Missouri Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

The National Safety Transportation Board (NTSB), an independent agency of the federal government, has launched an investigation into the cause of the fatal Missouri school bus accident in 2010. The 2010 Missouri school bus accident involved two school buses, a tractor trailer, and a pickup truck in Gray Summit, Missouri.

The two school buses were transporting students from John F. Hodge High School to Six Flags St. Louis. A Volvo tractor trailer slowed or stopped ahead because of the amount of traffic in a construction zone on the highway. A pickup truck slammed into the back of the tractor trailer. The first school bus, carrying the female high school students, change lanes into the wreck. Then the second school bus rear ended the first school bus, pushing the first school bus on top of the second.

Two people died in the fatal accident. A female high school who was sitting in the back of the first bus died. The pickup truck driver died as well. Dozens of injured students were taken to area hospitals after the fatal Missouri bus truck accident. Two students – a 16 year old female student and a 14 year old male student – suffered serious injuries in the accident.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the NTSB have been investigating the causes of the tragic Missouri truck accident since the accident occurred. An initial report showed that the inattentive driving may have been a major cause of the accident. Specifically, the drivers failed to react to the traffic pattern in the construction zone of I-44.

Members of the NTSB will meet next week to make a final determination about the probable cause of the accident. The NTSB meeting will occur on December 13, 2011. The meeting will focus on safety recommendations to prevent future Missouri truck bus accidents. The agency may comment on whether seat belts should have been used in the school buses, for example.

Continue reading "NSTB Investigates Deadly Missouri School Bus Accident" »

A federal jury in Arkansas returned a $7 million verdict in a Missouri truck accident lawsuit on November 10, 2011. The Missouri trucking wrongful death lawsuit concerned a double semi-trailer accident that occurred Arkansas.

The Missouri semi-trailer accident occurred as accident victim and plaintiff Roger Reagan of Farmington, Missouri drove a semi-trailer on eastbound U.S. 62 in Arkansas. Morgan Quisenberry, the negligent truck driver and defendant, drove across the centerline of the highway in a large semi-trailer. Quisenberry caused multiple Missouri tractor trailer accidents, striking two other vehicles before crashing into Reagan’s tractor trailer.

Reagan was able to get out of the vehicle, but he was still trapped under the truck. Reagan was surrounded by fire, injured. Rescuers pulled him the wreck but he died on route to an area hospital. Reagan is survived by his widow and two children.

The jury returned a verdict of $7 million after a five-day federal trial. The jury found that Dunaway Timber Company, Inc., the trucking company that employed Quisenberry, was responsible for 75% of the fault of the accident. Quisenberry was responsible for 25% of the fault.

This accident highlights the devastation that occurs when trucking companies fail to take public safety seriously. Dunaway Timber hired Quisenberry despite two previous license revocations. The trucking company did not train Quisenberry after hiring him. The fatal Missouri truck accident occurred within the first few weeks of Quisenberry’s employment.

Quisenberry failed to obey the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA’s) hours of service regulations. The FMCSA enacts and enforces strict regulations that govern how many consecutive hours a truck driver can operate a tractor trailer. Hours of service regulations are designed to prevent truck accidents and Missouri truck accident fatalities. Interstate trucking companies must obey the FMCSA’s hours of service regulations. According to an attorney involved in the case, Quisenberry had been driving hours beyond the federal daily maximum when the accident occurred.

Continue reading "Missouri Family Wins $7M for Truck Accident Wrongful Death" »

A fatal accident that occurred over one year ago has resulted in homicide charges being filed against a Missouri semi-truck driver. Curtis Hawkins, of Dexter, Missouri allegedly falsified entries in his log book regarding the amount of time spent behind the wheel, which is actually a common practice in the trucking industry.

Mr. Hawkins killed two people on Interstate 43 within Wisconsin when he took his eyes away from the road and failed to stop for traffic ahead. Reports state Mr. Hawkins came upon a construction-related detour which had caused a traffic bottleneck and, despite three warning signs of the detour ahead, Hawkins’ tractor-trailer, traveling at 70 mph, plowed into two vehicles ahead of him.

Hawkins’ 18-wheeler first struck a Cadillac driven by Jimmie Juhasz of Cedar Grove, killing the passenger, 80-year old Mary Parker of Wisconsin. The semi-truck then rear-ended a Ford Escape SUV driven by Donald Sherman, 78, pushing it over 150 feet. The Escape and Hawkins’ tractor-trailer both went off the side of the interstate following the collision. Donald Sherman was pronounced dead at the scene, while Mary Parker died of serious injuries five days later. Mr. Sherman’s wife, Roberta, and Mr. Juhasz were both seriously injured in the accident, while Hawkins suffered only minor injuries. In addition to the two counts of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle, Hawkins also faces two felony counts of reckless driving resulting in great bodily injury, and faces up to 13 years in prison in this truck accident case.

Unfortunately, falsifying truck driving logs is all too common in the trucking industry as truck drivers constantly race against time in order to deliver loads on tight deadlines. Although this type of behavior is certainly against federal motor carrier regulations, unbelievably, some irresponsible trucking companies encourage their employees to continue driving when they should be off the road, all for the sake of increased profits.

Exhausted and fatigued truck drivers pose a threat to everyone on the road. For the victims of such serious injury accidents, as well as the families they leave behind, a criminal conviction may help these people know this crime did not go unpunished. It is unknown if Mr. Hawkins' victims have held him civilly liable for the damages he caused.

Our St. Louis personal injury lawyers help victims claim compensation for past and future medical bills as well as lost income, permanent disability or wrongful death. A truck accident personal injury lawyer can help victims analyze the accident and offer advice on the proper legal steps which need to be followed.