Truck Accidents’ Category
32 People Injured in Texas School Bus-Truck Accident
Monday, January 30th, 2012
An accident involving a Texas school bus and a tractor-trailer left at least 32 people injured seriously enough for them to be taken to the hospital. Out of the injured, 29 of were children.
The accident occurred just outside Temple, about 60 miles northeast of Austin. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the tractor-trailer allegedly ran a stop sign and crashed into a school bus. Weather conditions were foggy at the time, although troopers not know whether this was a factor in the crash.
Twenty nine children on the school bus were injured, and out of these, 3 had...
Fiery Houston UPS Truck Accident Traced to Distracted Driver
Monday, January 16th, 2012
A truck accident involving a UPS tractor-trailer last week is being blamed on a distracted driver. Fortunately, the accident did not result in any injuries, although it did cause an explosion and fire.
According to news reports, the UPS 18-wheeler was traveling northbound on Interstate 45 on its way from Houston to Dallas, when the driver reached out for something in the cab. He was momentarily distracted, and this resulted in the truck swerving near a construction area, and hitting the end of a guardrail. The truck then jackknifed and burst into flames.
The driver of the truck suffered injuries, and...
New Trucking Rules Are a Disappointment
Monday, December 26th, 2011
Last week, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration finally released its new rules governing the Hours of Service for truck drivers. The new rules are a disappointment, to say the least. The agency has retained the 11 work hour rules that are currently in place, while Houston truck accident attorneys and trucking safety groups had been calling for a reduction in those hours to 10. As a Houston truck accident attorney, I have supported a reduction in truck work hour rules in order to reduce the number of fatigue -related truck accidents that occur in...
Increase in Trucking Accident Deaths in 2010
Friday, December 23rd, 2011
It’s time for the trucking industry and trucking safety regulators in the US to snap out of their sense of complacency. Statistics for the year 2010 show that there was an increase in trucking fatalities last year.
That increase is likely to shock vested interests like the trucking industry, which has been trumpeting the safety record of the industry from the rooftops over the past couple of years. There was good reason for the trucking industry to gloat. After all, in 2009 and 2008, there had been a decline in the number of people killed in Read More »
Federal Panel Recommends Tough Approach to Sleep Apnea among Truck Drivers
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011
Two federal trucking safety panels have advised the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that the agency should toughen its approach to the diagnosis and treatment of truck drivers who suffer from sleep apnea.
The recommendations were made by the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee and the Medical Review Board. Both committees will also collaborate to produce final recommendations for a rule that will set the standards for the evaluation of drivers for sleep apnea. The recommendations made by the boards could include such conditions as immediate disqualification of a truck driver if he falls asleep at the wheel of a...
Ban on Hand-Held Cell Phone Use for Truck Drivers Effective Soon
Wednesday, December 7th, 2011
In the next few weeks, a ban on the use of handheld cell phones by commercial truck drivers will go into effect. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has finalized a rule that bans the use of handheld cell phones by commercial truck drivers, except in emergency situations. The rule follows another one on texting while driving for commercial truck and bus drivers.
The rule is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on December 2. It'll go into effect about 30 days after it is published in the Federal Register. Under the rule, commercial truck drivers who use...
Health Initiatives to Promote Truck Driver Health Could Save Lives
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011
New truck driver health initiatives being employed by a number of trucking companies could save not just truck driver lives, but also the lives of thousands of motorists every year. According to statistics, in 2007, approximately 87% of all accidents were caused by trucker error, and twelve percent of these were linked to driver fatigue or medical conditions involving the driver, like heart attacks and diabetic shock.
Poor trucker health is a serious concern in the trucking industry, and many companies are now unveiling initiatives aimed at keeping truck drivers healthy. A trucker’s job is mainly sedentary, depriving...
Pickup Truck Driver Killed in Texas 18-Wheeler Accident
Saturday, October 1st, 2011
A pickup truck driver was killed in an accident involving an 18- wheeler on Loop 1604 in Texas last week. The cattle truck was carrying about 180 cows. According to authorities, the two vehicles were traveling in the same direction, when the truck seems to have rolled over on the pickup truck. The driver was killed instantly. Authorities are trying to determine the cause of the rollover.
Rollover accidents are some of the most devastating accidents involving tractor-trailers and 18- wheelers. Unfortunately, these accidents are far too frequent, and often involve certain types of trucks, like tank trucks. One of...
Tanker Truck Driver Killed in Wheeler County Accident
Monday, September 26th, 2011
A tanker truck driver was killed, and another was seriously injured in a tractor-trailer accident in Wheeler County last week. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the accident involved a Mack tractor-trailer and a Peterbilt on State Highway 152. The Mac tanker truck jackknifed on impact, while the Peterbilt went off the roadway, rolled over, and burst into flames.
The driver of the Mack truck was declared dead at the scene. The driver of the Peterbilt truck suffered injuries, and had to be rushed to the hospital.
Commercial trucking can be a lonely and tedious, not to mention, strenuous...
NTSB Recommends Cell Phone Ban for All Commercial Truck and Bus Drivers
Thursday, September 15th, 2011
The National Transportation Safety Board is using the deaths of 11 people in a distracted driving-related truck accident in Kentucky, to recommend a ban on cell phone use while driving for commercial truck and bus drivers. The kind of ban that the Board is recommending would include both hand-held cell phones as well as hands-free sets.
In December, the Department of Transportation banned texting while driving for commercial truck and bus riders. That ban was recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board, which has since also recommended a ban on cell phone use while driving for boat operators.
The ban on...
