A Grover Hill truck driver has received a national award for trucking safety after successfully driving his tractor-trailer for four years without a single accident, according to a recent article in the Times-Bulletin.
The driver received the award from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), an organization for truck drivers who own and drive their own tractors instead of working for a trucking company. The organization presents safety awards to members who meet certain milestones in safe truck operation, such as going for specified numbers of years without having an accident.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has its headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, but it has members all over the United States and in Canada. The organization promotes and encourages truck driver safety, and also provides information on other aspects of running an independent trucking business. Many of these, like hours of service and maintenance rules, also affect truck driver safety, either directly or indirectly.
Most truck drivers are professionals who take safety seriously, both for their own sake and for the sake of others on the road. When a driver becomes distracted, fatigued, or pushed beyond safe limits, however, serious injuries can result. At Page Law, our experienced Missouri truck accident attorneys are dedicated to investigating the details of each case we handle and holding any negligent parties accountable for their actions. If you’ve been injured in a truck crash, call us today at (314) 322-8515 for a free and confidential consultation.
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Sleep apnea is a condition that can cause lack of restful sleep, making truck drivers who have it more likely to fall asleep at the wheel. Truck driver fatigue in Missouri and throughout the nation is a major problem with regard to sleep apnea as one cause in some instances. Yet despite increased research on sleep apnea and the dangers of driving without proper sleep, many businesses in the trucking industry have yet to implement ways to protect drivers and other motorists from the risks of sleep apnea, according to a recent article in Fleet Owner magazine.
The risks of sleep apnea for tractor-trailer drivers were highlighted in a Texas case in which a trucking company settled with a family after one of its drivers, who had been diagnosed with sleep apnea, fell asleep at the wheel, causing an accident that took the life of a Texas man. It is believed that the trucker had refused to treat his sleep apnea, and that his employer had not followed up with him regarding his care.
The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) estimates that up to one-third of commercial truck and bus drivers suffer from sleep apnea, a relatively common condition. While not all people who have sleep apnea are unable to drive safely, the risks of unsafe driving are increased when one is behind the wheel of a large vehicle, like a fully-loaded semi truck.
Driver fatigue causes several truck accidents each year, often with devastating results. If you or someone you love has been injured in a truck crash, the experienced Missouri truck accident attorneys at Page Law can help. Call us today at (314) 322-8515 for a free case evaluation.
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Truck accidents can have horrifying consequences, especially when a large, fully-loaded tractor trailer collides with a small passenger vehicle. In 2010, however, most truck accidents left no one injured and caused only property damage, according to a recent report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Accidents involving single- or multi-unit tractor-trailers caused property damage in 7,898 separate situations in 2010, according to the state highway patrol’s report. Meanwhile, 1,173 people were injured in tractor-trailer accidents and 83 lost their lives. While these numbers are still unacceptably high – especially for those who were injured or lost a loved one in one of these accidents – they are significantly better than the rates for death and injury in Missouri passenger vehicle accidents in 2010.
Another category in which deaths were rare but property damage common was among commercial buses (not school buses). Only three people lost their lives in commercial bus accidents in Missouri in 2010, but property damage occurred in 956 accidents. 250 people were injured in Missouri commercial bus accidents in 2010.
Often, property damage without injury to any people involved is preferable to the alternative, especially if the accident involves a tractor-trailer or other large vehicle. While vehicles, buildings, road barriers, and other items can be expensive to replace, their cost does not come close to the value of a human being’s life or health.
When property damage or injury occurs, you have certain legal rights in Missouri. At Page Law, our experienced Missouri truck accident attorneys are dedicated to helping those who suffered injury or property damage in a crash hold any negligent parties accountable for their actions. To learn more about your options after a truck crash, call us today at (314) 322-8515 for a free and confidential consultation.
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