Missouri Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

One point of emphasis when the motor carrier regulations were crafted was limiting the number of fatigued drivers on the road. Mental or physical exhaustion can greatly affect your ability to operate a vehicle safely and is a big contributor to tractor trailer injury accidents.

Just how impaired are you while driving tired? It's a hard question to quantify, but over the years tests were done comparing driver fatigue to drunken driving to give us a scale that we can better relate to. The results are pretty startling.

If you are awake and active for 17 straight hours, your reaction time and coordination is reduced to level of someone with a blood alcohol content of .05. Weight and water consumption can affect BAC levels, but that's roughly comparable to having a few beers over the course of an hour. If you extend the time to 24 straight hours without sufficient rest, you will be as impaired as someone with a .10 BAC. The standard for driving while intoxicated is .08, so effectively, not getting enough rest is as dangerous as driving drunk.

This is why the hours of service regulations were created to limit the amount of time a truck driver can be behind the wheel and on-duty without rest. Study after study has repeatedly shown that fatigued drivers are more likely to cause major truck crashes.

Unfortunately, pressures from trucking companies and the motivation of a per mile pay scale can sometimes lead drivers to violate these regulations. What's more is that drivers will try to fabricate their driving logs to disguise the fact they are driving while dangerously fatigued. This is why every truck accident should be scrutinized by investigators and tractor trailer accident attorneys to hold drivers accountable for negligent practices.

If you have been involved in a tractor trailer crash, consult a personal injury attorney who's knowledgeable in trucking regulations as soon as possible.

Darrell Fryer, 61, was killed and another person was seriously injured Tuesday morning in a Missouri tractor trailer crash on I-44.

Fryer was heading westbound in a 1992 Oldsmobile Cutlass at the time of the accident, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. He was driving in the left lane when he came upon a MoDOT dump truck filling a pothole on the highway just before Antire Road. The dump truck was in the same lane as Fryer and as he tried to maneuver around it, his car began to skid out of control. The Cutlass clipped the back of the MoDOT truck and then spun into the center lane where it was hit by a tractor trailer.

Fryer was pronounced dead by ambulance personnel. A passenger with Fryer, Robert Collins, 46, sustained serious injuries. The tractor trailer driver and the MoDOT workers all avoided injury.

This is a tragic accident and our thoughts go out to the victim's family. Hopefully Collins can make a speedy recovery.

While the initial crash report on file with the Highway Patrol describes the basics of the crash, there are still many details to uncover surrounding this deadly Missouri truck accident. A crash reconstruction will be used to determine the speed Fryer was driving at the time of the crash. Also, if MoDOT was blocking lanes of the highway with their equipment, an investigation into whether they followed procedure to warn other motorists is warranted. If there were caution lights and construction barrels at the work site, why didn't Fryer see them until it was too late?

There are often many complicated questions after a serious injury accident. If you or someone you love has been injured and you are looking for legal advice, contact a St. Louis personal injury lawyer for a free consultation.

Joyce Powell, 71, was injured Monday morning when a chunk of ice fell off an oncoming tractor trailer and crashed through her windshield.

The accident occurred on Highway 60 in Newton County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Powell was traveling westbound and passed an unknown Eastbound tractor trailer. Just as the vehicles were passing each other, the piece of ice separated from the roof of the trailer and pierced the windshield, striking Powell. The tractor trailer continued down the roadway without stopping and has not been identified.

Powell was taken to St. John's Regional Medical Center for treatment.

Ice falling off passing vehicles is not a concern many motorists have, however, while it's true that serious injury accidents involving flying ice are more uncommon than a typical crash, these types of incidents do happen and people do get hurt or even killed. We have previously commented on these types of accidents after a rash of them were reported earlier in the winter.

One problem with these types of accidents is that often the tractor trailer driver doesn't stop and may not even know that he caused an accident. Unless a witness sees the whole incident and can identify the truck, it is usually not found. There isn't a good way to track these incidents, either, and many times they can go unreported.

Another issue is that motor carrier regulations in this area don't have any teeth, though the state of New York is considering making more stringent laws about clearing ice from trucks after a woman was killed by a piece of ice.

As we move into spring, the danger of ice causing a serious car accident will be lessened, though some areas of the country may still get down to freezing temperatures for a couple weeks. While ice may soon not be a factor, there is also the possibility of other types of debris being thrown from trucks on the highway. If you have been involved in an incident were debris or ice has caused you serious injury, contact an experienced Missouri personal injury attorney as soon as possible.

Four people were injured, two seriously, in a Saturday morning tractor trailer accident on Highway 61 near Palmyra, Missouri.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol and local media, three of the four injured were riding in a northbound car driven by Lori Peitz, 48. The car was traveling in front of a tractor trailer, driven by Gregory Morris, 44. For some reason, Peitz lost control of the car and began to spin on the roadway. Morris then hit the car with the tractor trailer, then traveled off the roadway where the big rig flipped over. Peitz's car ended up in the median.

Lori Peitz was taken to Hannibal Regional Hospital for treatment. Also in the car was David Peitz, 48, and Maria Peitz, 10. Both joined Lori at Hannibal Regional, though Maria's injuries were less serious. Morris was also treated for minor injuries.

No citation was issued for this Missouri truck crash. No details about why the car spun out in the first place was given.

Hopefully all involved make a full recovery.

Some startling video involving a British tractor trailer crash has surfaced and is making its way around the internet. The video is from a cell phone camera and shows a tractor trailer that has just hit a smaller passenger car and is dragging it down the road. The more unsettling fact is that the truck driver seems to be completely unaware he has hit anything and continues without stopping.

The video can be seen here.

The video lasts only a few seconds and doesn't show how long the car was dragged or what happened at the end of the accident. You can clearly see the truck's logo for a company called Arclid Transport.

According to a BBC News report, the accident actually occurred in January and was investigated as a simple collision at the time. Neither the driver of the car or the tractor trailer was seriously injured. No action was taken against the driver of the truck.

Since the footage of this commercial truck accident has surfaced, though, authorities are reopening the investigation.

Tractor trailers are large vehicles that, when fully loaded, can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. Despite this, one would hope that an experienced truck driver would be able to tell if he has hit another car. The video is brief and doesn't show how long the car was being dragged, but from what we do see it is clear that the driver makes no attempt to stop for at least the 20 seconds shown in the video.

Thankfully, nobody was seriously injured in the truck crash, but everyday in the United States there are accidents where people aren't so lucky. If the accident is the fault of a negligent driver or trucking company, the incident should be investigated to hold them accountable and help prevent similar occurrences in the future. Contact a truck accident lawyer if you or someone you love has been involved in an accident with a tractor trailer.

A serious tractor trailer crash occurred Sunday night on Interstate 65 near Bowling Green, Kentucky when a Freightliner collided with a Greyhound bus and left ten people seriously injured.

According to local media reports, the crash took place around midnight in the southbound lanes of the interstate. Both the tractor trailer and the bus were traveling southbound, with the bus riding ahead of the truck. The bus was traveling slower than the big rig and, for an unknown reason, the truck driver was unable to avoid slamming into the back of the bus.

The truck driver along with 9 passengers on the bus were taken to local hospitals for emergency treatment. An additional 33 others were riding on the bus and did not sustain life-threatening injuries.

More investigation will be needed to determine what caused this truck injury accident, but investigators will likely be checking out a few specific probable causes. One of the most common causes of tractor trailer crashes is fatigued drivers, so the log books of the driver will be examined to see if he was getting the proper amount of rest to help fight fatigue. There is also the possibility of a mechanical failure with the brakes which, if that were the case, would lead investigators to check the inspection records of the truck.

Another common cause of accidents is distracted driving. As hand-held electronic devices become more common, states and federal agencies are looking to restrict their use behind the wheel as a way of preventing fatal car and truck accidents. Just recently a restriction on texting and driving was placed on all commercial truck drivers.

The Missouri Department of Transportation has decided to install median cables along a stretch of highway where a recent Missouri tractor trailer crash occurred which resulted in a car being dragged across the median.

The accident took place Tuesday when a tractor trailer plowed through a line of cars and into the median. Fortunately, nobody was killed, but this truck injury accident is a reminder of why we need to have median cables installed at more locations around the state.

Median cables have become a more common choice for MoDOT over the years due to their effectiveness and relatively low cost. The cables are designed to give way to cars that spin out of control into the median. This bend but don't break approach keeps the vehicles out of oncoming traffic while doing less damage to the vehicle itself. Since the cable system requires less material and machinery to install than a concrete barrier, they are good fiscal decisions, too.

Since median cables were first installed along some highways, the number of fatal car accidents caused by crossovers has dropped 27%. Due to this success, MoDOT has planned to install more cable medians along smaller highways in the coming years.

Three people were injured and several cars were completely destroyed after a Missouri tractor trailer accident on Highway 71 on Tuesday afternoon.

According to local media reports, traffic had become backed up on the highway just north of Missouri 58. A southbound tractor trailer, driven by Jose Valentin, lost control and slammed into the back of the line of cars. The tractor trailer ran over a car and pushed other vehicles into each other. The small car that was run over was actually dragged under the big rig into the median.

Amazingly, nobody was killed in this serious Missouri truck crash. Mindy Osborn was airlifted to a local hospital for treatment. Two others, Adam Moennig and Melissa McClay, were also injured and taken by ambulance to local hospitals. Valentin was uninjured.

It is unclear what caused Valentin to strike the line of cars. The traffic might have stopped suddenly in front of him, making it hard to stop a truck that could have been loaded up to 80,000 pounds. He might also have been distracted and unaware of the traffic ahead of him.Typically, negligence is assumed in rear-end collision accidents, though there may be extenuating circumstances in this case.

An investigation into the accident continues.

After a commercial truck crash, the truck driver submits to an alcohol and drug test and his driving logs are investigated to ensure that no motor carrier violations exist.

Richard Veltrop, 37, was killed and two others were injured in a Missouri tractor trailer crash on Highway 54 late Saturday night.

According to the initial crash report, Veltrop was driving with Julie Trenary, 33, in a 2003 Toyota when the accident occurred. Veltrop traveled into the path of an oncoming tractor trailer, driven by Virgil Russom, 67. The Toyota clipped the trailer being hauled, causing massive damage to both vehicles.

Veltrop was pronounced dead at the scene. Trenary and Russom were both taken to local hospitals for treatment.

Since there was a fatality, this crash will undergo a full investigation including an accident reconstruction to determine the cause. Investigators will be able to examine skid marks and debris patterns to determine how fast the vehicles were going and which vehicle was actually out of its lane to cause this fatal Missouri truck accident.

The truck driver's log books will also be investigated to ensure that no motor carrier regulations were violated.

An explosive Missouri tractor trailer crash sent one man to the hospital and closed a portion of Highway 60 early Friday morning.

According to local media reports, a tractor trailer ran off the road near Poplar Bluff and then hit a guardrail. Shortly after the impact, the rig burst into flames causing officials to close both lanes of the highway until the fire could be extinguished and the roadway cleared.

One person, presumably the truck driver, was taken by ambulance from the scene, but no word has been released on the person's identity or condition after this serious tractor trailer injury accident.

Fortunately, no other vehicles were involved in the incident. The highway was cleared by sunrise on Friday morning.

Aside from the enormous size of tractor trailers causing damage in an accident, the large fuel tanks of big rigs can also become a hazard. If ignited, the explosion can be devastating. This is especially true if the trucker is hauling gasoline or other flammable materials. Drivers are required to get special endorsements on their license for HAZMAT and tanker loads to ensure that he or she is prepared for the special challenges these hauls present.

It is not known what the truck was hauling in the Poplar Bluff accident.