties. When completed, the lanes will be the longest section of dedicated truck lanes in the county.
The state of Missouri also applied for $200 million in federal stimulus money, in addition to its own $4 billion budget for the project, to help build the truck lanes.
The plan calls for two inside lanes in each direction to be dedicated solely to large tractor-trailer traffic. A concrete barrier will separate the eastbound truck lanes from the westbound truck lanes, and grass medians will separate the truck lanes from the car lanes. Trucks entering or exiting I-70 will use either specially built truck lanes or will pass through the car lanes before entering the dedicated truck lanes. The dedicated truck lanes are intended to increase safety on I-70 by separating large tractor-trailers from passenger cars, which should decrease the number of car-truck accidents.
While all vehicle traffic poses some risk, motorists who share the road with large trucks run the extra risk of collision with these large, heavy vehicles. Motorists who are injured in St. Louis tractor-trailer collisions caused by a truck driver’s negligence may be entitled to damages and other monetary compensation for their injuries. If you have been injured in a large truck accident, contact the experienced Missouri truck accident attorneys at Page Law today. Our attorneys will protect your rights while fighting to hold negligent parties responsible for their actions. Contact Page Law today by calling (314) 322-8515 for a free and confidential evaluation.
A tractor-trailer overturned on Interstate 95 recently, causing serious traffic delays, according to a wtvr.com report. The truck, which was carrying a load of fruit, overturned into the ditch beside the interstate, blocking one lane of traffic for several hours and forcing drivers to take alternative routes.
The tractor-trailer crash occurred just before 8:00 a.m. Police responded shortly thereafter and began managing traffic as well as extracting the driver from the vehicle. The 33-year-old driver was treated for minor head and neck injuries at a local hospital medical center. No one else was injured in the accident, nor did the truck collide with any other vehicles.
The driver has been charged with reckless driving for causing the accident. Police are still investigating the details behind the collision.
The motorists sharing the road with this truck driver were lucky to avoid injury. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 5,300 people died in accidents involving large commercial trucks or buses in 2006 and about 126,000 were injured. While many truckers obey all driving rules, those who do not play a significant factor in life-altering crashes.
If you or someone you love has been injured by a truck driver’s recklessness or negligence, contact the experienced Missouri semi-truck accident attorneys at Page Law. Our skilled lawyers will inform you of your legal rights and options and help you recover the compensation you need to handle medical bills, lost wages from work, and more. Call Page Law today at 314-322-8515 for a free and confidential consultation.
The U.S. Congress is considering a bill that would allow the limit on tractor-trailer weight to rise from 80,000 pounds to 97,000 pounds. The bill was introduced by U.S. Representative Michael Michaud and known as the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act.
If passed, the bill would allow individual states to increase their interstate vehicle weight limit to 97,000 pounds for any truck with a sixth axle. Supporters of the bill state that the required sixth axle would help the heavier trucks stop within the same distance and would distribute the additional weight more evenly over the truck’s tires. The bill also includes a separate fee for the sixth axle, which would be used to fund interstate bridge repairs.
Supporters claim that raising the weight limit to 97,000 pounds can be done safely and would decrease the need for additional trucks on the country’s interstates. However, opponents believe that the additional weight cannot be made safe. Opponents also point out that many U.S. bridges and highways are not built to support heavier trucks. There is also concern about the cost of updating these bridges and highways and about the safety of drivers who share these stretches of road with heavier trucks.
Truck accidents threaten the lives of hundreds of U.S. citizens each year. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Missouri truck accident, consider contacting the experienced Missouri tractor-trailer accident attorneys at Page Law. Our attorneys will review the details of your case and stand by you in the fight to get you just compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost earnings. If you’ve had an accident involving a truck, don’t hesitate to call Page Law at (314) 322-8515 today for a free consultation.
Source:http://bulktransporter.com/fleet/trucks/transportation_coalition_presses_congress0701/
St. Louis news outlet KMOV reported recently that a father of ten died in Springfield when the truck he was driving collided with a tractor-trailer. The victim, an Amish-Mennonite farmer, was riding in the truck along with his twin brother, who was driving. His brother suffered critical injuries in the accident.
According to eyewitnesses, the tractor-trailer collided with the pickup after the pickup ran a red light. The force of the collision pushed the pickup truck into a second tractor-trailer at the intersection. The entire passenger side of the Dodge pickup caved in from the impact. Rescue workers attempted to revive the victim at the scene, but could not save him. The driver of the second tractor-trailer involved in the accident was not injured.
Witnesses say that the tractor-trailer driver tried to avoid hitting the pickup, but there was not room to swerve in the intersection. The tractor-trailer clipped another passenger car while attempting to avoid the collision, but the driver of that car was not hurt. The intersection was closed for several hours as fire crews worked to clean up the spilled diesel fuel left from the accident.
If a motorist is injured or killed in a collision with a large truck, compensation may be available to the motorist or his family in the form of payments for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other costs arising from the tractor-trailer driver’s negligence. After a tractor-trailer accident, it is important to contact a skilled Missouri wrongful death truck accident attorney as soon as possible in order to protect your rights after the crash.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a collision with a tractor-trailer, please don’t hesitate to contact the experienced Missouri truck accident attorneys at Page Law. Our attorneys will listen carefully to the details of your case and fight to protect your legal rights. Contact Page Law today by calling (314) 322-8515 for a free and confidential evaluation of your Missouri truck accident case.
One driver sustained possibly life-threatening injuries in a truck accident that officials say was caused by a Missouri big-rig driver. According to 12 News report, the 51-year-old driver of the semi-truck told officials that he did not see the traffic slowing in front of him. The semi-truck crashed into two vehicles in front of him. A 38-year-old victim of the crash with critical injuries had to be taken by a medical helicopter to a nearby hospital. Police officials issued a ticket to the semi-truck driver for failing to control the speed of his vehicle.
Semi-trucks can be a serious threat to the safety of others on the road. Semi-trucks take a significantly longer amount of time to come to a stop. As a consequence, it may only take a moment of distracted or negligent driving to cause a major collision. St. Louis negligent truck driver lawyers know that some of the most common causes of such truck accidents include impairment, distraction, inattention, speeding, reckless driving or mechanical failure.
Remember that if you have been injured in a truck accident as a result of the truck driver’s negligence, the driver and his employer could be held liable for the accident and your injuries. Injured victims can seek compensation to cover medical expenses, loss of wages, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation and other related damages. If a truck driver’s negligence results in death, the family members of the deceased victims can file a wrongful death claim seeking compensation. If you have been injured in a truck accident in Missouri, please contact Page Law at (314) 322-8515 to find out more information about your legal rights and options.
Source:http://www.kxii.com/home/headlines/88423852.html
More commercial bus and truck drivers are beginning to wear seatbelts, a recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) shows. According to a news report, 74 percent of commercial truck and bus drivers buckled up in 2009. Compared to that, only 65 percent used seatbelts in the year 2007.
This is obviously good news. Whether it is truck drivers or drivers of passenger vehicles, seatbelts save lives. This is a fact that has been proven by several studies conducted in this country. It is encouraging to know that more and more drivers, including truck drivers, are recognizing the importance of wearing seatbelts while driving. In Missouri alone, 70 percent of all fatal crashes involve drivers not wearing seatbelts. Also, 97 percent of all crashes where seatbelts are used do not result in deaths.
It is not only important for truck drivers to worry about their own safety, but also the safety of others on the roadway. Truckers should follow safe driving practices as well. The traveling public may still be in danger of enduring injury due to truck driver fatigue in Missouri , truckers who drive drunk or distracted, and truck drivers who do not maintain their vehicles properly. The sheer size and weight of commercial trucks can make them a serious hazard to smaller vehicles.
If you are involved in a truck collision, you would be well-advised to contact a St. Louis truck accident injury lawyer immediately to ensure your rights are protected. Truck accidents can result in catastrophic injuries that could leave a person disabled for life. It is important to get prompt medical attention as well as legal representation to make sure that your rights and best interests are protected. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, please contact an experienced St. Louis truck accident attorney at Page Law by calling (314) 322-8515. We always offer a free consultation and comprehensive evaluation of your claim.
Source:http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2010/3/19/Morecommercialtruckandbusdriversusedsafetybeltsin2009.aspx
A 3-year-old Missouri girl was killed in a tractor-trailer accident after two big-rigs collided on Interstate 64 in Kentucky. According to a wkyt.com article, the collision occurred as traffic was slowing for another crash on the highway which was caused by a suspected drunk driver. The girl was pronounced dead and two others were injured. However, the extent of their injuries is not yet known. The child was apparently in one of the big-rigs driven by her 49-year-old grandmother.
Very often, as St. Louis big rig crash lawyers, we see similar tragic collisions occur when truck drivers are not paying attention to traffic conditions. When you are behind the wheel of a large truck, sudden movements are not possible. In fact, we have seen in many cases how big-rig sudden movement has led to jackknifing. Such actions endanger not only the truck drivers, but also other people who are using the roadways.
If negligence or wrongdoing is involved in causing a fatal trucking accident, family members of deceased victims can file a wrongful death claim seeking compensation to cover funeral expenses, loss of love and companionship, and other related damages. When a tractor-trailer accident occurs, it is important that you move quickly to contact an experienced Missouri truck accident lawyer. Trucking companies and their insurance carriers send investigators to gather as much information as possible as quickly as they can, usually within hours.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, please contact the Missouri wrongful death truck accident lawyers at Page Law by calling (314) 322-8515. You need an experienced truck accident attorney to aggressively represent you and protect your legal rights. We will provide you with a free consultation. Let us evaluate your case and help you decide what course of action is best for you and your family.
Source:http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/86559592.html
Falling asleep at the wheel is a common cause of major Missouri truck accidents. Smartmotorist.com reports that in 2007, fatigued drivers caused 18 percent of fatal accidents. In an attempt to prevent driver fatigue, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA) has created regulations for commercial drivers. Commercial motor vehicle drivers may only drive for 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours of being off duty. These safety regulations ensure that truck drivers have had sufficient rest and relaxation before they get back on the road. Fatigued truck drivers in Missouri are a significant threat on the roadways and cause numerous serious injury and fatal collisions on our nation’s roadways each year.
The government has also been taking steps to mandate companies to educate their drivers about these safety regulations. Recently the government requested Whole Foods to conduct similar education programs for their truck drivers. In October 2005, a Whole Foods tractor-trailer rolled over on the Highway 94 in Wisconsin causing a collision with a motor coach that killed five and injured 35 others. Federal officials determined that the Whole Foods truck driver fell asleep at the wheel. The investigation also determined that the driver had not taken sufficient rest during the time period leading to the accident.
As truck accident lawyers in Missouri, we have come across many situations where truck drivers deliberately falsify logs so they can be on the road for more time. At Page Law, our attorneys are trained to detect discrepancies in the logs and determine whether negligence or wrongdoing on the part of the truck driver or the trucking company was involved in causing the crash. If you or a loved one has been involved in a truck collision due to driver negligence or fatigue, you need an experienced and knowledgeable Missouri negligent truck driver accident lawyer to ensure your rights are protected. Please call Page Law at (314) 322-8515 to schedule your free consultation and case evaluation.
Source:http://www.automotive-fleet.com/Channel/Safety-Accident-Management/News/Story/2009/03/Government-Advises-Whole-Foods-to-Implement-Driver-Fatigue-Education-Program.aspx?interstitial=1
