Missouri Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

A Missouri tractor-trailer crash on I-44 injured six people, four seriously, and snarled traffic for hours as crews had to clean up 40,000 pounds of blueberries that were being transported by the big rig.

According to local media reports, the crash occurred just east of the Piney River Bridge in Pulaski County. The truck driver, Kalisa Evariste, 50, lost control of the 2009 Freightliner and crossed the median into oncoming traffic. After crashing through the median cables, the tractor-trailer hit an oncoming pickup truck, driven by John Korenak, 59, and then went off the roadway down an embankment.

After the initial collision, Korenak's pickup then collided with a 2003 Acura, driven by Angelia Varga, 40, and both the pickup and the Acura also spun out of control over the embankment.

Evariste and a passenger in the semi, Nicholas Sohns, 29, were seriously injured and taken to Phelps County Regional Medical Center. John Korenak and a passenger in the pickup, Behel Korenak, 60, were also seriously injured and taken to different hospitals for emergency treatment. Angelia Varga and her passenger, Francis Varga, 55, also sustained injuries, but theirs were considered less serious and they refused treatment at the scene.

The right lane of westbound I-44 was closed for hours as workers cleared the scene of the passenger vehicles and then worked to unload the berries being hauled by the truck.

Local media reports said that the tractor-trailer was operated by the England trucking company. This large shipping company has more than 5,000 drivers and has been involved in more than 400 total tractor-trailer crashes in the past two years, with a 161 of those crashes causing injury.

The American Trucking Associations and industry representatives have recently been voicing their concerns over several aspects of the new safety enforcement plan, CSA 2010, being tested in Missouri and other states to prevent tractor-trailer accidents. We recently blogged about issues with the release of data to the public, but there are still other issues that trucking companies would like to see worked about before the program officially goes live.

One of these other issues is the way the program tracks commercial truck crashes. As it is currently designed, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration doesn't designate accountability or fault when tracking the number of crashes a company or driver has been involved with. The data only reflects that an accident occurred and the severity of the accident.

Some trucking companies believe the FMCSA should differentiate between preventable and non-preventable accidents so that drivers and their companies are not punished for wrecks that aren't their fault.

Representatives with the FMCSA team organizing CSA 2010 say they've always tracked accidents without recording fault. They claim that crash data, regardless of fault, is an accurate predictor of the chances of future crashes.

Even though the data as is may be a useful tool in predicting accidents, the FMCSA did say they will consider a new way of tracking accountability so that drivers involved in accidents that weren't their fault are separated from negligent drivers whose actions contributed to a wreck.

Nine states, including Missouri, have been testing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's new safety enforcement program, CSA 2010, to generally favorable reviews. Now, though, with the program scheduled to go into full swing in November, some in the trucking industry are worried that the program is moving too quickly and that some tweaking needs to be done.

Specifically, those that are concerned about the program are worried that there will be issues with the way the new data is released to the public. Part of the changes with the new program are the way tractor-trailer crashes are tracked and reported to the public. Each driver and company is given safety ratings based on a number of factors, including results of random tests and crash history, and these ratings will be made public.

If everything were to go as scheduled, a lot of the new data from the test states would be made public in November, with the other states officially joining the program after that. Many companies in non-test states have already started to transition to the new CSA procedures to make the process smoother.

The problem, says representatives from the Transport Corporation of America and other industry groups, is that this early data needs to be examined to make sure it accurately reflects the actual ratings of the companies it's tracking. If the data or ratings system is flawed, they say, it could turn public opinion against the program by giving a false impression of the number of truck accidents in Missouri and other states. They want to make sure that all the data is thoroughly scrutinized before going public. A University of Michigan study is being conducted on the testing procedures to make sure they produce accurate results, but that report won't be ready until December.

Representatives for the FMCSA say they are confident in the data, and any errors discovered by the study would only require minor tweaks and public data on truck accidents already exists. The new program just changes the rating systems.

The most important thing in this process is that the data collected is accurate. One of the best ways to curb the rate of tractor-trailer accident injuries is to hold negligent drivers and companies responsible.

If you have questions about a truck accident case of your own and would like legal advice, contact a St. Louis truck accident lawyer for a free consultation.

Tom Sargent, 32, was killed when the car he was driving crashed into a tractor trailer on Highway 412 in Dunklin County, Missouri.

According to the initial crash report, Sargent was traveling south on Route C in a 2002 Saturn at the time of this Missouri tractor trailer crash. As he crossed into the intersection with Highway 412, he struck the rear of a 1998 Freightliner, driven by Glen McBride, 38.

Sargent was pronounced dead at the scene. McBride was uninjured.

Sargent was not wearing a seat belt.

Much more investigation will be needed as the initial crash report leaves out many important details from this fatal truck accident. We don't know why Sargent hit the back of the tractor trailer or if either driver was breaking traffic laws. An accident reconstruction will be able to determine the speeds of the vehicles in question and piece together the events leading up to the crash.

Cars hitting the trailers on big rigs has been a problem for years, but certain steps have been taken to reduce tractor trailer accident injuries. An underride bar has been made mandatory on trailers to prevent smaller cars from traveling under the rig in the event of a rear-end collision. Some trucks are also being fitted with collision warning systems to help the truck driver keep his rig out of harm's way.

Danny Ross, 41, was seriously injured in a tractor-trailer accident on Route F in St. Francois County, Missouri.

Ross was driving westbound in a 2008 Pontiac G8 at the time of the crash, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Ahead of Ross was an International tractor-trailer, driven by John Redmond, 62. Ross attempted to pass the truck on the left, but at that exact moment, Redmond attempted to make a left turn. The truck pulled into the path of Ross' car and he was unable to avoid a collision.

Ross was seriously injured and flown to Barnes Hospital for life-saving treatment. Redmond suffered minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Ross wasn't wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

Hopefully both drivers will be able to make a full recovery.

From the initial description of this Missouri truck accident, we don't get all the details that could explain why this crash happened. Was Ross attempting to pass in a safe manner at an area where passing on the left is allowed? How fast were the two vehicles traveling? Did Redmond signal before attempting to make a left turn?

All of these questions will be answered by further investigation as liability and insurance issues will need to be settled. Since accident cases can become very complicated, it is advisable to seek legal advice from an experienced truck accident attorney before making any statements or agreements with insurance companies.

Officials with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration are engaging in ongoing talks focused on combating health issues like sleep apnea, a major problem contributing to tractor trailer accidents.

Sleep apnea is a condition often associated with obesity that can disrupt normal breathing patterns while a person is at rest. As a result, sleep is disrupted and people suffering from this condition often find themselves fatigued.

This fatigue can lead to very serious truck accident injuries once the driver gets behind the wheel. Fatigue is a significant contributing factor in as many as one out of every seven tractor trailer crashes.

Truck drivers are especially likely to be obese and thus are more at risk for sleep apnea. The nature of the job requires a person to sit for eight hours or more each day and doesn’t provide many opportunities for a regular exercise cycle. As a result, as many as 40 percent of truck drivers are classified as significantly overweight.

Truck drivers receive medical exams every couple years, but it has never been required that they be tested for sleep apnea as part of the exam. That may change in the future as the American Trucking Associations estimate that as many as one-third of truckers suffer from the condition.

While the FMCSA is discussing the final changes to their health monitoring policy, proactive truckers and their companies should be doing everything they can to start exercise programs and reduce their weight so they are not at risk for sleep apnea. This is not only for the driver’s personal health and well being, but for the safety of everyone on the road.

Photo from BND.com

A truck driver, Jerald Jaynes, 52, and a passenger, William Burleson, 23, were both killed in a fiery tractor-trailer crash involving three big rigs near Highland, Illinois.

According to local media reports, the fatal accident occurred on I-70 just minutes after an earlier tractor-trailer crash farther along on the highway. In that incident, a trailer became separated from a truck cab and dumped boxes of food across the roadway and into the median. Traffic began to back up and another tractor-trailer, driven by Gary Fellure, 53, was at the back of the line of vehicles. For an as yet undetermined reason, Jaynes failed to stop and crashed his rig into the back of Fellure's truck causing it to instantly burst into flames. The resulting impact and explosion caused a chain reaction damaging yet another tractor-trailer and a pickup truck.

Both Jaynes and Burleson were pronounced dead at the scene. Several other drivers involved in this multiple-collision accident suffered minor injuries.

In the aftermath of this fatal Illinois truck accident, yet another minor wreck occurred when a motorcycle rear-ended another truck that had stopped due to the traffic backup.

Investigators will try to piece together exactly what happened and figure out why so many drivers failed to stop for the traffic backing up on the highway. Rear-end collisions are often caused when drivers become distracted or are following too close behind other vehicles. Once the full report of this accident is released, we will learn if either of these common causes were involved.

After a serious tractor-trailer crash, it is important to find out who or what caused the crash for two reasons. First, to learn how to prevent future accidents and hold accountable anybody whose negligence contributed to the accident. Second, to potentially recover compensation for the injured parties through the civil justice system.

Our firm represents the families of those who have been seriously injured or killed by a trucking company's negligence. Recently, we negotiated a $2 million settlement for the family of Cathie Dolter, 61, who was killed when she was hit from behind by a tractor trailer at a St. Louis area truck stop. If you or a family member have been involved in a tractor-trailer accident and would like to discuss your case for free, contact us to set up a consultation. Discussing your case comes with no obligation to hire and we don't receive a fee unless we win your case.

Photo by KMOV TV

While the cause of the fatal Missouri school bus crash on Interstate 44 near Gray Summit is still being investigating, some more details are beginning to emerge, including the names of the two that were killed.

The female student who was killed was Jessica Brinker, 15, and the other death was Daniel Schatz, 19, who was driving the GMC pickup that was also involved in the fatal car crash. Brinker was a member of the John F. Hodge High School band, which was on its way to Six Flags and split up between the two buses involved in the wreck. Schatz was a reserve quarterback for the University of Missouri football team and son of Dave Schatz, a Republican candidate for the Missouri House of Representatives.

In addition to the two deaths, there were more than 50 injuries. Several of the injures were considered serious, but fortunately, most were able to escape the crash with relatively minor scrapes and bruises.

Again, the full investigation is still weeks away from being completed, but local media reports have begun to piece together some of the events leading up to the crash. The two buses were following behind Schatz’s pickup and a Volvo truck tractor. The driver of the truck tractor began to slow down for construction related traffic when Schatz crashed into the back of the truck, which was without a trailer. Moments later, the first school bus crashed into the back of the pickup and came to a rest on top of the first two vehicles. The second bus then collided with the rear of the first.

The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team of 15 people to assist in the investigation, according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch. An accident reconstruction will be performed to determine the exact cause of the crash. Representatives from the NTSB told the Post Dispatch they are particularly interested in this incident because they are looking for ways to improve school bus and construction zone safety, as well as determining whether crash-sensing devices on larger vehicles could prevent future school bus and tractor trailer crashes.

The NTSB will not make any statements regarding fault or liability and are requesting that any witnesses to the crash contact the Missouri State Highway Patrol or the NTSB directly. Coming forward as a witness takes a lot of courage and many people would choose not to involve themselves in the situation. It is important, though, that investigators get all the facts about this St. Louis bus crash so they can determine who was at fault. More than simply getting to the bottom of this incident, the NTSB will be able to use information gathered about this crash to help stop future crashes.

If you feel uncomfortable speaking directly to authorities, you can also email me with any information concerning the St. James bus accident and I will forward it to the appropriate officials.