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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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December 19th, 2011
SARASOTA, FLORIDA – On Friday, December 9, 2011 Daniel Lawless was injured when a tractor-trailer driven by Jose Melendez-Rivera pulled out from the emergency lane into the pathway of Mr. Lawless. Daniel Lawless, who was also driving a tractor-trailer, was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital for treatment. The collision occurred on I-75 southbound in Punta Gorda, Florida. The I-75 southbound lanes were shut down for five hours while officers cleared debris from the roadway.
Comments from Our Trucking Attorneys
When a tractor-trailer is stopped on the side of the roadway, the truck driver must make sure he has ample space and time to enter the roadway, because his vehicle will be traveling at a low rate of speed. The speed and size of the tractor-trailer make it extremely dangerous for the driver to enter the roadway. Truck drivers are trained on and should utilize methods to avoid collisions when merging with traffic. We have handled a number of merger cases. You can review our case results here.
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December 19th, 2011
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – On Tuesday, December 6, 2011 Wadale Kasifi Wilson was killed when his vehicle was crushed by a tractor-trailer in Atlanta, Georgia. The 28-year-old was driving home from work. Authorities are trying to determine exactly how the crash occurred.
Comments from Our Trucking Attorneys
Many times it is difficult for the police to determine the cause of a collision. The police have limited resources and are only looking at the collision in terms of whether someone should be prosecuted rather than who is at fault in causing the collision. It is important to retain a qualified accident reconstructionist to survey the scene and recreate the accident as soon as possible. We have a team of experts ready to work the scene at a moment’s notice. You can view our case results by clicking here.
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December 2nd, 2011
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA – An truck accident involving three semi trucks and one passenger vehicle caused Interstate 16 in Bryan County to be shut down for hours. Police say that one tractor-trailer hit another, which caused a third truck to jackknife. The fourth vehicle involved swerved to avoid the accident and crashed into a tree. All four drivers were taken to the hospital; one remains there. One of the truck drivers reportedly climbed out of his rig, punched out the window of another semi truck and pulled the occupant to safety.
Comments from Our Trucking Attorneys
Truck drivers are trained to avoid accidents by being aware of their surroundings. Many tractor-trailer accidents involving tractor-trailers could have been avoided if the driver had maintained a safe driving distance, driven at a speed that was safe for the conditions and taken extra care while sharing the road with other tractor-trailers. A safe speed is vital to preventing jackknifing, because hard braking maneuvers with any left or right movement will cause the trailer to off-track and move at a different speed. A driver who is properly trained should know how to avoid a jackknife, even in an emergency situation. Our truck accident attorneys have handled a number of similar cases, and you can see our case results by clicking here.
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November 29th, 2011
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – On Friday, November 25, 2011, one woman was killed and two others were injured when a tractor-trailer, driven by Ralph Schrock, hauling lumber rear-ended a stopped car. Theresa Woodfin and Mr. Schrock were driving on Florida 100 in Flagler County when Ms. Woodfin stopped to make a turn off of Florida 100. Mr. Schrock failed to stop his tractor-trailer and slammed into her Buick, killing her. Mr. Schrock hit a second vehicle driven by Timothy Reese before his vehicle overturned. Mr. Schrock and Mr. Reese were both injured.
Comments from Our Trucking Attorneys
Truck drivers should always be able to avoid rear-end collisions. These types of collisions occur because the truck driver is not trained properly in maintaining space between his vehicle and the car in front of him or is not looking far enough in front of him to see stopped traffic or a disabled vehicle in time to stop. There is no excuse for a truck rear-ending a vehicle. Truck drivers should always know how to avoid this type of an accident. We have handled numerous rear-end collisions involving commercial vehicles and trucks. You can see our case results here.
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November 29th, 2011
FAYETTEVILLE, NC – One person was killed and two other injured when a tractor-trailer (name of driver not released) swerved into the median on Interstate 95 in Rowland, North Carolina and overturned. The crashed truck covered both lanes and the shoulder of the road. Shortly after the tractor-trailer overturned, a car driven by Tameka McLellan approached the vehicle but was unable to avoid it and crashed into it. Ms. McLellan’s vehicle then bounced into the median where a third vehicle, a tractor-trailer driven by Jeffrey Coleman of Early Environmental Contracting, approached the scene of the accident and was also unable to stop. Mr. Coleman ran into the car, which killed Lee Murphy who was a passenger in the vehicle. Both Mr. Cole and Ms. McLellan were transported to Southeastern Regional Medical Center for injuries that they sustained.
Comments from Our Trucking Attorneys
Truck drivers have to maintain a safe speed for conditions to avoid losing control of their vehicle and jackknifing. Because of the size and weight of the vehicle and the fact that the trailer can rotate around the tractor, truck drivers have to avoid hard braking maneuvers while moving left or right because those types of maneuvers will cause the trailer to off-track and move at a different speed. Then the trailer moves faster than the tractor and rotates around causing the vehicle to jackknife and overturn. A truck driver who is properly trained should always know how to avoid a jackknife even in an emergency situation. We have handled several cases involving jackknifed tractor-trailers. You can view our case results here.
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