Blog
February 2nd, 2012
Ten people have died and many more are being treated for injuries resulting from a multi-vehicle accident on I-75 in Florida. In lieu of the completed investigation, smoke and fog are currently being blamed for Sunday’s tragedy.
Early Sunday morning, Florida Highway Patrol officers closed the highway due to lack of visibility and later reopened it. Shortly after, the collisions began. Drivers were blinded by both the fog and smoke from a nearby brushfire. At least 19 vehicles were involved, including seven tractor-trailers.
Visibility was reportedly so poor that rescuers could only locate victims by the sounds of their suffering.
Who is at fault?
As with many accidents, there are several parties who might be to blame for this catastrophe. One thing is clear: this is not simply an accident. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in
Uncategorized |
No Comments »
January 19th, 2012
On Monday, January 16, 2012 one woman was killed and two others injured when they hit tire remnants that flew off of a tractor-trailer driven by Yuri Babenko. Both vehicles were traveling south on Interstate 95 in Volusia County, Florida. Upon hitting the tire, Jose Camacho lost control of his Ford Explorer, exited the roadway, flipped and hit a tree. The passenger Rebeca Hernandez-Martinez was killed and the other two people in the vehicle were critically injured and transported to Halifax General Hospital.
Comments from Our Trucking Attorneys
Most people assume that a tire coming off a tractor-trailer is an inevitable unforeseen event that is no one’s fault. This is not true. A truck driver is supposed to inspect his tires each morning as part of his pre-trip inspection. With proper training, truck drivers should be able to identify worn tires and have them replaced before the tires come off the vehicle. Unfortunately, many truck drivers continue to drive on unsafe tires until the tires separate from the wheel. We have handled a number of improper inspection and maintenance cases involving tractor-trailer tires and wheels. You can see our case result by clicking here.
Posted in
Uncategorized |
No Comments »
January 10th, 2012
On Thursday, December 29, 2011, one person was killed and five injured when the driver of a log truck lost control of his vehicle, resulting in it overturning and spilling logs across Interstate 95 in Port Orange, Florida. The overturning of this tractor-trailer caused a chain-reaction crash involving a U.S. Mail tractor-trailer, a semi carrying methyl bromide and a passenger car. The driving of the semi, Francis Tammel, was killed when his truck hit the log truck and exploded in flames. The individuals in the passenger car, the mail truck and the log truck were all injured and transported to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach.
Comments from Our Trucking Attorneys
Truck drivers receive specific training on proper braking and speed control to avoid having their vehicle jackknife and overturn. It is always the truck driver’s fault if he allows his vehicle to jackknife during normal traffic patterns. We have handled several jackknifed tractor-trailer collisions. You can view our case results by clicking here.
Posted in
Uncategorized |
No Comments »
January 10th, 2012
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA — On Friday, December 30, 2011, two women were killed and a man and infant injured when a tractor-trailer driven by Michael J. Phillips crossed the centerline. The two women were driving east on State Road 64 in Hardee County when Mr. Phillips traveled outside of his lane. Mr. Phillips struck the Toyota Corolla head-on, killing both women instantly. A third vehicle carrying a man and infant was driving behind the Corolla and swerved to avoid the wreck, overturning. Both occupants of the second vehicle received injuries.
Comments from Our Trucking Attorneys
Truck drivers have a duty to maintain their lane of travel. Truckers should be trained on proper procedures so they can make sure a tractor-trailer does not drift or sway across the centerline. Because of the size of a tractor-trailer, the truck driver must take precautions to stay focused on the roadway and to keep the vehicle from starting to move left or right. It is always the truck driver’s fault if he fails to keep his vehicle in his lane of travel. We have handled numerous collisions involving tractor-trailers that crossed the centerline. You can view our case results here.
Posted in
Uncategorized |
No Comments »
December 28th, 2011
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – On December 20, 2011, Mr. Jeffrey Farless was killed when a tractor-trailer, driven by Agron Shembitrak, pulled his vehicle out of a rest stop and directly into the pathway of Mr. Farless. Both vehicles were traveling on Interstate 95 in Brevard County. Mr. Farless was unable to stop his vehicle and ran into the backend of Mr. Shembitrak’s tractor-trailer. Mr. Farless was killed on impact.
Comments from Our Trucking Attorneys
Because of the size and weight of a tractor-trailer, it is dangerous for the vehicle to pull out into the roadway from a stopped position. The truck driver must activate his flashers and build up enough speed to merge with traffic. It is a violation of trucking industry standards to merge into highway traffic at a slow rate of speed. We have handled a number of improper merging cases. You can review our case results by clicking here.
Posted in
Uncategorized |
No Comments »
December 28th, 2011
MACON, GA – On Friday, December 23, 2011, a father and daughter were killed and the mother critically injured when a tractor-trailer driven by Kenneth Walsh hit their vehicle head-on. Both vehicles were traveling on Highway 129 in Ben Hill County, GA in opposite directions when the Mr. Walsh recklessly began passing vehicles in a no-passing zone. The tractor-trailer struck the vehicle with Charles, Autumn and Catrina Sowell inside. Charles and Autumn were killed instantly, and Catrina was airlifted to Macon Medical Center. Mr. Walsh was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, one count of serious injury by vehicle, passing in a no-passing zone and reckless driving.
Comments from Our Trucking Attorneys
Truck drivers have an absolute duty to maintain their vehicle in their lane of travel. Truck drivers should not be passing other vehicles to the left of the centerline because of the size and weight of the tractor-trailer. In an emergency situation, there is nowhere for a tractor-trailer to maneuver if it is in the midst of passing another vehicle. We have handled a number of improper passing cases involving tractor-trailers. To view our case results, click here.
Posted in
Uncategorized |
No Comments »
December 28th, 2011
GREENSBORO, NC, Winston-Salem, NC – On Thursday, December 19, 2011, two adults were killed and one child injured when the driver of a tractor-trailer (no name given) began driving recklessly on Highway 49 in Asheboro, NC. The driver of the tractor-trailer was passing cars in a no-passing zone when he drove one car off the road, sideswiped another and hit the Perry’s vehicle head-on. The two adults, Danny Perry and Kelly Perry were killed immediately, and their six-year-old grandson was airlifted to a hospital in Winston-Salem. The driver of the tractor-trailer was also injured and treated.
Comments from Our Trucking Attorneys
Truck drivers are required to undergo a post-accident drug and alcohol test. Many times erratic driving is the result of driving under the influence. A trucking company can be held responsible for failing to conduct a post-accident drug and alcohol test as required under the federal regulations. We have handled a number of cases involving truck drivers who were under the influence. You can see our case results by clicking here.
Posted in
Uncategorized |
No Comments »
December 28th, 2011
CHARLOTTE, NC – On December 18, 2011, 13 people were injured when driver Edwin Morrow failed to keep his tractor-trailer on the road, causing him to overcorrect and hit a church van carrying fourteen people head-on. The collision occurred Headon Highway 64 in Transylvania County, NC, near Lake Toxaway. The injured persons were transported to Highlands Cashiers Hospital, Transylvania Regional and Mission Hospital. Mr. Morrow was charged with traveling left of center.
Comments from Our Trucking Attorneys
Tractor-trailers have a tendency to sway and overcorrect especially at high rates of speed. Truck drivers are taught to anticipate movements of their vehicle to keep it within its lane of travel. New technology also allows a truck driver to be warned when his vehicle is moving out of its lane. It is always truck driver error for a tractor-trailer to leave its lane of travel. We have handled a number of similar cases for our clients. For our case results, click here.
Posted in
Uncategorized |
No Comments »
December 19th, 2011
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – On November 26, 2011, a woman was killed and a man injured when a tractor-trailer sideswiped the RV that the couple was riding in. Mr. and Mrs. Gentry were driving on Interstate 95 near Ormond Beach, Florida when a tractor-trailer sideswiped the RV, sending it out of control and into an embankment. The tractor-trailer did not stop and no information is available regarding the truck or driver except that the logo “Prime” was seen on the side of the trailer. Mrs. Gentry was killed, and Mr. Gentry received minor injuries.
Comments from Our Trucking Attorneys
In a hit-and-run accident with a tractor-trailer, it is possible to track down the truck driver through the company’s GPS system. Most tractor-trailer companies have a GPS system to track the movement of their vehicles. After filing a lawsuit, it is possible to subpoena computer data from the trucking company to identify the truck driver. We have located hit-and-run truck drivers like this in the past. You can look up our case results by clicking here.
Posted in
Uncategorized |
No Comments »
December 19th, 2011
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI – On December 4, 2011 a woman was killed and her three passengers injured while driving on I-20 through Pearl, Mississippi in Rankin County. The collision occurred when a tractor-trailer (driver’s name not released) overturned onto Cynthia Trest’s Honda Accord while driving on the I-20 exit ramp. Ms. Trest was pronounced dead at the scene, and her three passengers, who sustained injuries, were transported to the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Comments from Our Trucking Attorneys
A truck driver is required to have his load properly secured so that his vehicle does not roll over as a result of a cargo shift. It is always driver error for a tractor-trailer to roll over because either the cargo was not secured properly or the driver was traveling too fast for conditions. We have handled a number of cases where a tractor-trailer has rolled over. You can see our case results by clicking here.
Posted in
Uncategorized |
No Comments »
