The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently issued a notice that it intends to start writing new rules for the use of electronic onboard recording devices (EOBRs) to track hours of service (HOS) and other compliance with the agency’s safety rules, according to a report from The Trucker.
The FMCSA currently has a rule in place that covers uses of EOBRs to track driver movements, hours on the road, and other data that can provide key insights in an accident. However, the current rule is based on the technical specifications of a previous generation of EOBRs, most of which are no longer in use. The new generation uses different methods of tracking, recording, and storing data that are no longer covered by the old rule. Therefore, the FMCSA has begun taking advice and comments about updating the rules to reflect the changes in EOBR technology.
The FMCSA’s notice of proposed rulemaking included a mention of the agency’ interest in how EOBR data may be used to harass drivers, and asked for input on this issue in particular.
Many drivers dislike EOBR data because it can be used to question legitimate driver decisions, like the decision to take a particular detour to avoid construction, an accident, or other hazards. However, the data is also invaluable for providing clues in an accident by recording things like the truck’s speed, direction, and how long it had been on the road prior to the crash.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a truck accident, please don’t hesitate to contact an experienced St. Louis truck accident lawyer at Page Law. We have the legal resources and practical experience to help you find out what happened and hold any negligent parties accountable for their actions. For a free consultation, call us today at (314) 322-8515.
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Drivers of tractor-trailers are almost always working while they’re behind the wheel, either for themselves as owner-operators or for a trucking or other company. Most Missourians realize that these drivers are usually covered by worker’s compensation if they suffer an injury while on the road. But people who are involved in a truck crash while driving another vehicle may also be able to get workers’ compensation coverage if they are driving for their own jobs when the crash occurs.
Missouri workers’ compensation doesn’t usually cover commuting, or getting to and from work each day. However, if you make sales calls in a vehicle, deliveries, or run errands as part of your everyday job, you may be covered by workers’ compensation if you’re involved in a tractor-trailer crash while driving for your job.
Whether or not workers’ compensation applies to your crash, you also have the option in Missouri of holding the truck’s driver, the trucking company, the maintenance company, or the makers of any defective car or truck parts liable in court if their negligence caused the crash that injured you. These can be valuable sources of the compensation you need after a serious injury.
When a truck accident occurs, serious injuries can result. If you or someone you love has been injured in a truck crash, please don’t hesitate to call the experienced Missouri truck accident attorneys at Page Law. We have the experience and perseverance to help you find out what happened and hold any negligent parties responsible for the harm their actions have caused. For a free consultation, call us today at (314) 322-8515.
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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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Seat belts can help save lives in an accident, whether you’re in a passenger vehicle or a large commercial vehicle like a tractor-trailer. A recent study by the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) shows that truck drivers are buckling up more than ever before. The FMCSA still encourages passenger vehicle drivers to buckle up as well, since this simple tool can prevent death or serious injuries in a truck accident.
According to the FMCSA, seat belt use among truck drivers was up to 78 percent in 2010, from 74 percent in 2009. Truck drivers were more likely to buckle up in states that had primary seat belt laws than they were in states with secondary laws. A primary seat belt law allows law enforcement to stop a vehicle if the driver is not wearing a seat belt, even if he or she has done nothing else to warrant a stop. A secondary law, on the other hand, can only be enforced if the vehicle has already been stopped for some other reason.
In addition, drivers that worked for trucking companies that operated a fleet of trucks averaged an 80 percent rate of buckling up, while independent owner-operators averaged only 71 percent. The FMCSA hypothesizes that greater safety awareness by trucking companies may have more to do with the increase in their drivers wearing seat belts. Fleet drivers and owner-operators tend to cause roughly the same number of accidents each year, however, indicating that more focus on drivers protecting others on the road is also needed.
A seat belt can protect anyone wearing it in a crash, but it can’t prevent a negligent driver from causing an accident. At Page Law, our experienced St. Louis truck accident lawyers are dedicated to representing those who have been injured in accidents with trucks and other large vehicles. To learn more about how we can help you, call us today at (314) 322-8515 for a free and confidential consultation.
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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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A passenger in a pickup truck lost her life recently when the vehicle she was riding in was hit by a semi truck at a Queen City intersection, according to a recent news report from KTVO.
The accident occurred at the intersection of U.S. Highway 63 and Highway W. The driver of the pickup truck, a 38-year-old man from Greentop, Missouri, had stopped at the intersection. As he pulled into the intersection, his pickup was struck by a tractor-trailer driving through the intersection. According to preliminary police reports, the driver said that although he had looked both ways, he did not see the semi coming until it was too late.
His passenger, a 37-year-old woman who is also a Greentop resident, suffered serious injuries in the crash. Rescue workers transported her to a local hospital, but her injuries proved too extensive for medical personnel to treat. She passed away at the hospital several hours after the crash. The driver of the pickup truck suffered moderate injuries and was also taken to the hospital. The semi’s driver was not injured.
Semi accidents are less common than passenger vehicle accidents, but when a large semi collides with an ordinary passenger vehicle, tragic losses can result. If you or someone you love has been injured in a truck accident, the experienced St. Louis truck accident lawyers at Page Law are here to help. For more information, call us today at (314) 322-8515. The initial consultation is free, and your information is always kept confidential.
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Driving safely on Missouri’s roads and freeways means knowing how to share the road with semi trucks and other large vehicles to reduce the risks of an accident. When the weather turns snowy and icy, however, the risk factors change. Keep these MO winter driving tips in mind to reduce the chance that a crash will ruin your holiday commutes.
Leave extra space. Leave space between you and the semi truck in front of you, so that you have adequate space to stop even if the road is slippery. Likewise, if you merge in front of a truck, make sure you leave several car lengths between you and the front of the truck. In winter weather conditions, a semi truck may need the length of a football field to stop completely so plan accordingly.
Drive more slowly, especially if passing a truck that is pulling over or has stopped on the side of the roadway. Do not use cruise control on wet, snowy, or icy roads.
Clean off your car thoroughly to prevent snow or ice from obscuring your headlights or flying off your car and distracting or obscuring other drivers’ vision – including truck drivers – from the road ahead.
Pack extra blankets and a heat source, such as a candle in a tin can, in case your vehicle is disabled in an accident and you must wait for help to arrive. Extra blankets and clothes can help keep you warm if your heater won’t run after a crash.
If you or someone you love was involved in a truck accident, the dedicated and experienced St. Louis truck accident attorneys at Page Law can help. Call us today at (314) 322-8515 for a consultation. The call is free, and your information is kept confidential.
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The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is creating tougher procedures for preventing violators from “reincarnating” to erase their history of not complying with FMCSA safety regulations for commercial trucks and buses.
According to the FMCSA, “reincarnation” is a common practice among small trucking companies. The cycle begins when a company receives one or more citations from FMCSA for failing to follow safety rules. The citation may be for a defective or poorly-maintained truck, for violating the Hours of Service (HOS) rules, or for another reason. Rather than fixing the problem, the company goes out of business – at least, on paper.
The trucks and assets of the first business are transferred to a new company name, and the company starts over with no “official” violations on its record and no responsibility for fixing the old violations – even if they still endanger drivers or other motorists. Some companies “reincarnate” several times to avoid dealing with ongoing violations. This form of truck employer negligence is very dangerous.
FMCSA has already begun doing more background research into owner-operators and trucking companies, looking for signs that the company is a reincarnation. Now, the agency is developing uniform rules for weeding out reincarnations and holding trucking companies responsible.
Truck accidents can cause serious injuries and even death. If you or someone you love has been injured in a truck crash, the dedicated tractor-trailer accident attorneys in Missouri at Page Law have the courtroom experience and legal resources to help you hold any negligent parties accountable for their actions. For a free and confidential consultation, call Page Law today at (314) 322-8515.
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The rate of Missouri tractor trailer crashes that cause death or serious injury has decreased in recent years, according to a recent study by the Missouri Department of Public Safety (DPS). Unfortunately, truck accidents can still be fatal or leave crash survivors with serious injuries.
The DPS offers the following statistics related to Missouri truck accidents:
- Approximately 200 people are killed and 4,500 are injured in Missouri truck accidents each year. Put another way, a person is killed or injured in a Missouri truck crash every 1.7 hours.
- Nearly 75 percent of Missouri truck accidents begin when the truck hits another vehicle or another vehicle hits the truck. The remaining 25 percent usually begins with the truck or another vehicle striking a fixed object, like a telephone pole or highway divider.
- 59 percent of all Missouri truck crashes take place in urban areas. However, 75 percent of crashes that happen in rural areas prove fatal.
- Approximately 70 percent of truck drivers involved in Missouri truck crashes each year are licensed in Missouri. About 29 percent are licensed in another state, and about 1 percent has no license. The average age of a truck driver involved in a crash is 42 years.
With such high rates of death and injury, truck accidents can have serious consequences. If you or someone you love has been injured in a Missouri truck accident, please don’t hesitate to contact the experienced St. Louis truck accident attorneys at Page Law. For a free and confidential consultation about your case, call us today at 314-322-8515.
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Waller Truck Company, Inc., a commercial trucking company based in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, recently received a Platinum Award for safety from Great West Casualty Company, according to an article released by The Kansas City Star.
Waller, which hauls dry goods and products of various kinds, received the award as part of Great West Casualty Company’s 2010 National Safety Awards Program. Great West Casualty Company insures trucking companies throughout the United States. Each year, it gives awards to client companies that manage to minimize the number of preventable trucking accidents their drivers suffered in the past twelve months. The Platinum Award is the highest honor that Great West offers, though companies can also earn a Gold, Silver or Participatory Award depending on their performance in accident prevention.
The Platinum Award is not the first safety award Waller Truck Co. has received from Great West Casualty Company. The trucking company also won a Gold Award for fleet safety in the past, according to Waller. This year’s National Safety Awards Program handed out over 800 awards to trucking companies throughout Missouri and the United States, recognizing their commitment to minimizing accidents and protecting the safety of their drivers and other motorists who share the road.
Most truck drivers and the companies they work for take safety seriously. When an accident does occur, however, it can leave other motorists or pedestrians severely injured. If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, please don’t hesitate to call an experienced truck accident lawyer in Missouri at Page Law. We will help you investigate the causes of the crash and fight to hold any negligent parties accountable for their actions. For a free consultation, call Page Law today at 314-PAGE-LAW.
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