Missouri Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

Driving a tractor trailer or other large truck is a challenging endeavor. The shear size of these vehicles creates numerous control problems for a driver, which is why truck drivers must go through additional training to earn a CDL, or commercial driver's license. Even with extra training, tractor trailer accidents in Missouri and around the country occur every day. Sometimes these accidents are caused by other drivers who don't respect the limitation of a tractor trailer. Here are some things to keep in mind:

- Stopping distance - A tractor trailer can legally weigh up to 80,000 pounds. To put that in perspective, the average passenger car weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of 4,000 pounds. Think of the last time you had to slam on your brakes and how far your car still traveled before actually stopping. Now, multiply that by 20 and you'll get a sense of how hard it is to stop a tractor trailer. Tests have been done with fully loaded tractor trailers driving at 60 mph and, in some cases, it takes 200 to 300 feet to come to a stop. This is the number one reason not to ride directly in front of a tractor trailer on the highway.

- Blind spots - Again, even if you've never driven a tractor trailer, this is a problem that is fairly easy to visualize. Think of the blind spots on a 10 to 12 foot passenger car and then imagine how hard it must be for a truck driver with a rig well over 50 feet to be able to see his blind spots. If at all possible, try not to ride in a truck's blind spot.

- Turning radius - Somewhat connected to the last point, the length of a truck and trailer can make sharp turns a challenge. Truck drivers have to make extremely wide turns and this may catch other drivers off-guard if they are not prepared.

Respect the power and size of tractor trailers and make sure to give them plenty of room on the roadways.

Even if you do everything in your control to prevent a serious truck accident, an incident may still occur if the truck driver makes a negligent error. If you or someone you love has been involved in an accident, it is advisable to contact a Missouri personal injury attorney to learn your rights as an accident victim.

The amount of freight traffic has increased in the past six months as the economy is starting to rebound and more companies are shipping goods across the country, according to an NPR report.

The report cites statistics from the American Trucking Association saying April 2010 saw 10 percent more freight traffic than April 2009. This is the result of steady growth that began at the end of last year and now the commercial trucking industry is near the levels it was before the recession.

Trucking companies have actually had to turn down shipments because they don't have the drivers to move them, according to NPR. Many companies laid off large numbers of drivers during the height of the recession and are now scrambling to replace them as the industry rebounds.

Hopefully the companies looking for new drivers follow all federal regulations regarding the hiring and screening of drivers. Statistics show that driver error is a leading cause of tractor trailer accidents in Missouri and around the country and hiring high-quality drivers without a history of violations or crashes is a way to keep these tragic accidents from happening.

This is even more important as the highways will be a little more crowded now that freight traffic is on the rise. The vast majority of drivers and companies are responsible, but it only takes a few negligent mistakes to cause a serious truck crash.

Members of various groups within the trucking industry have taken issue with rules soon to go into effect about the use of electronic onboard recorders (EOBR). They say the requirements, which companies have two years to comply with, make the technology too expensive.

EOBRs are devices installed in trucks that track many details of a how the vehicle is driven, including the number of hours on the road. These devices prevent serious tractor trailer accidents by making sure drivers comply with existing regulations. More than just being a "gotcha" device, though, many companies find their routes are becoming more efficient after examining data collected by their fleets' EOBRs.

Not everybody is happy with the new laws about the devices, however. There are two main points of contention for some in the industry: the temperature ratings and the ability to transfer data with USB Type B connectors. When the new rules take effect, an EOBR must be able to function in temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius and as high as 85 degrees Celsius. Some are complaining that this range is too large and that current standards are more appropriate. Likewise, they say that most current devices are compatible with Type A USB connectors and forcing the installation of devices with Type B connectors would be an unnecessary expense for many companies.

Whatever the outcome of this discussion, hopefully regulators and industry representatives can come to a consensus that provides a safer environment on our nation's highways. If all trucks were fitted with an EOBR, not only would we see a decline in tractor trailer crash injuries, but companies will benefit by becoming more efficient which should be reflected in lower costs. One of the leading causes of accidents is driver fatigue and the Hours of Service regulations have proven themselves to be effective at fighting this problem. Any devices that further compliance with these regulations would be a welcome innovation.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has launched a new program to help trucking companies screen their potential hires and weed out drivers with records of negligent driving.

The program, called simply the Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP), should greatly benefit companies who are looking to hire only the safest drivers in order to limit tractor trailer crashes. For a small fee, the company will be able to see a record of a driver's inspection history and any crashes he or she has been involved in.

The information is available to the drivers themselves as well. For a $10 fee, a driver can see the same information that is available to the trucking companies.

At the moment, use of the PSP is completely voluntary. Hopefully, though, most companies will take advantage of this new program as they hire new drivers. Statistics show that the vast majority of truck drivers have good driving records. Most tractor trailer accidents are caused by a small number of drivers and, unfortunately, in many cases these drivers are not taken off the road. They are given jobs at different companies and cause more wrecks. This new system should be a big step in keeping these repeatedly negligent drivers off the road.

Zona Elkins, 64, and Harold Rittenhouse, 69, were both seriously injured in a Missouri tractor trailer accident when the pickup they were riding in was struck by a large truck.

The crash took place in St. Clair County at the intersection of Missouri highways 13 and 82. At the moment, not much is known about the cause of the crash. The initial report on file with the Missouri State Highway Patrol only says that the tractor trailer, driven by Jude Rhoads, 58, was heading eastbound while the pickup, driven by Rittenhouse, was heading northbound. They both reached the intersection at the same time and Rhoads failed to yield to the smaller pickup.

Elkins and Rittenhouse were taken to local hospitals for treatment. Rittenhouse's injuries were so severe he required an emergency airlift. Rhoads was not injured, according to the investigating officer's report.

A full investigation into this Missouri truck accident will be conducted and officials will determine whether any federal trucking regulations were violated. The name of the trucking company has not yet been released.

The Hours of Service regulations are, as the name suggests, rules that govern the number of hours that a truck driver can work in a given day or week. Limiting the number of hours that a driver is behind the wheel is the best way to fight fatigue, which is a major cause of serious tractor trailer accidents.

After numerous studies on the effects of these regulations, the results say the rules are very successful at limiting truck accidents. The Hours of Service laws we know today began to take effect in the mid 2000's. Since that time, the number of fatalities from truck accidents has taken a significant drop.

Every year since the rules took effect there has been a drop in accidents. In total, there has been more than a 20% drop in truck accident injuries and fatalities.

The effects are not surprising if you know the effect of fatigue on a driver. Mental impairment begins after someone has been awake for 16 hours. By the time a person is awake for 17 hours, they are as impaired as someone with a blood alcohol content of .05. Once you approach 19 to 20 hours awake, your response time is as limited as someone who is over the legal limit for alcohol. It's no wonder that rules designed to limit fatigued driving have had such a positive effect.

Even the American Trucking Association has embraced the new data on fatigued driving. They are now pushing for more training for drivers to make them aware of the effects of fatigue.

To read more about the specifics of the Hours of Service regulations, check out the Bradley Law Firm website.

A St. Louis truck accident dumped more than 1,600 gallons of diesel fuel across a parking lot Tuesday morning, according to a St. Louis Post Dispatch report.

The accident occurred near East Grand Avenue and Hall Street near the Procter and Gamble Plant. The incident is still being investigated and no indication has been given as to how this spill took place.

Fortunately, nobody was injured or hospitalized in the incident. According to officials quoted in the Post Dispatch, about half of the fuel spilled into the sewer.

The tanker carrying the fuel was operated by the Kiesel Co., which sent workers to assist in the cleanup. The Kiesel Co. generally has a great safety record with no serious tractor trailer crashes over the last couple years.

Matthew Rudder, 17, was killed and another Missouri teen was seriously injured in an accident with a dump truck operated by MoDOT.

The accident took place just after noon at the intersection of Highway 63 and Route K. Rudder was riding in a 1997 Chevrolet S-10 pickup, driven by Christian Alvizo, 18. As the pickup traveled northbound on the highway, the MoDOT dump truck, driven by James Griffith, 25, attempted to enter the highway from Route K. According to the initial crash report on file with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Griffith failed to yield to the pickup and the dump truck struck the passenger side of the smaller truck. Both vehicles traveled through the intersection and into the grass median.

Rudder was rushed to University Hospital in Columbia where he was pronounced dead. Alvizo was also taken to University Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Griffith was not listed as injured on the initial report.

The investigation into this fatal Missouri truck crash is ongoing. Local media reports say that prosecutors are waiting to receive all the facts before deciding whether to charge the driver.

Photo by KMOV-TV

Initial indications are saying inattention is to blame in a fatal Missouri tractor trailer crash near Herculaneum on northbound Interstate 55. The devastating wreck occurred Wednesday afternoon and left two people dead, five more injured, and multiple cars completely mangled.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the tractor trailer was being driven by Jay Valentine, 32, of Huntsville, Texas. Valentine was heading northbound in a 2005 International Tractor Trailer approaching the McNutt Street exit when the semi-trailer accident took place. A line of cars had stopped, possibly due to construction in that area, but Valentine did not see them until it was too late. He swerved his truck into the left lane, but still collided with with multiple cars including a Ford Focus, which was drug almost 100 yards by the truck.

After the initial collision, the force of the impact created a chain reaction which eventually involved seven other vehicles besides the big rig.

Charles Martin, 52, was driving the Focus and was pronounced dead at the scene. Alana McKnight, 28, a driver of one of the other vehicles, also lost her life in the incident.

Among the most seriously injured were Cathy Hawn, 53, and Terry Hawn, 58, who were both taken to local hospitals for emergency treatment. Also injured were Alice Falk, 79; Mary Davis, 65; and Mark London, 51.

Our thoughts are with the families of the victims. Hopefully the injured parties will be able to eventually make a full recovery.

The tractor trailer had the logo for Western Express, Inc., a commercial trucking company based out of Nashville, Tenn. Western Express is a large company which employs over 2,400 drivers and operates trucks all over the country.

Looking at the safety record of the company, this is not the first fatal crash involving a Western Express truck. In fact, over the last two years there have been six fatal truck crashes and over 119 crashes resulting in serious injury.

In the Herculaneum accident, many local media outlets are reporting that Valentine had taken his eyes off the road just before the crash. Investigators have not revealed what he may have been distracted by, if anything. A full crash reconstruction will be performed which will produce a more detailed account of the events leading up to the incident.

If a driver is found to be criminally negligent, charges may be filed. Just recently, a driver pleaded guilty for involuntary manslaughter charges stemming from another tragic tractor trailer crash on Highway 40 in 2008.

The civil courts also can play a role in these cases as well. Injuries from a massive accident such as this can be devastating and take years to recover from, if a full recovery is even possible. This means there will be medical bills, loss of productivity and increased stress on the family. To make sure that their rights as accident victims are protected, it is a good idea for people injured by a tractor trailer to contact a St. Louis truck accident lawyer to discuss their case.