A “reincarnated carrier” is one that, when placed out of service by an FMCSA inspector for truck safety violations, simply shuts down business under its current Department of Transportation (DOT) number and reopens its business under a new DOT number, one that has not been placed out of service. Carriers that reincarnate often do so instead of fixing the safety problems that caused the FMCSA to place them out of service in the first place. This means that safety problems simply follow a carrier from one “reincarnation” to the next, increasing the risk of a serious accident, injury, or death in a truck accident.

The new “reincarnated carrier” rule gives the FMCSA more power to inspect reincarnated carriers and enforce out of service orders. It also creates a system in which reincarnated carriers have an opportunity for a hearing before an out of service order takes effect, which the FMCSA hopes will encourage these carriers to fix their problems before they get out of hand.

Reincarnated carriers may have left behind a dangerous service record that could easily result in an accident. If you’ve been injured in a truck crash, the experienced truck crash lawyers in St. Louis at Page Law can help. For a free and confidential case evaluation, call us today at (314) 322-8515.

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From 2005 to 2007, the total number of deaths each year due to large truck and bus crashes has decreased from 5,539 to 5,099, according to the FMCSA’s data. The number of these deaths attributable to large trucks dropped from 5,429 to 4,808. Nevertheless, the high number of deaths that involve a large truck as compared to a bus still indicates that drivers should use caution around both types of vehicles and be especially alert when sharing the road with tractor-trailers.

The number of injuries suffered in truck and bus crashes has also decreased in recent years. Injuries in truck and bus crashes stood at 136,000 in 2005, but by 2007 that number had dropped to 124,000. Tractor-trailers accounted for 114,000 of those injuries in 2005 and 101,000 in 2007. Accidents that included both a fatality and an injury were counted multiple times, once for each person killed or injured in the accident.

Truck accidents can cause serious injuries. If you or someone you love has been involved in a truck or bus crash, the hard-working St. Charles County truck accident attorneys at Page Law can help. Call us today for a free and confidential consultation: our number is (314) 322-8515.

Watch this video for information on truck injuries:

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The increase is one of the smallest in the past decade, but it represents an increase in the overall health of the economy as more manufacturers need additional trucks to ship their goods to market, according to the American Trucking Association. While these gains are modest, researchers hope that larger gains in truck tonnage – and the increased economic activity they represent – are on their way. Given the current trends in increased tonnage, the American Trucking Association predicts that 2012’s total gains will be about 3 percent, which is average for the industry.

While more trucks on the road means more business, it also increases the risks of serious accidents. It is especially important for growing trucking companies to ensure that they hire sufficient drivers to complete their hauling work without pressuring drivers into violating their Hours of Service requirements, driving while sick or injured, or taking other risks that might cause an accident. Trucking companies that carefully hire and monitor drivers help reduce the risk of serious crashes.

At Page Law, our experienced St. Louis truck crash lawyers have helped hundreds of injured people seek the compensation they need after a crash. To learn more about how we can help you, call us today at (314) 322-8515 for a free, confidential consultation.

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At a recent hearing hosted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), several truck drivers shared their stories of harassment. One driver described how, when he would inform a client he couldn’t complete a route without going over his Hours of Service requirement, the client would “tweak” his EOBR so that it showed he wouldn’t violate the Hours of Service rules.

Another described how, while he was trying to get the required amount of sleep during a route, his trucking company kept sending him messages through the EOBR ordering him to get back on the road. When he didn’t respond to those messages – because he was asleep in the truck’s sleeper berth – the company started calling his cell phone instead.

Electronic onboard recording devices are just one tool some truck drivers and trucking companies may use to ensure drivers and vehicles stick to safety regulations. When they are not used properly, however, serious injuries may result. At Page Law, our experienced Missouri truck accident attorneys are dedicated to helping each person we represent get the compensation they deserve. For a free, confidential case evaluation, call us today at (314) 322-8515.

Safety measures, unfortunately, cannot prevent all truck crashes. To learn how to receive more information on truck accidents, watch this video:

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Sleep apnea is a condition in which the soft palate obstructs breathing during sleep. Its symptoms include heavy snoring, momentary pauses in breathing during sleep, and waking up feeling fatigued or un-rested despite having slept a full eight hours. The fatigue is the result of the body waking up multiple times per night – sometimes multiple times in a single hour – as it struggles to breathe. Even if the person is not entirely aware of all the waking-up periods, the brain never gets a chance to fall into deep sleep and rest itself, which causes fatigue and difficulty concentrating when the person is awake.

The rule the FMCSA is considering would require commercial truck and bus drivers with multiple risk factors for sleep apnea to get tested and, if necessary, have treatment for the condition. Sleep apnea is a common problem among drivers, since it regularly affects people who have sedentary jobs, such as sitting for long hours behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Fatigue is a major source of driver distraction, which can cause serious harm if an accident occurs. If you or someone you love has been injured in a truck accident, please don’t hesitate to call the St. Charles County truck accident attorneys at Page Law. Our number is (314) 322-8515; call us today for a free, confidential consultation.

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The new truck regulation requires all medical examiners to be listed in a National Registry Database by June 2014. Drivers must have their health examined by a registered medical examiner in order to be cleared to drive. Medical examiners must meet federal standards for medical exams in order to stay on the registry.

Currently, FMCSA does require medical evaluations for truck and bus drivers. However, drivers only need to be evaluated by a licensed healthcare provider to make sure they meet FMCSA’s health requirements. The new rule focuses the health requirements and provides more oversight of health care providers doing them, bringing a greater focus onto the health issues that genuinely affect a driver’s ability to operate a tractor-trailer or bus safely.

The health of drivers is a key component of tractor-trailer safety. A truck can only be driven safely if its driver has the medical care and support he or she needs to pay proper attention to the road. At Page Law, our diligent St. Louis truck crash attorneys know how to investigate every aspect of a truck accident case to help our injured clients receive all the compensation from which they are entitled. For a free and confidential telephone consultation, call us today at (314) 322-8515.

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Although there are new FMCSA trucking regulations that would update its systems, the agency has been unable to implement them due to lack of funding. However, according to a recent article in The Trucker, that situation may be changing.

The General Accounting Office (GAO) recently issued a report to members of Congress explaining that the FMCSA’s systems aren’t up to the task of making sure trucking companies are meeting crucial safety standards. It pointed out that the FMCSA’s systems are particularly bad at catching “chameleon carriers,” or companies that are put out of service for one violation and simply open up for business again under a new name and DOT (Department of Transportation) number, but without fixing the original problems. Several members of Congress have said that they now consider it a priority to get the FMCSA the funding it needs to enforce safety regulations.

Safety regulations are in place to prevent common problems, like driver fatigue, maintenance problems, or improper cargo loading, from causing serious injuries. If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, call the experienced truck crash lawyers in St. Louis at Page Law today. We’ll help you find out what caused the accident and get the compensation you need. Call us at (314) 322-8515 for a confidential and free telephone consultation.

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One recent example is a transportation company that the FMCSA recently ordered “out of service” (OOS), or to stop putting trucks on the road, until the company addressed its lack of a Department of Transportation (DOT) registration number and its multiple truck safety violations. The FMCSA acted as soon as the trucking company’s violations were brought to its attention. However, several states had been aware of the trucking company’s failures to meet safety and other rules for nearly a full year before the FMCSA acted, according to The Trucker. Had the FMCSA’s computer systems communicated with the state systems, or if all the data were put in a single database, the FMCSA could have recognized the problem and acted on it much sooner.

At Page Law, our dedicated Jefferson County truck accident attorneys fight on behalf of every client we represent, building a strong case that seeks the compensation our clients need after a severe injury. For a free and confidential consultation, call us today at (314) 322-8515.

Different parties may be at-fault for causing a truck accident. For more information on what the responsible parties are liable for, watch this brief video:

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The first bill would change Missouri’s current laws to require all local governments, such as those that govern villages and towns, to leave at least one local road that large trucks could use to access the state highway system. Currently, towns are allowed to prohibit large trucks on all their local roads if they wish to, allowing only passenger vehicles to drive on them.

The second bill aims to make Missouri agricultural producers more competitive by removing Missouri truck weight restrictions on agricultural haulers on certain state highways. Instead, all trucks using those highways would have to stay under a uniform weight limit of 85,500 pounds, no matter what they were hauling. Local logging trucks would be exempt from the weight limits when they are dropping off or picking up loads of lumber.

At Page Law, our dedicated St. Louis truck crash lawyers have the legal resources and real-world experience to help injured people get the compensation they deserve when another’s negligence causes injuries. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a truck accident, call us today at (314) 322-8515 for a free and confidential case evaluation.

To learn more about trucking regulations, watch this video:

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For instance, after one Texas inspection company failed to catch defects that led to a fatal bus crash in August 2008, the state’s Department of Public Safety put the inspectors out of business. However, a few months later, the business’s founders opened a new truck and bus inspection business with the approval of the same Department of Public Safety that had put them out of business only a few months earlier.

Over the past three years, truck and bus accidents in multiple states have raised questions about the effectiveness of inspection companies, prompting the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to push for better regulation of inspection companies.

When a broken, defective, or improperly-maintained truck causes an accident, any number of parties may be at fault. At Page Law, our Franklin County truck accident attorneys have years of experience investigating truck crashes and holding any negligent parties accountable in court, so our clients can receive the compensation they need to make a full recovery. For a free consultation, call us today at (314) 322-8515.

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