Missouri Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

George S. Bush, 50, and his mother, Ella Bush, 84, were both seriously injured in a Missouri truck accident when their pickup collided with a trash truck on Missouri Highway 28.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, both the pickup and the trash truck were heading westbound. The 2007 Freightliner Trash Truck, which was driven by Kyle Rutz, 20, was ahead of the pickup. Bush attempted to pass the large trash truck, but at that same moment, the trash truck attempted to make a left turn. The two vehicles collided causing extensive damage to both.

George and Ella Bush were both rushed to a local hospital with serious injuries. Rutz was not listed as injured on the initial report filed by the investigating officer.

There are still many details of this Missouri trash truck crash that need to be uncovered. We don't know what speed the two vehicles were traveling or if either driver signaled before making their respective maneuvers. Also, were the conditions safe for Bush to attempt to pass the trash truck.

Since there are so many complicating factors to most accidents, it is advisable to get the best legal advice possible to help you protect your rights as an accident victim. Many times, insurance companies will be working to limit the amount they have to pay accident victims. Contact a Missouri personal injury attorney to ensure you receive adequate compensation to assist in your recovery.

The way we track the safety records of trucking companies will be undergoing some changes in the near future and Missouri is at the forefront of the transition. Our state is helping to test the new Comprehensive Safety Analysis, or CSA, which will replace the current programs in use by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to evaluate companies and prevent Missouri tractor trailer crashes.

The evaluation process for trucking companies will be very different once the new rules take effect. Currently, a compliance review of a company examines four areas: Driver, Vehicle, Safety Management and Accidents. CSA 2010 expands the number of areas rated to seven and makes them more specifically defined. Companies will now be rated for Unsafe Driving, Fatigued Driving, Driver Fitness, Vehicle Maintenance, Improper Load Securement, Crash History and Alcohol/Drug Abuse Record. This new method should do a better job of pinpointing the exact problem areas that need to be addressed.

Another change is that drivers themselves will be directly measured and given scores independent of their company. For every violation, a weighted score will be given to both the driver and the company based on their level of responsibility and severity of the violation. These scores will stay with drivers as they move from company to company and will hopefully keep the most dangerous drivers off the road before someone is killed or injured in a truck accident they cause.

If a company or driver is given a marginal or unfit rating, they face interventions or suspensions from the FMCSA. The types of interventions will be tailored to the severity of the violation.

Hopefully these new rules will lead to more accountability in the industry. As a St. Louis personal injury lawyer, I have seen countless cases where a company or driver's negligence has lead to a tragic accident. The small percentage of companies who cause the vast majority of crashes need to be held responsible for their actions.

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.

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.

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.

A tractor trailer jack-knifed on the ramp from Interstate 435 to Highway 210, shutting down traffic in that area for some time.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the driver lost control and began to jack-knife around 3:30 a.m. The rig skidded down the ramp, struck a freeway sign and came to a rest blocking the ramp.

Fortunately, nobody was injured in this Missouri tractor trailer accident.

Jack-knife crashes can cause serious damage. A jack-knife occurs when the angle between the cab and the trailer of a large truck becomes too severe and the trailer begins pushing the cab out of control. Once a tractor trailer has entered a jack-knife position, it is impossible for the driver to regain control and the whole rig can enter a slide. Since commercial trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, they can slide for hundreds of feet and, in the worst tractor trailer crash scenario, crush smaller passenger cars along the way.

Driving while intoxicated is a major problem on our country's roadways. On almost any given day you can open the newspaper or look at daily crash reports and see at least one alcohol related accident that occurred in the area. In fact, Missouri had 364 alcohol related car accident deaths in 2008 which means the state very nearly averaged a death per day. Nationwide, there were almost 14,000 alcohol related traffic deaths that year. In a tragic bit of irony, many times these accidents will spare the drunken driver, but take the life of an innocent victim in another car.

So alcohol is a major problem in general, but what about the commercial trucking industry? Is it more or less of a problem there? Do regulations help reduce the problem of driving under the influence?

Looking at recent studies, alcohol is actually much less of an issue with commercial truck drivers. Alcohol plays a role in only 6 percent of fatal tractor trailer accidents while it is present in 32 percent of the fatal crashes among the average passenger car driver.

Less than one percent of truck drivers overall ever fail an alcohol screening regardless of whether it came after an accident or was a random test.

What seems to be a bigger problem among truck drivers is drug use, especially stimulants. 5 percent of tractor trailer drivers have failed a test for illegal drugs and 12 percent of drivers were found to have used over the counter stimulants.

The reason the numbers for alcohol use may be lower among truck drivers is that regulations require trucking companies to do an array of drug and alcohol screenings on their employees. These tests may be given pre-employment, after accidents and at random.

Still, we do occasionally see drivers breaking regulation and companies continuing to hire drivers with a history of substance abuse. Those practicing these negligent policies need to be held accountable. If you or someone you love has been involved in an accident with a tractor trailer driver that was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, contact a Missouri truck accident lawyer to make sure your rights as an accident victim are protected.

Marry Anderson, 29, was killed and five others were injured in a Missouri tractor trailer accident at a construction zone on Interstate 44.

According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, a tractor trailer driven by Boyd Shropshire, 61, came to a stop in the construction zone around 3:00 p.m. A minivan, driven by Dorlis Germain, 41, was following the big rig as it approached the construction zone. Germain was inattentive to the road ahead, according to the investigating officer, and the van slammed into the back of the tractor trailer.

All of the injuries in this fatal St. Louis area truck crash came from passengers in the minivan.

Anderson was pronounced dead at the scene. Germain and four others were all taken to St. John's Hospital in Creve Coeur for treatment.

Passenger car drivers and truck drivers need to be aware of each other at all times, but especially when approaching a work zone. Construction zones can be very dangerous and drivers must follow the posted instructions and speed limits. Despite numerous adjustments to safety regulations in work zones and many public service announcements about the problem, we still see numerous preventable accidents in these areas.

Two serious Missouri tractor trailer accidents in the same day have left one dead and another hospitalized.

In the more serious incident, Maudie Ham, 73, was driving her 1997 Saturn northbound on Interstate 55. A 1997 International tractor trailer, driven by Jerry Pitts, 44, was following behind her. Pitts attempted to overtake Ham's car on the highway at the same time Ham tried to make a turn toward the crossover. Ham's car was struck on the driver's side and was overturned in the median. The big rig ran off the right side of the roadway and came to rest on the shoulder.

Ham was pronounced dead at the scene. Pitts was uninjured.

The other tractor trailer crash, while not as serious, still sent a Missouri man to the hospital.

Scott Crosser, 23, was driving his 1997 Ford Taurus eastbound on I-44 at the time of the crash. He was passing a 1997 Kenworth tractor trailer, driven by Marc Sadler, 45, when the two vehicles clipped each other. Crosser's car came in contact with the left side of the trailer, slid out of control off the right side of the highway, and overturned.

Crosser was taken to St. John's Hospital for treatment. Sadler was uninjured.

Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and those involved in each case. Hopefully Crosser can make a full recovery.

A tractor trailer crashed into a line of cars that was backed up because of traffic on Highway 71 on Wednesday afternoon. Five vehicles where involved in this serious Missouri truck injury crash, but thankfully no one was killed.

The accident began as traffic began to back up on the highway due to a previous accident. As the line of cars formed, a 1999 Freightliner, driven by Ronald Rotert, 55, approached. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Rotert failed to slow down and the tractor trailer struck four different vehicles. Among them was a 2002 Volkswagon, driven by Victoria Cooper-Tobin, 60; and a 2009 Chevrolet, driven by Terry Wagner, 29. The truck then finally came to an uncontrolled stop in the southbound lanes.

Cooper-Tobin and Wagner were both rushed to local hospitals with serious injuries. Despite extensive damage to all the other vehicles involved, nobody else was listed as injured on the initial crash report.

Our thoughts are with the injured parties and their families. Hopefully they can make a full recovery. Their injuries notwithstanding, this tractor trailer accident could have been much worse, perhaps even fatal.

Investigators quoted in the Kansas City Star said they are trying to determine whether distracted driving was the cause in this incident. It has a lot of the signs of distracted driving accidents we've seen in the past with a line of cars stopping in an unusual place due to a previous accident and the tractor trailer failing to try to stop at all.

Whatever details the investigation turns up will not change fact that the injured parties are in for a long recovery. Many times, serious traffic accidents can cause injures that require months of treatments or therapy and astronomical medical bills. While the liability in some accidents may seem cut and dry, too often we see insurance companies try to talk their way out of paying damages and hurt individuals who did nothing wrong are stuck with the bill. Because of the complicated nature of investigating these incidents, it is strongly advised that anybody involved in a crash contact a Missouri personal injury attorney for a consultation. There, you can discuss your case, usually free of charge and with no obligations, and learn how to protect your rights as an accident victim.

Brandon Haskin, 24, was killed Monday morning when a loose tractor trailer tire crashed through his windshield.

According to local media reports, Haskin was driving a 2003 Dodge Durango eastbound on I-70 near McKelvey Road at the time of this fatal St. Louis area tractor trailer accident. At the same time in the westbound lanes of the highway, two wheels separated from a 2008 Volvo tractor-trailer, driven by Wayne Knickmeyer, 48. One of the two wheels was sent flying over the median wall and hit Haskin's SUV. Haskin's vehicle then collided with another vehicle driven by Jamie Duboise, 26.

Haskin was pronounced dead at the scene. Duboise was treated for moderate injuries and Knickmeyer was not injured.

Our thoughts are with the family of the victim and the others involved in this tragic incident.

It is important in cases like these to find the cause of the accident and hold those responsible accountable. This is the only way to try and prevent truck tire accidents like this from happening again.

According to investigators quoted in the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the truck had recently been serviced, but the lugnuts on the rear axle likely weren't tightened which allowed the wheels to break free. The question now is to find out who serviced the truck and determine how such a simple, yet important, maintenance issue could have been overlooked. Also, did Knickmeyer follow all federal safety regulations pertaining to vehicle maintenance before he took the truck back on the road?

Tractor trailer crashes can be very complicated and require the attention of an experienced professional. If you or a family member have been involved in an accident and you want to make sure your rights as an accident victim are protected, it would be wise to contact a personal injury attorney with tractor trailer crash experience. Most will offer a free consultation where you can discuss your case with no obligation to hire.

Danny Glaspie, 45, was killed in a fatal Missouri tractor trailer accident when he was hit by a truck while riding a bicycle in Kirksville.

According to local media reports and emergency officials, the accident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday morning on North Baltimore St. Glaspie was riding his bike in the northbound lane when a 2005 Freightliner truck, driven by Richard White, 44, approached from behind. The truck driver was unable to avoid hitting the bicyclist.

Glaspie was taken to Northeast Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
Our thoughts are with the victim’s family.

The accident is still under investigation with many details yet to emerge. It is not yet known what type of reflective equipment Glaspie was or was not wearing. Investigators will also examine the truck logs and physical evidence to determine the speed of the truck and if the driver was operating the vehicle according to regulations.

Tractor trailer accidents often result in serious injury and have a higher chance of causing a fatality due to the incredible force of these large vehicles. This is especially true when big rigs collide with smaller passenger cars, motorcycles or bikes that offer passengers little to no protection.

Because of these risks, we must make sure to hold trucking companies accountable when they violate regulations. Most companies and drivers drive safely, but those that don’t can give the entire industry a bad name and cause serious tragedy in the process. If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident with a commercial truck, contact a Missouri truck accident lawyer as soon as possible.

If you drive a smaller compact car, I'm sure you've had the experience of riding on the highway as a tractor trailer rumbles by and realizing you're actually able to see under the trailer. You can see dangling chains and spare tires, as well as all the axles and moving parts. You might even find yourself wondering if your car could fit totally underneath the trailer.

In the movie "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation", the main character, played by Chevy Chase, finds himself accidentally swerving underneath a trailer in the opening scenes. This incident is played for laughs on the big screen, but the reality is much scarier. Every year, these so-called underride incidents occur in numerous tractor trailer accident cases, and often they have very serious consequences.

The reason for the danger is because the bed of a trailer is often higher than the hood of a standard passenger car. The front end of a car is designed to absorb impacts, but the windshield and frame that makes up the passenger compartment is not quite as sturdy. If a car were to drive underneath a tractor trailer, the bed of the trailer has a good chance of entering the passenger compartment and causing serious head and neck injuries. As you can imagine, these injuries are often fatal.

Because of the risk of underride accidents, federal regulations were put in place requiring all trailers to have a guard bar to prevent cars from wedging under the trailer in the event of a serious truck crash. This rear impact guard is designed to hit a passenger car's front end, rather than the passenger compartment.

Occasionally, though, we see cases where these regulations are not properly followed. A tractor trailer may be missing this guard rail completely or the guard rail may be set to an improper height. The rear impact guard may also not be structurally sound due to excessive rust or damage from a previous accident. If the bar snaps off with minimal pressure, it's just as bad as having no bar at all. In fact, it might be worse as now you have another piece of heavy debris that could potentially crash through the windshield and cause injury.

Investigating these details after a crash is important. It holds negligent trucking companies accountable and helps prevent these incidents in the future. If you have been involved in a wreck with a large commercial truck, consult a Missouri tractor trailer accident attorney as soon as possible to make sure your crash receives a thorough investigation.

Two drivers are fortunate to be alive after a major Missouri tractor trailer crash Wednesday morning on Highway 36. Not only did the two drivers, Charles Donahue, 68, and Dewayne Achenbach, 51, survive, they were mostly uninjured.

According to local media reports, both trucks were traveling eastbound on Highway 36 at the time of the wreck. Donahue was driving a 2000 Kenworth and Achenbach was driving a 2011 Freightliner. As the two vehicles approached an intersection, Donahue attempted to make a turn from the outside lane. Achenbach was unable to avoid slamming into Donahue's truck and both vehicles ended up in the median.

Nearly immediately after the crash, both tractor trailers caught fire. Officials believe some type of explosion occurred, which spread the fire very quickly and completely destroyed both vehicles.

Despite the viciousness of the accident and the fact that both rigs were totally destroyed, neither driver was injured in this Missouri tractor trailer accident. Both Donahue and Achenbach were able to get out of their cabins before the fire overcame them.

Thankfully, nobody was hurt in this incident and no other smaller cars were caught up in this wreck. Many times in situations like these, the people involved aren't as lucky. Motor carrier regulations and better safety technology have limited injury accidents over the years, but these measures only work when they are actually used. Too often we see companies break regulations or vehicles without the proper safety equipment. Anybody involved in a tractor trailer accident caused by this kind of negligence should contact a personal injury attorney with tractor trailer crash experience.

One of the more common types of tractor trailer crashes is the jackknife crash. The jackknife is usually caused when the driver applies the brakes and the cab slows down, but the trailer's momentum continues to push it forward. In this situation, the cab and the trailer get offset to an extreme angle and the driver loses control of the whole rig.

While usually caused by braking, a jackknife can occur nearly anytime a driver turns the wheel as well. Changing lanes on the highway or making a turn at any intersection can cause a cause a jackknife if attempted by a poorly trained driver.

This is where federal regulations are useful to help prevent these incidents. By required special licenses, regulations try to promote driver expertise and keep negligent drivers off the road. Weight restrictions on shipments, speed limits and general maintenance requirements are all regulations designed to prevent serious tractor trailer crashes, including jackknifes.

Unfortunately, we still see companies failing to do the proper inspections or overloading trucks to a dangerous degree. When this negligent behavior causes an accident, those responsible must be held accountable. If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident with a tractor trailer, contact a Missouri tractor trailer accident attorney as soon as possible to make sure your rights as an accident victim are protected.

We've often discussed federal regulations of tractor trailers on the blog, but one area that doesn't get talked about often is insurance limits. Like load weights and driving hours, the liability insurance minimums are strictly regulated by the federal government to ensure injured parties are taken care of should a tractor trailer injury accident occur.

Every commercial trucking company that runs shipments across state lines must maintain a minimum level of liability insurance. This level varies depending the weight and nature of the load being hauled, but $750,000 liability minimums are the standard on most 18-wheelers that you see on the road. This minimum goes up if the shipment is hazardous or explosive materials, since they pose more of a threat to other drivers.

Any driver or company who operates a truck without this minimum level of coverage is subject to severe financial penalties. They could be charged with up to $11,000 in fines per day.

Unfortunately, some drivers violate this regulation and don't carry the required amount of liability insurance. In other cases, catastrophic injuries with lifetime effects may end up costing the injured party more than $750,000 in medical costs and lost wages. In these cases, it is a good idea to consult a personal injury lawyer with tractor trailer crash experience. He or she will be able to examine your case and make sure your rights as an accident victim are upheld.

Two people were taken to the hospital Tuesday morning after a Missouri tractor trailer crash on Missouri 291 in which a big rig actually tipped over, hitting other vehicles in the process.

According to local media reports, the tractor trailer was southbound on Missouri 291 just before the accident. The truck driver attempted to make a right turn onto Frontage Road, but took the turn too fast. The tractor trailer tipped over and hit three other cars that were waiting at the light.

The tractor trailer driver and the driver of one of the cars waiting at the light were both taken to a local hospital for treatment.

An investigation into this tractor trailer injury accident is ongoing and charges could be filed.

While more details need to emerge about this incident, it appears that the truck driver was simply driving too fast and lost control of his vehicle. We often see accidents in the trucking industry due to drivers trying to rush their deliveries. Whether it be drivers who break the speed limit or drivers who violate the hours of service rules to get to their destination quicker, dangerous situations arise when tractor trailer drivers put speed over safety.

A Missouri tractor trailer crash sent one person to the hospital Tuesday morning in Newton County.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident occurred on Highway 43 about two miles south of Joplin. Sarinda Dudley, 36, was driving a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu southbound and began to slow to make a right turn. As Dudley slowed her car, a 2007 International tractor trailer, driven by Roger Decker, 45, slammed into the back of her car. The Malibu was totaled.

Thankfully, there were no life-threatening injuries. Decker was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries. While Dudley's car was totaled, surprisingly, she escaped significant injury.

The initial report on this Missouri truck accident doesn't say why Decker was unable to avoid hitting Dudley's car. Often times in cases like these, the truck driver doesn't see the car in front of him until it's too late, or the car driver can hit the brakes hard and not give the 80,000 pound tractor trailer a chance to stop. Truck drivers must always be aware of other cars on the road and should leave themselves plenty of room between the car ahead and the front of the truck.

After a tractor trailer wreck, there is supposed to be an investigation into the driver's logs and an inspection of the truck to determine if any motor carrier regulations were violated.

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.

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.

Two fatal tractor trailer accidents in the past week have become tragic reminders that drivers must use caution when driving near tractor trailers.

The first accident occurred on Monday when Missouri Southern State University student Tyler Tuthill, 22, was killed while driving in Oklahoma. He was behind a tractor trailer as it was approaching a construction zone. The truck slowed down, but Tuthill didn't and crashed into the back of the trailer.

We have previously commented on the number of accidents involving both tractor trailers and construction zones.

The second accident happened in Springfield, Missouri and took the life of an 42-year-old Amish farmer, Edward Kropf. Kropf was riding in a pickup truck with his brother when the pickup ran a red light. The pickup pulled directly in front of a tractor-trailer, which crashed into the side of the pickup, killing Kropf.

Tractor trailer crashes are usually more severe due to the extreme forces involved due to their size. Drivers have to be especially cautious when they know a big rig is present. In fact, most tractor trailer crashes are caused by other vehicles hitting or pulling into the path of a tractor trailer.

There are other times when the accident is caused by a negligent truck driver or trucking company who violates a Federal motor carrier regulation. In these cases, it is important to contact an experienced truck accident lawyer as soon as possible so that no evidence is lost.

Three tractor-trailers were involved in a Missouri truck accident on I-29 near St. Joseph.

According to local media reports, there were multiple collisions in this incident. The first tractor-trailer struck a car in front of it in the snowy weather causing other vehicles behind to make evasive maneuvers to avoid further collisions. Mac Grant, the driver of the second tractor-trailer, tried to stop to avoid the first accident, but in doing so a third big rig crashed into his truck. The impact of the second crash sent both trucks into the median.

Fortunately, despite the weather and multiple collisions, nobody was seriously injured in this Missouri tractor-trailer accident.

Missouri is approaching the end of winter, but the temperature is still cold enough to make patches of ice on the roadway. Use extra caution when driving in winter weather and make sure that you leave plenty of space between you and other cars and trucks on the road.

Even if you follow every safety tip in the book, other drivers may involve you in an accident with their negligent driving. If this should happen to you or a member of your family, consult a Missouri personal injury attorney as soon as possible to learn your rights as an accident victim and make sure you receive fair compensation.

Edward Montgomery, 57, was seriously injured Wednesday after a serious tractor trailer injury accident on Highway 63.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Montgomery was driving a 1991 Mercury cab on Highway 63 around 3:20 p.m. when the crash occurred. A 2007 International tractor trailer was ahead of Montgomery and had slowed to make a right turn. Montgomery rear-ended the trailer and both vehicles came to a stop on the highway.

Montgomery was airlifted to University Hospital in Columbia for emergency treatment. The tractor trailer driver, Ronald Osterholt, 52, was not injured.

Fortunately, Montgomery was wearing a seat belt or this Missouri tractor trailer accident could have been much worse.

Vernon Stokes, 69, was seriously injured Friday morning after his pickup was hit by a tractor trailer on Highway 60.

According to the initial crash report on file with Missouri State Highway Patrol, the tractor trailer was a 2001 Freightliner being driven by John Hammond, 49. Stokes and Hammond simultaneously approached an intersection on Highway 60. Stokes failed to yield to oncoming traffic when making his turn and pulled in the path of the big rig. Hammond's tractor trailer slammed into the driver's side of Stokes' pickup.

Stokes was seriously injured and rushed to Cox South Hospital. Hammond was uninjured, riding in the larger truck.

This Missouri tractor trailer accident should serve as another warning to be vigilant on the roadways for large trucks. In an accident, they can cause devastating injuries. Hopefully Stokes can make a full recovery.

Driver error, like in most accidents, seems to be the main contributing factor here. Driver's should give tractor trailers extra clearance on the highways due to their large size and limited mobility. Sometimes, the driver making the error is the tractor trailer driver. Since the vehicles they drive can cause so much damage, truck drivers have to receive special training and are subject to stricter regulation than the average driver. Whenever these regulations are violated, the chances for accidents increases. If you've been involved in an accident with a tractor trailer, it is advisable to have your case examined by a tractor trailer accident attorney who is knowledgeable about Federal Motor Carrier Regulations.

Traffic on Interstate 29 near Dearborn, Missouri had to deal with the highway being limited to one lane after a Tuesday morning tractor trailer crash spilled debris on the roadway.

According to local media reports, two tractor trailers were involved. One was carrying soda and the other was hauling milk. Details of how this Missouri truck accident occurred are sketchy at the moment, but the soda truck did lose its cargo onto the road while the milk truck went off the road and down a 40 foot embankment. At the moment, it is not known if other vehicles were involved or if it was just the two commercial trucks.

At least one person was injured, but names have not been released.

With the limited details available, it's hard to deduce what caused the accident. Weather might have played a factor as well as darkness since the accident was more than an hour before sunrise. Investigators will look into these and other possible factors as well as determine if any motor carrier regulations were violated.

If more details emerge, we will add them here.

Last month, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood banned all truck drivers from texting while behind the wheel. While this is a step toward preventing serious semi-tractor trailer crashes, texting is not the only distraction for truckers.

Just like other drivers on the road, commercial truck drivers have a plethora of seemingly innocuous distractions that could tempt their attention away from the road. In addition to phones, there are other small personal data devices that drivers could be tinkering with. Navigation systems, which are handy if driving an unfamiliar route, still need to be programmed by hand and can still lure a driver’s eyes away from the task of driving. Aside from the gadgets, drivers could also be taking their hands off the wheel for a bite to eat or even to comb their hair in the rearview mirror. Anything that requires a driver’s attention, even for a couple seconds, can be a recipe for disaster when mixed with a truck weighing 80,000 pounds.

Laptops in the cabin are becoming more popular as well. Trucking companies defend their use because drivers can use them to track their route and communicate more efficiently. While this may be true, negligent use can lead to fatal truck accidents. Recently, a woman in Ohio was killed when a truck driver, who was distracted by his laptop, hit her. While this accident would have been tragic no matter what the trucker was doing with his laptop, the incident was made even more shocking when it was later revealed the truck driver was watching pornography at the time of the crash.

Not all truck drivers are so grossly negligent. It is, in fact, a small percentage of people who would risk other people’s lives because of some silly distraction. It is a danger to be aware of, however, and all drivers should be vigilant on the roads.

If you have been involved in an accident with a tractor trailer and would like professional legal counsel, contact a truck accident lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your case. Accident cases like these are very time sensitive and any delay could result in important evidence being lost.

Holly McIntyre, 39, was killed earlier Thursday morning when she was involved in a serious dump truck crash.

According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the accident occurred on Gravois Road at I-270. McIntyre was exiting the highway onto Gravois when the truck hit her car. The truck, which was owned by Missouri American Water and hauling gravel, then overturned, seriously injuring the driver.

McIntyre failed to yield to the truck as she exited the highway just before the fatal truck accident, according to the Post Dispatch report.

McIntyre died at St. Anthony's Medical Center. The truck driver, whose name has not been released, was also rushed to a local hospital for emergency treatment.

Since there was a fatality, an accident reconstruction will follow to definitively describe the series of events that led to this tragic incident.

A St. Louis area tractor trailer crash seriously injured the driver and closed down the eastbound lanes of I-64 on Monday.

The accident occurred when a 2001 Freightliner, driven by Ladon Trigg, 35, slid off the roadway out of control. According to a St. Louis Post Dispatch report, police say Trigg was driving too fast into the curve, which caused him to run off the road and strike the guardrail. The tractor trailer then overturned and one of the fuel tanks exploded sending up large columns of black smoke.

It took more than an hour for emergency responders to pull Trigg from the truck. He was seriously injured and taken to St. Louis University Hospital for treatment.

Clean-up of this St. Louis trucking accident took hours as diesel fuel and hydraulic material was spilled in the crash.

Charges may be pending for the driver, according to the Post Dispatch.

Thankfully no other vehicles were involved or this accident could have been much worse. Hopefully Trigg makes a full recovery. All signs point to Trigg having been operating his vehicle in a negligent manner by speeding through the curve. Investigators will also check to see if any other motor carrier regulations were violated.

While no smaller cars were involved in this crash, many times this is not the case. If you or someone you love has been involved in a crash with a tractor trailer, contact an experienced truck accident attorney as soon as possible to discuss your rights as an accident victim.

Gary Whitledge, 66, was seriously injured after a collision with a tractor trailer Sunday afternoon on Highway 61.

Whitledge was driving his 2002 Ford northbound just before the crash. He approached the intersection of Highway 61 and Missouri 177 at the same time as a 2000 Peterbilt tractor trailer, driven by Phillip Ray, 31. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Ray pulled the tractor trailer into the path of Whitledge, who was unable to avoid the crash.

Whitledge was seriously injured and taken to St. Francis Medical Center for emergency treatment. Ray was uninjured and was able to drive his big rig from the scene.

While the initial crash report states that Ray pulled in front of Whitledge, it does not describe the details leading up to this Missouri tractor trailer injury accident. If the intersection was controlled, who had the right of way? How fast were the vehicles going? Did Ray make a negligent maneuver in pulling out in front of Whitledge? All these questions will need to be answered by further investigation.

Investigations into tractor trailer crashes can last a long time, depending on the severity of the crash. The driving logs of the truck driver are usually investigated to see if any motor carrier violations occurred. An accident reconstruction is also sometimes performed to try and determine liability. During this period, insurance companies will often try and contact those involved for statements. It is advisable to crash victims to consult a Missouri personal injury attorney to learn your rights before talking to insurance representatives. Many times they will be looking for ways to lower their damage payment or even eliminate it entirely.

Three people were injured Sunday when a tractor trailer collided with a car on Highway 36 in Macon County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The initial crash report filed for this Missouri tractor trailer injury crash says the accident took place two miles east of the city of Macon as a 1994 Buick, driven by Joseph P. Joseph, 52, headed westbound on the highway. A 2006 International tractor trailer, driven by Adam Neisen, 28, was also traveling westbound behind the Buick. Joseph then attempted to make a left turn at the same time that Neisen attempted to pass Joseph's vehicle. The big rig then crashed into the Buick, totaling the smaller passenger car.

Joseph and two passengers in his car, Binu Joseph, 46, and Loren Joseph, 14, were all injured and taken to Samaritan Memorial Hospital for emergency treatment. Neisen was not injured, according to the initial crash report.

All the passengers in the Buick were wearing a seat belt. No citations were described in the report on this commercial truck crash.

While the report gives some details on how the accident occurred, it does not lay out enough information to determine who was at fault for the crash. Further investigation will be needed to determine whether Joseph make a quick and negligent turn, or if the Neisen caused the accident by attempting to pass after Joseph had initiated the turn.

An investigation into this accident will also reveal whether any motor carrier regulations were violated by the tractor trailer driver or the company he works for. If you have been involved in an accident with a tractor trailer and you would like to learn your rights as an accident victim, contact a Missouri truck accident lawyer as soon as possible.

In our last post we talked a little about the dangers of ice falling from trucks and causing serious personal injury and property damage. While the danger of ice falling from a tractor trailer is a concern limited to colder weather, drivers have to be on the lookout for lost cargo all year long.

You've probably seen a piece of debris on the highway before. Maybe it was a mattress blocking lanes during the morning rush or a tire propped up against the median. It could have fallen from the back of a pickup or an open bed tractor trailer, but wherever it came from, these items can be very dangerous. Large items like construction equipment can crush smaller cars and even tiny pieces of debris can pop a tire and make a car spin out of control.

To prevent fatal car accidents caused by debris falling from tractor trailers, the FMCSA has made a detailed a set of rules for truck drivers on how to properly secure cargo. These rules are very elaborate and specific to certain items. There are guidelines for securing logs, concrete pipe, cars and many more.

If these rules are not followed, there is a chance that the cargo could come loose and fall into the roadway damaging other vehicles and injuring their occupants. In certain situations it can even be difficult to find the person responsible for losing the debris as a tractor trailer driver might not even realize he's lost cargo until miles down the road.

While it may take some investigation to find a vehicle that left debris in the roadway, it is necessary to hold that driver responsible. If you have been involved in a tractor trailer accident, contact a Missouri personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your rights.

One danger that may not be readily apparent to you as you drive on the highway this winter is the risk of large sheets of ice falling off of tractor trailers. Every year, there are numerous incidents where a driver suffers a serious personal injury or is involved in a car accident after losing control of the vehicle when a chunk of ice smashes through the windshield.

If you've driven on the highway long, you've probably had to deal with minor debris hitting your car from large trucks. The large tires of tractor trailers are good at kicking up small rocks and dump trucks have a tendency to lose small bits of what they're hauling as they hit bumps in the road. Usually this only causes minor scratches or cracks in passenger cars (not to mention the headache of patching these minor damages).

In the winter time, though, the tops of tractor trailers can accumulate large blocks of ice that are liable to break free at any moment. The large flat surface of a trailer roof catches lots of snow and water which can shift easily as the truck moves.

The Chicago Daily Herald has recently reported on a handful of accidents in which thousands of dollars in damage and moderate personal injuries have been caused by falling sheets of ice. New York is considering changing its laws about clearing ice from trucks after a woman there was killed when a piece of ice smashed through a windshield after falling off a tractor trailer.

Unfortunately, it is hard to track the number of these types of incidents each year. Sometimes they go unreported and even in severe cases, the truck that loses the ice is often never found. Perhaps if we had a better understanding of just how big a problem this is, we might see more aggressive regulation to reign in these types of accidents.

If you have been involved in an accident where ice or some type of falling debris has damaged your car and caused injury, contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your case as soon as possible. Be sure to document any information you have about the incident and vehicles involved.

It should go without saying that drivers need to be extra cautious when traveling on ice or snow covered roadways, but every year around this time hundreds of accidents occur because someone was driving recklessly. Drivers should be aware of how the slick conditions affect their ability to brake and turn as well as the effect these conditions have on other vehicles like tractor trailers. We have already seen some terrible Missouri car and truck accidents this winter like a recent crash where a man rear-ended a tractor trailer and several wrecks where vehicles have slid off the roadway.

Tractor trailers, which are already had to stop because of their weight, can slide out of control and become an 80,000 pound wrecking ball in the hands of an inexperienced driver. Be aware of every truck on the road and don't make any risky maneuvers such as following too closely for the driver's mirrors to see you or racing to get ahead of a truck on an entrance ramp. These maneuvers already cause many Missouri tractor trailer injury accidents in good weather conditions and are only made worse with winter weather.

Here are some other tips to keep in mind when driving in the snow:

-Slow down. While you can still slide out of control at surprisingly slow speeds, going slower does give you more time to correct yourself should you find yourself skidding out of control.

-Be prepared before you get in the car and be prepared for anything when you are behind the wheel. Before you start driving, make sure your windows and mirrors are cleared so you can see while driving. In extreme conditions, you may also want to equip your car with snow tires or chains to help gain traction. Once you are on the road, be prepared for any vehicle to lose control and start sliding. Make sure you leave plenty of space between your car and other vehicles.

-Brake before turns. Slow your vehicle by braking before you have to make a turn, then accelerate through the turn. This gives you far more control and reduces your risk of spinning out than if you accelerate all the way up to the turn and then attempt to brake as you make the turn.

There are many other tip available online and I would recommend preparing yourself before you drive, especially if you are not used to winter driving. While winter conditions certainly play a role in crashes, they are not necessarily a legal defense should a crash occur. If you have been injured in a crash and would like to discuss your rights as an accident victim, please contact an experienced Missouri personal injury attorney as soon as possible.

Wayne Priebe, 66, was seriously injured in a Missouri truck accident after his pickup collided with a dump truck Monday morning on Route B in Lewis County.

Priebe was traveling southbound on Route B when the accident occurred, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. A 2005 Western Star Diesel dump truck, driven by Daniel Fahser, 43, was backing up on 160th Street right off of Route B. As he did so, the dump bed of the truck entered Route B and Priebe was unable to avoid a collision.

Priebe was seriously injured and airlifted to Blessing Hospital for treatment. Fahser was uninjured according to the initial crash report.

The big question surrounding this case is whether the dump truck made a unsafe maneuver in backing up or if Priebe was being inattentive. If the truck driver didn't have the appropriate reflectors on his dump truck or began backing up in a negligent manner, he will likely be held responsible for the crash. Accident reconstuctionists and investigators can examine the crash scene and determine the speed of the vehicles and whether any violations occurred that may have contributed to the accident.

If violations are discovered, a Missouri truck accident lawyer may be able to recover damages for the injured party. An experienced attorney will be able to used the evidence given by the investigators to reveal all violations and recover the maximum award to compensate a victim for their medical bills and other expenses.

The enormous size and weight of tractor trailers makes them very imposing vehicles to drive alongside on the highway. These same factors also make the truck driver's job more complicated as he has to account for the size of his truck in every maneuver he makes in order to avoid a tractor trailer wreck.

A tractor trailer's average length is between 70 and 80 feet long. As you can imagine, this makes every turn a challenge. Tractor trailers don't have nearly the same turning radius as a passenger car and drivers must calculate whether the road they are on is wide enough to make a safe turn. It takes an experienced driver to make these turns safely, but accidents do still happen. That is why you see labels on the back of trailers warning about wide turns. Many tractor trailer accidents have occurred as a result of a passenger car moving too close to a tractor trailer as it was trying to make a turn.

The weight of a tractor trailer also contributes to injury accidents as heavier trucks are harder to stop and cause more damage when an accident occurs. The legal limit for a truck's weight is 80,000 lbs. The average car only weighs about 5,000 lbs. To help control this extra weight, tractor trailers have been fitted with numerous powerful braking systems, but it still takes 40% longer to stop a tractor trailer as it does a passenger car traveling at the same speed.

If the driver doesn't know how to turn properly or is forced to brake hard, he may also force his tractor trailer into a jackknife. If the cab turns at a 45 degree angle in relation to the trailer then a jackknife is almost unavoidable as the weight of the trailer will push forward and lock the two halves in a folded position similar to an open pocket knife, hence the term jackknife.

With all these complicating factors, it takes an experienced driver and a trucking company devoted to safety to avoid potentially fatal 18 wheeler crashes. Unfortunately, not all companies follow federal guidelines and some operate their vehicles with dangerous negligence. These companies must be held accountable to make the roads safer for everyone. If you or a loved one has been involved in a tractor trailer accident, call a Missouri truck accident lawyer to learn your rights and have him look over your case.

A Missouri tractor trailer jackknifed and slid off southbound Interstate 29 into the median on Monday afternoon. The truck’s progress was stopped by the cable median before it could cross into oncoming traffic and become a more serious tractor trailer accident.

While there was some damage to the median and traffic was backed up for hours, no serious injuries were reported.

Fortunately this particular Missouri big rig accident was not serious, but that does not mean jackknife incidents aren’t capable of causing major damage. Anybody who regularly drives on highways with large amounts of tractor trailer traffic should be cautious and aware of the dangers at all times.

Jackknifes are caused when the load of a trailer pushes the cabin sideways and folds it backwards. Once in this position, the vehicle becomes impossible to control and it can slide unpredictably into other cars. Anytime a truck driver makes a turn or brakes, there is a potential for a jackknife.

A number of technological innovations have become standard to help limit the number of jackknife incidents. Anti-lock brakes help the driver maintain control when stopping suddenly and special rigging between the cabin and the trailer can help prevent the trailer from jackknifing. Computer assisted braking systems are also becoming common to further assist the driver.

Despite all the advances in technology, the best way to prevent truck accidents is to have skilled and responsible drivers. While most have a great driving record, there are a few negligent drivers and companies that violate regulations and put people in danger. If you have been involved in a tractor trailer accident, it is a good idea to have it investigated by an experienced Missouri tractor trailer crash lawyer.

Perhaps the two obstacles on the roadway most likely to elicit a groan from drivers are construction zones and tractor trailers. While both are necessary to maintain our roads and commerce, they can both lead to delays in an already hectic rush hour commute. Aside from just causing traffic backups, though, they are both involved in a large number of serious Missouri injury accidents, especially when you mix the large trucks with the confusion of a construction zone.

Residents of Kansas City have been given a couple recent examples of the dangers when tractor trailers and construction zones meet. A few weeks ago, a truck hauling dangerous hydrochloric acid crashed spilling the liquid all over the highway. The incident was followed a couple weeks later by another tractor trailer, this one hauling soybean meal, that crashed on the exact same stretch of highway.

Over on the east side of the state, we’ve seen our fair share of St. Louis tractor trailer accidents in or near construction zones. Last year, for a tragic example, multiple cars waiting in the backup from the Highway 40 construction detour were crushed by a tractor trailer whose driver had briefly taken his eyes off the road to grab his cell phone.

The confusion and stress that comes from navigating construction zones and detours makes for a dangerous situation that must be navigated carefully by all drivers. If everyone observes the posted speed limits and maintains awareness of workers and equipment, accidents can easily be reduced.

Unfortunately, inattentive drivers of both cars and tractor trailers often don’t see an upcoming construction zone or traffic backup and that’s when accidents occur. If you or a family member have been involved in one of these accidents, consult a Missouri personal injury lawyer to discuss your next steps and learn your rights as an accident victim.

We often discuss the causes of Missouri tractor trailer accidents on this blog and one of the major problems continues to be truck driver fatigue. Whether it comes from lack of sleep or just a driver exerting himself further than his body can handle, fatigue can have deadly consequences when mixed with 80,000 pounds of freight.

According to the NTSB, one in three tractor trailer accidents are caused by driver fatigue. This includes both fatal and non-fatal accidents. If these estimates are true, that means there are over 160,000 truck accidents that could have been prevented had the driver not been fatigued.

Even more startling is the number of truck drivers that admit to actually falling asleep at the wheel. Some studies claim this number is as high as one in five drivers having fallen asleep at the wheel at least once in their driving careers.

A driver doesn't actually have to fall asleep to put himself and others in danger. Being heavily fatigued limits your reaction time and attention span as well as making it harder to stay in a lane. Perhaps you may have even felt this yourself in your own car when driving late at night. While driving in this condition is not safe in any vehicle, the large size and limited mobility of commercial shipping trucks requires that your mind be totally focused to avoid any problems.

You are also more susceptible to a condition commonly called "road hypnosis" when you are fatigued. Drivers on long road trips often report that they simply don't remember long stretches of the drive because they were in a type of psychological autopilot. Your conscious mind can separate from simple sub conscious tasks using an ability psychologists call automaticity. A driver's automatic responses may be able to keep a car on the roadway for short stretches, but if something unexpected happens, like a sudden traffic backup, the conscious mind may not be able to take over and stop the vehicle in time.

Federal regulations are in place that limit the number of consecutive hours a driver can be behind the wheel, and these restrictions may be expanded further if regulators feel it would be in the interest of public safety. Developing these rules can be tricky, though, because if you limit driver's hours too much, companies argue they will be forced to hire more inexperienced drivers which may also increase accidents.

If you have been involved in an accident with a tractor trailer and suspect the driver was driving while dangerously fatigued, contact a Missouri truck accident lawyer. An experienced attorney will be able investigate the driver's log books and company shipping records to determine if the driver violated any regulations and if these regulations contributed to the accident.

The map to the right provides a good visual representation of the amount of tractor trailer traffic on Missouri’s highways every year and why we need to work very hard to prevent Missouri truck crashes.

The U.S. Department of Transportation provided the map and the data behind it showing the amount of shipping traffic across the country. As you can see, Missouri is a central hub with hundreds of millions of tons passing through the state’s highway, rail and waterway systems.

Looking at just the tractor trailer shipping traffic, you can see why there are so many large truck accidents in the state every year. The two major highways criss-crossing the state, I-70 and I-44, bear the load of more than 200 millions tons of freight by themselves. Perhaps this is one reason why those two highways were recently listed as the two most dangerous in Missouri.

Shipping goods by truck is an important part of our economy and can be handled in a safe way, as evidenced by the thousands of truck drivers who operate their vehicles without incident every day. The shear size of the trucks can quickly lead to tragedy, though, when operated by those few negligent drivers and trucking companies.

The best way to control these negligent practices is with careful federal regulation, constant supervision by state authorities and proper utilization of the civil justice system when an accident occurs. Anybody involved in a Missouri tractor trailer crash should contact a Missouri truck accident attorney as soon as possible to investigate the incident.

Truck driver Johnathon Willmon, 33, is dead after a Missouri tractor trailer crash near Plattsburg, Missouri.

Willmon was driving his 2002 International truck eastbound on Missouri 116 when the crash occurred, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. A second big rig, driven by Douglas Tomlin, 45, was heading westbound on Missouri 116 and began to slide out of control. Highway Patrol troopers said Tomlin began to slide due to snowy road conditions. Tomlin's truck crossed over into the eastbound lanes where it hit a rail on the Little Platte River bridge and jackknifed in the path of Willmon's truck. Willmon was unable to avoid crashing into the trailer attached to Tomlin's truck.

Willmon was pronounced dead at the scene. Tomlin suffered minor injures, but refused treatment at the crash site.

Often when you hear about a fatal tractor trailer crash, it is between a big rig and a smaller passenger car. This incident shows that the power of these large vehicles can cause tragedy or serious injury even for the truck drivers themselves.

Since there was a fatality, this accident will see much more investigation and an accident reconstruction from state authorities. The trip logs of both drivers will be investigated to see if any motor carrier regulations were violated.

Photo by KMBC-TV

A truck carrying thousands of pounds of Pepsi soda overturned on I-435 early Monday morning sending two people to the hospital and scattering soda bottles all over the highway.

According to authorities cited in local media reports, this Missouri truck injury crash was likely caused by slick road conditions. The Pepsi truck was unable to stop and slid into two other cars before slamming into the guardrail and flipping.

Both the driver of the truck and one of the other car's drivers were taken to the hospital for treatment.

The driver of the truck was trapped for nearly 40 minutes before being freed by rescue crews. The rest of the accident took hours to clean.

While slick road conditions can be a factor in Missouri car and truck crashes, the responsibility for safe driving still lies with drivers. If you cause an accident, even if it was because you car skid on an icy roadway, you will be liable for damages caused by the wreck.

Early indications are the Pepsi truck slid on the roadway in the Missouri crash, but these are just scattered early reports. More investigation is needed by local authorities, accident professionals, and perhaps a Missouri truck accident lawyer before liability can be determined.

Ricky Hotop, 48, was hospitalized with serious injuries after crashing his pickup into a tractor trailer in Perry County, Missouri.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, this Missouri tractor trailer crash occurred on County Road 606 near Route K. The tractor trailer was stopped in the westbound lane of the roadway at around 5:20 p.m. Hotop, who was also traveling westbound, apparently didn’t see the tractor trailer and crashed into the back of it, totaling his pickup.

Hotop was taken to Perry County Memorial Hospital for emergency treatment. The tractor trailer driver was uninjured.

In many cases of a rear end collision, a driver is usually distracted and not focused on the road ahead of him. Occasionally, there are circumstances where the driver in the rear is not totally at fault. If a car or tractor trailer is stopped over the crest of a hill, for instance, this creates a very dangerous situation where other drivers may not have the opportunity to stop their vehicles in time. Large tractor trailers should also put out road markers and keep lights on after dusk in order to warn other drivers and prevent serious tractor trailer accidents.

The initial crash report and local media have not released information as to what might have caused this particular crash in Perry County. Further investigation is needed to determine whether Hotop was simply being inattentive, whether the tractor trailer was placed in a dangerous position, or both.

Examining the statistics showing just how many people die or suffer injury in truck accidents in Missouri and around the country each year can lead one to a pretty bleak outlook on the situation. Several thousand people die every year and tens of thousands more sustain injuries that may affect them the rest of their lives.

There are steps that both the trucking companies and the average driver can take to reduce the number of fatal tractor trailer accidents in Missouri.

Time and time again, it is shown that the number one cause of accidents is driver error. Taking the time to re-educate yourself on proper driving techniques can help you break some bad habits. When driving near trucks, for instance, a passenger car should not get too close behind or in front of a truck which could jackknife easily if forced into an evasive maneuver. You should also not attempt to “race” a big rig at an exit ramp just to make sure you are ahead of it on the highway.

Some trucking companies are being very proactive and taking a high-tech approach to limiting accidents by installing driver assistance programs, like the VORAD system. These technologies can alert the driver if a dangerous situation is present and, in some cases, take control of truck’s brake system to avert a crash.

Not all companies go the extra mile, unfortunately, and some have been found to be consistently negligent in how they operate their vehicles. Because of this, the industry will continue to need to examine their regulations and hold companies that violate them accountable.

If you have been involved in a tractor trailer accident and would like an expert to examine the case to determine if regulations were violated, contact a St. Louis area truck accident lawyer.

A tractor trailer hauling more than 4,000 pounds of hydrochloric acid crashed on I-35 in Kansas City on Monday, sending the corrosive liquid spraying out onto the roadway.

The Missouri tractor trailer crash and chemical spill happened just before the morning rush and hospitalized 11 people, according to the Kansas City Star.

According to police cited in local media reports, the truck was traveling through a narrow construction zone and likely moving too fast for the road conditions. A full investigation is ongoing to confirm these suspicions.

The hydrochloric acid being carried was 50 percent concentrated, which is a very powerful mixture according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Concentrations at 10 percent or even lower are to be handled with care. Higher concentrations increase the corrosive ability of the chemical.

If the acid comes into contact with human tissue, it will cause burning and severe damage, especially to the eyes, throat, and other soft tissue. If inhaled, the acid can irritate the throat and lungs, possibly creating ulcers. It has also been shown to cause pulmonary edema, which is a dangerous buildup of fluid in the lungs.

Because of these risks, after the tractor trailer crash, people in the area were advised to remain indoors. The Isle of Capri Casino, which is located near the crash site, shut down its ventilation system to prevent any dangerous fumes from entering the building.

Most of the people that sought treatment at the hospital had been exposed to the chemical and complained of irritation of the eyes or throat. At this time, there are no reports of serious injury or permanent damage due to exposure to the acid.

Road crews also repaired damage to the roadway where the acid had eaten away at the asphalt.

In a report published by NPR using NHTSA data, rural roads are shown to have the highest number of fatal car and truck crashes despite the fact that less people live in rural areas.

In 2008, 56 percent of fatal crashes happened on rural roads despite only 23 percent of the country's population living in rural areas. The report goes on to say that the numbers vary by state and in some areas over 90 percent of highway fatalities are on rural roads.

Urban areas have more people and their residents also drive more, but despite all these factors that should contribute to urban accidents, urban drivers are half as likely to die in a car or truck crash here in Missouri or around the country.

Some reasons for this discrepancy are obvious, while others may not immediately come to mind. Drivers are usually traveling faster on rural roads. Rural roads are also narrower and may lack some modern safety improvements that have been installed on major interstates that run through cities. Tractor trailer crashes are more more deadly as large trucks are forced to share these smaller roads with passenger cars. Rural drivers are also more likely to drive without wearing a seat belt and are more likely to be involved in a drunk driving crash.

Still, despite all these factors, driver error is the cause of most accidents. There's just less room for error on these more dangerous roads. Car and truck drivers that drive negligently must be held responsible if they cause an accident no matter where the crash occurs.

If you or someone in your family is involved in a crash caused by another driver, contact a Missouri car and truck accident lawyer to discuss your rights as an accident victim. You should also consult an attorney if you feel the accident was the result of a dangerous road condition that should have been addressed by transportation officials.

A $1.3 million dollar ruling against the Missouri Department of Transportation was just handed down by a arbitration panel that decided the department could have done more to prevent a Missouri tractor trailer accident in 2005.

The accident in question was a December 6, 2005 crash that killed Jemma Dant, 28. Her car was stopped on I-44 when a semitrailer crashed into the back of her car and sent it into another truck. Her car was in a line of traffic which was backed up unusually far from the Vandeventer exit.

The arbitration panel said that MoDOT could have warned drivers about the backup, which extended past the Vandeventer exit lane and into the right lane of westbound I-44.

A St. Louis Post Dispatch report on the case said since the accident, the exit ramp was restriped and electronic warning signs were added that can update drivers about traffic conditions. Neither of these precautions were in place at the time of the accident.

Dant's family had already been paid damages by the trucking company involved in the crash.

This accident was tragic, but the changes that have taken place since the accident may help prevent a similar Missouri truck accident in the future. By hiring a St. Louis area personal injury attorney after an accident, you can possibly recover damages to help you financially through a difficult time and also draw attention to dangerous conditions that can be remedied to prevent future tragedy.

The regulations governing the trucking industry are under constant debate in the industry. In an effort to reduce tractor trailer crash deaths and injuries here in Missouri and across the country, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration makes these regulations, which are often fought by the trucking industry.

A few of these regulations in particular could see some changes in the coming months and years. The first is the weight limit for trucks on federal highways. Currently, the maximum allowable weight for a truck is 80,000 pounds, but advocates for the trucking industry want to push that number as high as 97,000 pounds. They argue that by increasing the weight limit, they can lower the number of trucks on the road which will lower the number of potential accidents and help the industry financially through the recession.

Opponents of the weight restriction increase argue that trucks are already incredibly dangerous at 80,000 pounds. Increasing the weight will only increase the damage done when something inevitably goes wrong. We have already discussed on the blog a St. Louis area tractor trailer crash on Highway 40 that saw a big rig plow through 10 cars. How many more cars, and how many more lives, could it have destroyed if it weighed an additional 17,000 pounds?

Another area of regulation that is up for debate is the Hours of Service regulations. These are put in place to limit the number of hours a driver can work, thus limiting the number of fatigued truckers with dangerously slow reaction times due to lack of sleep. Some argue the current laws are too lax and the number of consecutive hours a driver can work should be reduced further. Again, the trucking companies see this as delaying shipments and increasing costs, so they are largely against it.

The Comprehensive Safety Analysis initiative is a program from the FMCSA to reduce crashes and it also may lead to changes in the industry. One possible result of the initiative is stricter guidelines for hiring and retaining safe drivers. Some industry representatives support the initiative, but others worry about the financial repercussions of limiting the pool of drivers.

Any rule changes made by the FMCSA would ostensibly be made with the interest of safety at heart. Most of the objections from the industry have to do with financial concerns and they believe they can police themselves. From the point of view of a Missouri truck accident lawyer, I’m not sure what the perfect weight of a truck should be or the safest amount of hours a driver can work effectively. That’s for the FMCSA to decide. It is clear, though, that with 4,000 people dying every year in truck accidents, even with the current rules in place, the industry can’t police itself.

A semi driver from Missouri was involved in a tractor trailer accident Thursday morning in Eastern Iowa, according to local media reports.

Details are sketchy as investigators are still examining the scene, but we do know the tractor trailer was heading westbound on I-80 when the accident occurred. The truck driver, whose name has not been released, attempted to pass a slower moving minivan. Once he had passed the van in the left lane, he began to merge back into the right lane, but apparently misjudged his clearance room. The trailer hit the van and forced it off the roadway into a ditch. The semi also lost control and drove off an I-80 overpass onto Wells Ferry Road. Luckily, there were no cars crushed by the large truck as it fell.

Neither driver was seriously hurt.

The tractor trailer driver is facing citations, according to a KWQC report.

Fortunately, this crash did not result in any severe injuries or death. Many times this is not the case. Negligent operation by tractor trailer drivers and their companies can have deadly consequences. Anybody who is involved in a crash with a tractor trailer in Missouri should contact a Missouri truck accident lawyer to discuss their case. He or she will be able to examine the case and recover damages to help the injured party cope with serious injury and large medical bills.

Data compiled by a Missouri attorney lobbying for more tractor trailer regulations shows that interstate 70 is by far Missouri’s deadliest highway, followed by I-44, U.S.-63 and I-55, according to a KSDK report.

Last year there were 41 fatalities on I-70 alone, according to the report. I-44, which has a longer stretch through the state, came in second with 25 fatal car and truck accidents.

The data is being used to call attention to the dangers on our roadways and the attorney who published it is hoping also to see some law changes as well. He, along with others, are trying to ban tractor trailer drivers from using portable electronic devices like cell phones and laptops while they are behind the wheel.

Missouri recently passed a law restricting drivers under 21 from texting and driving. Besides that, there are no laws restricting big rig and commercial truck drivers from talking on a cell phone or using a laptop despite the fact that studies show drivers using these devices are up to 23 percent more likely to cause an accident. Many truckers routinely use these devices to report back to their company and keep in touch with family while on the road.

While I respect the fact that drivers need to keep in contact with their employers and their family, it is not worth putting others at risk. The numbers clearly show that distracted drivers cause more accidents. If a negligent driver or company causes an accident they need to be held accountable. The best way to do this is to contact a Missouri truck accident attorney to help investigate your case if you or someone you love is involved in a crash.

The dangers of combining alcohol or drugs and driving are obvious and well documented. Still, we see thousands of fatal car and truck accidents each year as a result of drunk or drugged driving. Every state has laws to curb drunk driving and this applies to commercial truck and tractor trailer drivers as well. In fact, commercial truck drivers are subject to much stricter regulation than the average driver.

Every driver is required to submit to numerous drug and alcohol tests in order to remain employed. There are pre-employment drug screens as well as random tests administered throughout the driver's tenure. If a driver is involved in an accident, he will also have to submit to drug and alcohol screens to determine if these substances contributed to the accident. Failure to comply with these mandatory tests will result in serious consequences for the driver.

Because of these regulations, drunk and drugged driving has been reduced in the trucking industry. While not as rampant as it once was, the problem has not been completely eliminated. Various studies have found that 15% of drivers had illegal drugs in their systems after a crash. Some others were found to have been abusing prescription stimulants to fight fatigue. Even with all the tests for alcohol, 1% of fatal tractor trailer accidents were the result of drunk driving. That still adds up to hundreds of lives lost every year due to terribly negligent behavior on the part of a driver.

Trucking companies can fall short in their duties to police their drivers as well. Tractor trailer accident lawyers can sometimes find cases where tests are not properly administered by trucking companies and unsafe drivers are allowed back on the road. In these cases, the company as well as the driver should be held responsible for the damage caused by an accident.

An experienced Missouri truck accident lawyer will be able to examine an accident and determine if drugs or alcohol played a role. He will also be able to dig into company testing records to determine if the driver had a history of problems that should have kept the driver off the road in the first place.

The single largest contributing factor to fatal Missouri tractor trailer accidents is driver error. While certain crashes may have be unforeseeable and unavoidable, other drivers have a history of poor driving habits that should have been an indicator of their chances of causing an accident in the future. In order to keep these unsafe drivers from behind the wheel of a tractor trailer, the FMCSA has established regulations for the hiring and retention of drivers.

There are a number of requirements that a driver must meet before he can be hired on by a commercial trucking company. He or she must pass a written test on federal tractor trailer regulations. A road test must also be completed to prove that the driver can handle a big rig. A drug test must also be passed.

The employer must also complete an extensive background check on the potential driver. The driver's record over the past three years must be examined no matter what state the driver was in over those years. Past employers dating back three years must also be contacted and questioned about the driver's competence and safety record. All of the background check information must be documented and kept in the driver's file.

Once hired, there are additional rules for the retention of any tractor trailer driver. Evey year a performance review must occur and any driving violations must be examined. A series of random drug test may be administered as well. An employee file containing all relevant records must be kept while the driver is employed and for three years after.

If any of these regulations are violated, the company may be held liable for negligent hiring practices. It is not uncommon for important documents to be forged and tests to be passed without merit. This can mean an unqualified and unsafe driver is allowed on the road to cause a serious accident. A skilled tractor trailer accident lawyer will be able to determine if any negligent hiring practices may have lead to an unsafe driver being retained by a trucking company.

As we've discussed previously on the blog, tractor trailers and other large trucks are subject to different regulations than the average passenger car. This is because of the extra dangers posed by commercial motor vehicles in the event of a tractor trailer crash. There are guidelines to define what exactly qualifies as a commercial motor vehicle.

There are several ways a vehicle can be classified as a commercial motor vehicle. It must be used to transport people or shipments for commercial reasons and must be of a certain size. If the vehicle is 10,001 pounds or more or if it can transport 15 or more people, it falls under this distinction. A vehicle can also be classified as a commercial motor vehicle if it is transporting hazardous materials.

Companies that use vehicles of this classification must register the vehicle and follow all federal motor carrier guidelines. Some states have altered the guidelines for the unique situations in their part of the country. When dealing with a truck accident here in the Show Me State, it is important to contact an experienced Missouri tractor trailer lawyer who has extensive knowledge about our specific laws.

While most vehicles that meet the above criteria are subject to the commercial motor vehicle regulations, some exceptions are made. School buses and ambulances do not fall under the same classification and neither do vehicles that are being used for non-commercial uses. This does not mean these vehicles are exempted from any regulation, however, they just don't have the same guidelines as tractor trailers being used in commercial shipping. Again, a truck accident attorney with enough experience will easily be able determine which regulations apply to your case.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's main objective is to make workplaces safe for employees and other citizens. On their website they have suggestions specifically for trucking companies and any organization that operates large trucks as part of their day-to-day business. These suggestions are designed to reduce the number of serious truck accident injuries and fatalities. They also recognize companies that are utilizing these suggestions effectively.

OSHA says that companies need a driver safety program and offers learning materials to companies to help them start one. Aside from simply listing safe driving strategies, they recommend creating a culture of safety where safe practices are rewarded. The attitudes of employees must be in the right place first before any safety tips will help. Once you have employees committed, then you can start to implement the tips on www.osha.gov. If you are an employer who uses large trucks in your business, I strongly recommend taking a look at their suggestions.

Among the companies they spotlight is Nationwide Insurance. They have a private motor fleet as part of their business and in 1998 they started a driver safety program with their employees. As a result, they saw their rate of preventable crashes drop by more than 50 percent. What makes that stat even more impressive is the national rate of accidents actually rose during that same period.

Other companies that had similar results were Charter Communications and GM.

Unfortunately, some companies don't implement these driver safety programs, putting profits ahead of safety while putting innocent people at risk in the process. These are the companies that made the national rate of tractor trailer and large truck accidents rise over the last decade.

These companies need to be held accountable for negligent practices. If you have been involved in a wreck with a large truck or commercial shipping vehicle, contact a Missouri truck accident lawyer as soon as possible. Truck accident cases are incredibly time sensitive and if you delay, you may lose your chance to recover damages to help your recovery.

Two large trucks and a car were involved in a Missouri injury accident Wednesday evening on Highway 70 in St. Louis.

All three of the vehicles were heading eastbound near the Cypress exit when the accident happened. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the driver of the car, 17 year old Stefanie McCauley, lost control of the vehicle and began to spin out. A Volvo 8000, driven by Avramov Znivko, 47, hit McCauley's car as it spun. Moments later, a 1994 Peterbilt truck, driven by Raymond Stambaugh, 55, hit the Volvo truck.

Marilyn Moore, 49, was a passenger in the Peterbilt truck and was seriously injured. Stambaugh also sustained injuries and both were taken to DePaul hospital for treatment.

The investigating officer did not say what might have caused McCauley to spin out.

These chain reaction crashes with multiple impacts can be complicated with regards to sorting out liability. If any driver is found to have been negligent in relation to this Missouri truck crash, then a trucking accident lawyer may be called in to recover damages for the injured parties.

The Missouri Department of Transportation has officially banned employees from sending text messages while driving MoDOT vehicles or while on the clock in their own vehicles.

The new policy is designed to reduce the number of large truck accidents in Missouri. It comes on the heels of a recent statewide law that bans all drivers under 21 from texting and driving.

As we’ve discussed previously here on the blog, distractions for drivers are a major cause of serious truck and tractor trailer accidents. Texting drivers are 23 times more likely to cause an accident than a focused driver. This rule change by MoDOT is a step in the right direction.

The policy won’t be enough on its own, though, to significantly cut down on accidents here in Missouri. Private trucking companies and their drivers also need to be held accountable when they cause a serious accident because a text message or cell phone caused a distraction. If you have been involved in an accident of this type, contact a Missouri trucking accident lawyer to discuss your case.

After a serious accident, all you will probably want to do is make sure you and anyone you were with are healthy and get back to your normal life. You'll want to put the accident behind you as quickly as possible. Life, as we all learn, is not so easy and serious car and truck accidents could lead to lots of investigation and dealing with insurance company representatives. Fortunately, you can take some steps to make this period less stressful.

The first thing you should do is learn as much about your own insurance policy as possible. Even if you weren't just in an accident and happened upon this blog by chance, you should look over your policy to make sure you know when you will be covered and for how much. You will have different coverage for medical payments, property damage, bodily injury to the other party and collision. Be sure to read the fine print and call your agent if you have any questions. It's better to have the information before you have a car accident rather than after the fact.

If you were injured in a car or truck accident, take meticulous notes and keep multiple copies of any documentation. Make sure you get the contact and license info from the other driver and the truck number and trucking company info if it was a tractor trailer crash. If you were injured by someone else's poor driving, their insurance company will be looking to limit their payout to you and having all the pertinent evidence on hand is the first step to protecting yourself.

Representatives from the other insurance company may also try and contact you for a recorded statement. It is in your best interest to avoid talking to them until you have consulted a personal injury attorney. Even if you are absolutely sure that the accident wasn't your fault, anything you say can be used to limit the payment you receive which could leave you in a dire financial situation. A skilled personal injury attorney will be able to advise you on your rights and help you make your statement to the insurance company if you even have to make one at all.

Michael Braudrick, 48, was seriously injured Monday when the pickup he was driving was involved in a crash with a Mack truck on Missouri 86.

The accident occurred about one mile south of Wheaton, Missouri. The Mack truck, driven by Harold Roberson, 53, was making a left turn onto Missouri 86 from a country road. The large Mack truck pulled into the path of Braudrick's smaller pickup and he was unable to avoid a collision.

Braudrick was taken to St. John's Hospital for emergency treatment. Roberson was uninjured and the Mack truck was able to be driven from the scene.

Braudrick was wearing a seat belt.

Some more details need to emerge about this Missouri truck crash before liability can be determined. The speeds of the vehicles will need to be calculated as well as how, exactly, did Roberson make the turn onto Missouri 86. Investigators will determine if he should have yielded to the pickup or if Braudrick should have been able to avoid the crash. Should Roberson be found to have been negligent in this instance, Braudrick may be able to collect damages to cover his medical expenses.

People injured in a Missouri truck accident should think twice before handling these claims on their own or just accepting the answer from the insurance company. Many times, the best way to learn about your rights as a victim and get the repayment you deserve is to contact a Missouri truck accident attorney.

By now, you've probably heard about the two pilots for Delta Air Lines who have been dismissed after they overshot their destination by 150 miles due, supposedly, to them being distracted by their laptops. Fortunately, no serious incident occurred and the plane landed safely in Minneapolis-St. Paul. FAA regulations prohibit the use of laptops in the cockpit for this very reason and more deadly incidents are prevented because of these stricter rules.

This is not so on our roadways. Every year, thousands of people die in car accidents and tractor trailer crashes caused by distracted drivers who were talking on a cell phone or playing with some other electronic device. While some individual states and cities have taken the lead on reducing the distractions by banning cell phones while driving, in most areas there are no such laws and seeing someone multi-tasking when they should simply be driving is a regular occurrence.

The dangers are multiplied for tractor trailer drivers who have to maintain control of vehicles stretching dozens of feet long and weighing thousands of pounds. Yet still, even commercial truck drivers are regularly guilty of losing focus on the road because they are talking or texting and sometimes this has fatal consequences. One of the larger tractor trailer crashes in the St. Louis area occurred on Highway 40 last year when a truck driver, apparently distracted by his cell phone, plowed through ten other cars that were stopped for traffic. Three people were killed and more were seriously injured.

Despite tragic incidents like the Highway 40 crash, the FMCSA has not completely banned the use of cell phones or other electronic distractions by tractor trailer drivers while driving. In fact, many big rig drivers regularly use on-board computers to update their company of their progress and track their routes.

Studies have repeatedly shown that these types of distractions are dangerous. Drivers using those on-board computers are approximately ten times more likely to be involved in a crash. Texting drivers are 23 times as likely to crash. Even drivers who use hands-free phones have been proven to be as impaired as drunken drivers.

Drivers and their companies that continue these negligent policies of allowing distractions in the cabin must be held accountable when those same distractions result in serious accidents. If you or a family member has been involved in such a crash, contact an experienced Missouri tractor trailer accident attorney as soon as possible so that they can begin to investigate your case.

Tractor trailer drivers are responsible for safely driving an extremely large vehicle that could be hauling thousands of pounds of cargo. Because of their size, these large trucks can cause significant personal injury in an accident. These risk factors mean a truck driver has to remain extra alert and vigilant. Unfortunately, driver fatigue is a problem that leads to hundreds of Missouri tractor trailer crashes each year. Drivers, who are paid by the mile, were giving up sleep and driving on short rest in order to complete shipments faster.

To help control driver fatigue, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration set the Hours of Service guidelines for drivers. Some of these rules include:

- Truck drivers can only drive up to 11 consecutive hours and only after 10 consecutive hours off duty.

- Truck drivers can be on duty (working but not necessarily driving) for 14 consecutive hours and are not able to drive after the 14th hour.

- In a 7 day span, the maximum on duty time is 60 hours. Drivers may also choose to work 70 hours across 8 days.

- After a 7-8 day working period, the driver must take 34 consecutive hours off duty.

The FMCSA says these rules will prevent thousands of accidents nationwide and ultimately save lives. One in five truck drivers have admitted to driving under extreme fatigue or even nodding off at the wheel.

In order to make sure drivers adhere to the hours of service rules, they must keep an accurate log of their driving. After an accident, it is essential that this log is quickly investigated by a tractor trailer accident lawyer since many companies will destroy these logs after a certain of amount of time.

Wading through statistics at sites we’ve mentioned in previous posts and articles on other injury sites, we’ve discovered some more sobering statistics about tractor trailer crashes in Missouri.

Depending on what statistics you look at and your definition of a large truck, they make up around 3% to 7% of traffic on the nation’s highways. Not surprisingly, they also account for a disproportionate amount of traffic fatalities. Semi trucks and tractor trailers are involved in 15% of all traffic deaths in Missouri.

There are several reasons for this overly high rate of deaths in Missouri tractor trailer accidents. The most obvious is simple physics. Tractor trailers are large, imposing vehicles that do more damage to other, smaller passenger cars when an accident occurs. If you examine many of these accident cases, you will also see that truck drivers and trucking companies are often guilty of violating Federal regulations meant to prevent accidents.

While many truck drivers do the right thing and follow these regulations, those that don’t need to be held accountable. Victims of tractor trailer crashes should have their case reviewed by an experienced Missouri tractor trailer accident attorney. A skilled lawyer will be able to examine your case and find any violations of federal law that contributed to your accident. Many attorneys even offer free legal consultations to explain your rights with no obligation to hire.

In data released by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Missouri and Illinois are shown to have a higher number of tractor trailer crashes than the national average.

Illinois actually comes in third behind Texas and California for having the most tractor trailer and large truck accidents in the United States.

Missouri had 4,407 total crashes involving a tractor trailer in the last year. This includes fatal Missouri tractor trailer accidents and less serious wrecks. Illinois had 7,156 crashes in the same time span.

When looking at the data, state population clearly has an effect on the number of accidents and for obvious reasons. Sparsely populated states such as Wyoming have less people and fewer trucks so naturally they will have fewer accidents. Even when you adjust for population, however, Missouri and Illinois have accident rates higher than the national average. Both Missouri and Illinois have more tractor trailer crashes than other states of similar size and population.

Many of these crashes didn’t have to happen. They were the product of negligence and if some drivers had been a little more conscious or a trucking company did a better job of inspecting its fleet of vehicles, maybe some of these accidents could have been prevented. Most drivers are responsible, but the ones that aren’t need to be held accountable.

One of the ways to do that is by contacting a Missouri or Illinois truck accident lawyer after a crash. In addition to recovering damages to help you pay back medical bills and lost wages, a personal injury attorney can help send a clear message to the company and maybe prevent future accidents and injuries.

Julius Moore, 23, an officer with the St. Louis Police Department, died Thursday evening from injuries sustained when his patrol car crashed into a tractor trailer last week.

According to a St. Louis Post Dispatch report, Moore had never regained consciousness after the crash and his family made the difficult decision to take him off life support.

The crash occurred last Tuesday when Moore’s patrol car hit a tractor trailer at the South Broadway and Arsenal intersection. Moore was responding to a call and had lights and sirens on while racing to the scene of a burglary. Moore was traveling southbound along with the tractor trailer when the truck driver attempted to make a right turn. The tractor trailer hit Moore’s car and forced it off the road and into a traffic light.

The truck driver was not injured in this St. Louis tractor trailer crash, according to the Post Dispatch. He has been cooperative with authorities and sources cited in the report don’t expect him to face any charges, though the investigation into this incident isn’t complete. An accident reconstruction team is still working on a report and will examine the vehicles’ speeds, debris patterns and computer simulations to determine the specifics of the crash. A full report probably won’t be done for up to 12 weeks.

Police officials have said that it is too early to assign fault to either Moore or the truck driver. Once the reconstruction team's report is finished we will know more, but at the moment, we don’t know how fast the vehicles were going or when Moore turned on his sirens. Many other details need to be fleshed out before liability can be determined.

By all accounts, Moore was a dedicated officer and he died from injuries sustained while performing his heroic duties. This is no doubt a hard time for the Moore family and the St. Louis Police Department.

This case, like most Missouri tractor trailer injury accidents, is very complicated. If you have been the victim of a tractor trailer crash, you should contact a St. Louis personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to learn your rights as the injured party. Keep in mind that any information you divulge prior to talking to a lawyer may be used to limit the payment you receive to cover medical expenses.

One of the most powerful tools to have as a victim of a tractor trailer accident is information. Doing just a little research for yourself will lessen your chances of being taken advantage of by those in supposed positions of power. Having knowledge can level the playing field between the little guy and the big corporation with lots of professional backup.

Fortunately, many resources can be found online to help educate you about the commercial trucking industry, their laws, and who can help you if you or someone you love is injured in a Missouri tractor trailer crash.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s website is a great place to go for basic information on the commercial trucking industry in the United States. The FMCSA oversees the industry and has regulations that all trucking companies should follow to avoid accidents. Unfortunately, all too often these rules aren’t followed and the results are tragic.

Within FMCSA’s site, be sure to check out the Analysis and Information section for all the statistics on tractor trailer accidents.

Another section of the site that you should pay close attention to is the Rules and Regulations page. Here you’ll find a comprehensive listing of the rules that a truck driver must follow.

If you want to look up a particular company’s profile to see how many safety violations they have, you can check the SAFER database. Be aware that the basic information is free, but comprehensive company details do cost a fee.

Finally, if you believe that you were the victim of an accident that was caused by a truck driver’s negligence or an oversight on the part of his company, contact a Missouri truck accident lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your rights. Many offer free consultations to discuss your tractor trailer accident case and will be able to advise you on your next step.

Mechanical failures are the number two cause of tractor trailer injury accidents in the United States, according to data compiled by the National Highway Safety Administration. Driver error is still the most common contributing factor to crashes, but some studies show the rate of mechanical failures is on the rise here in Missouri.

Of the different types of mechanical failures that could cause a Missouri tractor trailer crash, the most common, by far, was brake failure. Brakes on a vehicle that could be hauling thousands of pounds of cargo should be the most scrutinized mechanical device on the road, but every year we see drivers and trucking companies skipping inspections to save on costs or time. As a result, we also see lots of accidents, injuries and fatalities that could have been prevented.

There are already regulations provided by the federal government designed to prompt drivers to have their trucks inspected. These regulations save lives and in areas where truckers are strictly held accountable to these rules, we see a sharp decline in accidents. During the 1990’s, Georgia stepped up its enforcement of tractor trailer inspection laws, specifically on logging trucks. As a result, the rate of accidents by mechanical failure was cut in half. The lesson is that industries held accountable for their actions will respond.

Aside from federal regulation, another way to hold negligent trucking companies accountable is through the civil justice system. In the wake of a tragic accident, your first thought might not be about hiring a Missouri truck accident attorney. While you and your family’s medical care come first, it is important to begin any legal investigation into your case as soon as possible. These matters are time sensitive and it is imperative that the truck inspection records, the driver’s log book, and other important info is gathered before it is lost forever.

Many parents are counting their blessings this morning after what could have been a serious and tragic accident.

A tractor trailer crashed into a school bus in Branson on Tuesday morning, according to a Branson Daily News report. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in this Missouri tractor trailer crash.

The accident occurred on Missouri 248 as the school bus was traveling westbound on its route to pick up students for the start of the school day. It had stopped to allow some children to board when a tractor trailer that was following behind was unable to stop. When the truck driver, who was not identified, realized he wouldn’t be able to slow down in time, he swerved to try and avoid a collision. Despite the evasive maneuver, the front of his big rig still hit the left rear of the bus.

According to Missouri Highway Patrol officials cited in the Branson Daily News report, the tractor trailer driver had suspected there might have been some mechanical problems prior to the crash. Specifically, there seemed to be some issues with the brake lines that prompted the driver to inspect them in a parking lot earlier in the day.

Local authorities are still investigating the accident and a full detailed report is not yet available.

While we should all be thankful that no serious injuries came of this Missouri school bus accident, these situations occur all too often to ignore. Working as a tractor trailer accident attorney I hear stories all the time of a truck driver, under pressure from his company to deliver a shipment on time, who ignores mechanical red flags that later turn into devastating crashes.

We will have to wait for the full report to determine whether the driver should have performed maintenance on his brakes before driving, but even if that is not the case in this accident, the fact is nearly 30% of tractor trailer crashes are caused by improperly maintained brakes.

If you have been involved in an accident with a tractor trailer that may have been improperly maintained or driving in violation of Federal Motor Carrier Regulations, you should find a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to learn your rights and see what steps you can take to hold the trucking company responsible for their negligence. Many attorneys offer free personal injury consultations that can help you become better educated on the law before making such an important decision.

Jerry Cousins, 74, was hospitalized after a Missouri tractor trailer accident on Highway 43 near Joplin, Missouri.

According to a Joplin Globe report, Cousins was driving a tractor-trailer northbound on the highway when the accident occurred. A second vehicle, driven by Caleb Vermillion, 28, was ahead of Cousins’ truck. Vermillion was attempting a left turn when Cousins’ truck hit Vermillion’s vehicle.

Cousins was taken to St. John’s Regional Medical Center for treatment. No information was given about Vermillion’s injuries or if he sustained any.

The details gathered so far about this tractor-trailer crash are not enough to determine who was at fault. If further investigation from local authorities reveals that one of the drivers was negligent and caused the injury accident, a Missouri truck accident attorney could be called by the injured party to recover damages.

If more details arise about this accident, we will post them here.

Being involved in a serious car accident can be one of the most traumatic experiences of anyone’s life. In the moments after an accident people are often disoriented and dealing with stress, fear or shock. Most people, though, don’t plan how to handle a situation like that until it actually happens. While it is unpleasant to think about, taking a few minutes to mentally walk through the steps you should take after a serious tractor-trailer injury accident will allow you to better handle the situation should it ever arise.

Immediately after the accident you should take a second to assess the situation. Your safety and the safety of everyone involved is the most important consideration so gather your composure, check yourself for injuries, and if you are still in harm’s way, move to safer ground if you are able.

Call 911 to request emergency help and wait for it to arrive. Even if you are not seriously injured do not leave the scene of the accident. It is against the law to leave the scene of a Missouri car accident you were involved with.

Once paramedics arrive, give them as much information as possible. If you can, tell them how many people are injured and the extent of their injuries. If you are injured, make sure to tell the paramedic that you need medical attention and explain every detail so they know how best to treat you. Listen to their instructions and follow them carefully so that you get the proper treatment.

The police may ask you for a statement at the scene. It is important to be truthful in your statement, but do not admit fault. Even if you think you were at fault, there may have been other factors in play that caused the accident that you didn’t even know about. Give just the information you are sure about and if you don’t know something, or feel too stressed to give an accurate answer, tell the officer that you would like to give your statement after you’ve had time to calm down. Make it clear that you are not refusing to offer a statement, but that you can’t offer a valid statement due to your mental state.

As soon as you can, contact your insurance agency and then start gathering information. Get information about the other vehicles and drivers, but do not share your insurance policy limits. In tractor-trailer crashes it is important to get information about the truck, what carrier company it is operated under, and who was driving. All truck drivers are supposed to keep log books to make sure that they do not violate any Federal Motor Carrier Regulations, but that is something the authorities will inspect.

Keep records of all your medical treatments and visits to the doctor as a result of the crash. If you thought you felt fine immediately after the crash, but are feeling pain days later that may be related, go see a doctor as soon as possible. It is not unusual to have lingering internal damage that is not readily apparent at the time of the crash.

You may then want to hire a personal injury attorney to investigate your case to ensure you receive the recovery you are entitled to. It is important to at least consult an attorney on car or tractor-trailer crashes to learn your rights because insurance companies will be looking for ways to reduce their claims and larger commercial shipping companies will have lawyers on staff working to protect their own interests. If you act quickly and give the attorney all the information of your case, you will have a much better chance of receiving the payments you deserve to cover the medical bills and recover quickly from your crash.

Two truck drivers were seriously injured Saturday after a Missouri tractor trailer crash involving three trucks on Highway 54 in Camden County, Missouri.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident occurred at the intersection of Highway 54 and Carnahan Road where traffic had backed up due to construction. Brian Keith, 42, who was traveling westbound in a 1987 Freightliner Truck, was stopped in the traffic when another truck approached from behind. The second tractor trailer, a 1988 Freightliner driven by Brian Ray, 37, was unable to stop behind Keith’s truck and had to swerve to avoid an accident. Unfortunately, as Ray swerved to avoid the collision, he entered oncoming traffic where he collided head-on with a 2007 International Truck, driven by Larry Burk, 63.

Ray and Burk were seriously injured and taken to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. Though Keith’s truck was also damaged, he managed to avoid any injury.

The initial crash report does not indicate why Ray was unable to stop for the construction. There may have been some mechanical problems with the truck itself, the load may have been too heavy or Ray could have simply been inattentive at the wheel. These possibilities are still under investigation.

If an investigation into the accident reveals negligence on the part of any driver, the injured parties may be able to contact a Missouri truck accident lawyer to help recover damages needed to pay for medical expenses, lost wages or any other financial hardships arising from the accident.

David Underdale, 61, and Jeremy Imler, 33, were both seriously injured after the Freightliner dump trucks they were driving collided head-on.

The accident occurred Saturday on Highway 24 in Randolph County, Missouri when, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, a passenger car drove into the path of Underdale’s truck. In order to avoid a potentially fatal truck crash with a passenger car, Underdale swerved to the left. Unfortunately, he lost control of his truck and it veered into oncoming traffic where it collided with Imler’s dump truck.

The passenger car was not listed as damaged on the initial crash report and no other information appears to be known about this third vehicle.

Imler and Underdale survived the accident, but with life-threatening injuries. They were flown to University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri.

Without further investigation into the role of the third car, it is hard to determine who is truly at fault for this Missouri injury accident. The crash report seems to indicate that the third vehicle made a negligent maneuver which caused Underdale to crash, but that is just the opinion of the investigating officer and will need to be backed up by an accident reconstruction. A Missouri personal injury lawyer would be able to coordinate with local investigators to determine who is responsible for this incident and possibly recover damages for the injured parties.

With some pushing for dedicated lanes on I-70 for big rigs and tractor trailers, I wanted to look at some statistics to see just how much more dangerous Missouri tractor trailer accidents are compared to passenger car crashes. Common sense would suggest that the large commercial shipping trucks with their tons of shipping freight would have a higher fatality rate. The numbers back this up and over the last few years, an accident involving a tractor trailer is two to three times more likely to produce a fatality than crashes involving only passenger cars.

Here are some of the raw numbers according to the Missouri Department of Transportation:

- Over the last couple years, Missouri has averaged over 8,400 accidents or crashes involving tractor trailers every year.

- In those accidents, an annual average of 154 fatalities was reported.

- In accidents where the tractor trailer was in the process of hauling a shipment, the fatality rate jumped to 2% meaning that in 1 out of every 50 Missouri crashes involving a loaded tractor trailer, somebody was killed.

- Missouri car accidents not involving a tractor trailer, while far more common, had a lower fatality rate. Of the 72,000+ car accidents every year, just 0.6% produced a fatality.

These statistics and the tragic stories behind them are what justify stricter regulation of the commercial shipping industry. While I’m not sure if having dedicated lanes on I-70 is part of the solution, it’s clear that tractor trailer crashes should be addressed differently than car accidents.

This concern goes further than highway design. Legal cases involving tractor trailers are handled differently than passenger car accidents. Punitive damages can be assessed to trucking companies that show a dangerous disregard for commercial trucking regulations. The laws for truck drivers are different than for the average driver, which is why an experienced Missouri tractor trailer accident lawyer should be contacted in the aftermath of a serious crash.

Some Missouri officials are debating a plan to limit catastrophic tractor trailer crashes and the serious personal injury that comes with them by adding extra truck-only lanes to Interstate 70, according to a report in the Kansas City Star.

The Star reports that officials have completed a study that suggests adding four lanes to I-70 that would be set aside for tractor trailers and other large shipping vehicles. These lanes would make up the center of the highway, with other traffic allowed to drive in the outer lanes.

The plan is still in the very early stages, but it appears likely that if the new lanes were to be added, Missouri highway planners would have them run nearly the entire length of I-70 between Kansas City and St. Louis, stopping somewhere just outside of the two metro areas.

Missouri’s plan is pretty unique, according to The Star’s report, as no other state has truck-only lanes on the scope that local officials have proposed.

Tractor trailer congestion has become a problem on Missouri roadways, especially I-70. Analysts are predicting that traffic could double on I-70 in the next 20 years. Missouri already sees over 8,000 tractor trailer crashes each year and as a Missouri tractor trailer accident lawyer who studies these cases, I know many result in serious personal injury or wrongful death. This number will only rise with the increase in traffic.

Many times when you hear about a Missouri truck accident injury, it means that a large truck or tractor trailer has crashed into and injured another driver. Sometimes, though, another vehicle can crash into the truck and cause serious personal injury to the driver. This will often occur at constructions zones and that was exactly the case on Monday.

Corey Washington, 35, was injured Monday after the MoDOT truck he was in was crashed into by another vehicle.

According to the initial crash report filed by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Washington had stopped his Missouri Department of Transportation truck along a construction zone on Highway 370 in St. Charles. While the truck was stopped in a lane of traffic, Washington had activated the warning lights. William Macy, 45, was driving a 2001 Dodge Dakota and failed to see the MoDOT truck in the roadway. Macy’s vehicle crashed into the rear of the truck.

Washington was taken to St. Joseph Health Center for treatment. Macy was uninjured according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

There is no indication yet on whether or not a citation will be issued to Macy.

If Macy is charged with some kind of violation for reckless driving through a construction zone, the penalty may be more severe than if the accident hadn’t involved a MoDOT worker.

Washington may also be able to collect damages to pay for his medical bills if a St. Charles area personal injury attorney examines this case. An investigation into the Missouri construction site accident will first need to take place to determine the speed of Macy’s vehicle and the exact location of the MoDOT truck at the time of the crash.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration oversees tractor trailers and other large shipping vehicles all over the county. You can find a listing of every federal motor carrier law on their website.

Each individual state, however, can legislate their own specific rules that can tweak the laws set by the FMCSA. Here in Missouri, there are a few notable exceptions to the federal laws.

The first has to do with the Hours of Service laws that govern how long a driver can be behind the wheel. These laws are designed to make sure drivers are not driving on short rest when they are more prone to causing a truck accident that could result in serious personal injury or death.

Missouri has adopted many of the Hours of Service laws, but they make an exception for farmers and agricultural supply transporters during the harvesting seasons. If you are traveling within a 100 mile radius within the state lines during this period there is no maximum number of on-duty hours.

Missouri also says that a driver must be at least 18 years of age to get a trucking license (CDL or Class E) but this requirement is raised to 21 years of age if the driver is moving hazardous chemicals or other dangerous material. This varies from the federal law and several other states’ laws.

With all the subtle changes in laws from state to state, it’s important to find someone who is well versed in Missouri’s specific laws. If you are injured in an accident with a tractor trailer, be sure to find an experienced Missouri truck accident attorney who can navigate the states unique laws

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is tasked with providing oversight to the tractor trailers and the trucking industry as a whole. One of the areas that is heavily regulated is the inspection, repairs, and maintenance of tractor trailers.

Regulations require that all large trucks and commercial shipping vehicles be meticulously inspected to prevent any sort of potentially dangerous mechanical failure. Before driving a tractor trailer, the driver must sign an inspection report saying that the vehicle is in safe operating condition. A full inspection is required every year and documentation of each inspection and any repairs must be kept by the carrier company for at least a year.

One of the most common types of tractor trailer accidents on Missouri’s roadways is the jackknife accident. This occurs when the cabin of the tractor trailer is violently shifted to the side of the cargo trailer. A mechanical failure in the braking system is often the cause of these accidents. Jackknife tractor trailer accidents have the potential to injure not only the truck driver, but any Missouri driver is at risk for personal injury if they are following a truck that jackknifes.

Missouri truck drivers are also required to do spot inspections of emergency systems, lighting, and doors every 90 days.

If you or someone you know is injured in a tractor trailer accident, the most important thing to do is to contact an experienced Missouri tractor trailer attorney as soon as possible. If a mechanical failure due to lax inspection standards is to blame, these inspection records will be invaluable evidence, but motor carrier companies will destroy these files after a year. This is especially true if the carrier was negligent and did not follow the Federal inspection standards.

With thousands of big rig tractor trailers crossing America’s highways everyday, the number of injury accidents involving these large vehicles has increased. That’s not to say all truck drivers are negligent. Just the opposite, in fact, as most drivers are very safe. Still, the size and power of tractor trailers means accidents usually result in serious injury or death.

To help regulate the trucking industry and prevent these catastrophic accidents, the government has mandated that all truck drivers keep meticulous logs of their driving. By documenting all of their driving, authorities can be sure the driver is not breaking any Federal Motor Carrier Regulations.

A truck driver’s log must contain the following information:
- Total miles driven daily
- Tractor trailer ID number and carrier
- Driver certification
- Information on co-driver (if applicable)
- Total hours driven daily
- Shipping/cargo information

In the event of an accident, these logs can be examined by a personal injury lawyer to see if the driver was driving longer than his mandated limit.

Anybody involved in an accident with a big rig should contact a trucking accident attorney as soon as possible so that these log books can be obtained before they are manipulated or destroyed. Again, most drivers and their carriers are honest people, but some will try to cover up violations. Also, carrier companies are only required to keep the logs on file for 6 months, after which they can be destroyed.