Truck Accidents | Grant Law Office - Part 4
Driver Killed in I-75 Semi-Truck Collision
A driver was killed and another was injured in a Georgia big rig accident involving a collision of two semi-tractor trailers. According to a report by The Associated Press, the fatal truck accident occurred on I-75 about 17 miles north of Valdosta in Cecil. The Valdosta Daily Times reports that the cause of the crash remains under investigation. Officials suspect that either the rear truck was going too fast or that the front truck was going too slow. The driver of the rear truck was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash and the driver of the front semi was hospitalized.
Because of the size and weight of trucks, the injured victims of truck accidents are typically occupants of smaller passenger vehicles. It is possible, however, for truck drivers to suffer serious or fatal injuries as well. A wrongful death suit against the at-fault driver or trucking firm may help provide the support needed for funeral expenses, lost future wages, loss of companionship, and other related damages. In many cases, it is advisable for the family of someone killed while working to pursue compensation through multiple avenues.Read more…
Trucker Currently Facing Reckless Homicide Charges Arrested for DUI
WCIV News has reported that a truck driver, who was scheduled to be in court on a reckless homicide charge as the result of a fatal crash in January, was again arrested recently for a DUI in Georgia. Officials say the 35-year-old driver, Arnold Williams, was stopped on Interstate 20 after several people called the Newton County Sheriff’s Office complaining about a tractor-trailer swerving in and out of lanes. Police found that the driver was disoriented at the time.
Williams registered a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.22 percent on the Breathalyzer, which is close to three times the legal limit. He also failed field sobriety tests as he stumbled and swayed when standing on one foot. He was arrested on suspicion of DUI. Williams was facing homicide charges in connection with an incident where the truck he was driving hit a car on the I-526, killing a 27-year-old student at the Medical University of South Carolina.Read more…
Driver Killed in Georgia Highway 196 Car – Dump Truck Collision
The driver of a minivan was killed in a Georgia car accident after colliding with a dump truck. The Fort Stewart Patch reports that the fatal truck accident occurred on Highway 196 in Fleming. Officials say the minivan was headed west when it collided with the dump truck, but details regarding how the crash occurred have not been released. The driver was killed and the young daughter of the victim was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment with unknown injuries.
According to the Georgia Department of Transportation, six million people were involved in motor vehicle crashes between the years 2000 and 2006. After that seven-year period, 2,394 people were involved in an accident every day and more than 2,500 injuries were reported every week. In the year 2006, 270 people were killed in Georgia car accidents. One out of six of those fatalities involved a large truck.Read more…
Driving Safely on Georgia’s Icy Roadways
A truck driver was injured when his vehicle skidded and overturned in Gilmer County. According to a WSB-TV news report, the truck accident occurred on Old Highway 5 just outside of downtown Ellijay. Officials say the truck, which was transporting more than 1,000 chickens to a processing plant, skidded on an ice-covered bridge. The bridge was frozen over and the vehicle overturned. The driver suffered minor injuries.
The cold, icy conditions have made traveling in Georgia treacherous this winter. It is absolutely vital that all motorists exercise due care when traveling in these icy conditions. Before getting on the road, it is advisable to check your tires. You want to have properly inflated tires that have adequate tread to grip the road.Read more…
Children Killed in Georgia Tractor Trailer Accident
Two boys, aged 6 and 12, were killed in a Georgia car accident involving a collision between a tractor-trailer and an SUV. According to a news report in The Dalton Daily Citizen, the fatal truck accident occurred on Old U.S. 411 and Georgia 136 in Murray the morning of January 4, 2013. Officials say a GMC Envoy may have failed to stop at a stop sign before colliding with the tractor-trailer. The two children were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Their 39-year-old mother and 13-year-old relative were hospitalized. The 41-year-old truck driver was also taken to a nearby facility for treatment.
Many Georgia traffic accidents occur at intersections. It is crucial for everyone’s safety for motorists to obey all traffic control devices. According to Georgia Statute 40-6-72: “Every driver of a vehicle approaching a stop sign shall stop…After stopping, the driver shall yield the right of way to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another roadway so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard during the time when such driver is moving across or within the intersection or junction of roadways.”Read more…
FMCSA Pushes to Overhaul Computer Systems, Stop “Chameleon Carriers”
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is responsible for keeping track of safety violations and other legal violations made by commercial truck and bus companies within the U.S. If a company’s violations are particularly dangerous, repetitive, or common, the FMCSA has the power to put the company “out of service,” forcing it to stay off the roads until the issues are corrected.
In recent months, however, the FMCSA has found that its outdated computer systems – which are maintained separately and do not share information with one another – are making it increasingly difficult for the agency to keep up with “chameleon carriers.”Read more…
Trucking Association Seeks Review of New FMCSA Rules
The American Trucking Association (ATA) recently asked a federal court to review the new hours of service (HOS) rules passed recently by the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
The new rules restrict the total number of hours drivers can work. Previously, drivers were allowed to drive 11 hours per day and to be on duty for a total of 14 hours. They could not drive more than 80 hours in 7 days, and were expected to rest for at least 34 hours before starting a new “countdown.”Read more…
Avoid Runaway Truck Accidents in Georgia
Commercial trucks go by multiple names: big rigs, tractor trailers, semis, or 18 wheelers. They exist in a special class of vehicles, which weigh up to 80,000 pounds and that are the largest and heaviest on the highways. They are required to operate under strict safety standards set forth by the state and federal government. Any miscalculation or neglect in the operation of large commercial vehicles leaves other motor vehicle drivers extremely vulnerable, and can result in tragic large truck accidents.
A crash is typically classified as a runaway truck accident for a number of factors, all of which usually include problems with speeding. This type of accident happens if the velocity of the trailer in tow does not equal the velocity of the truck. This often results in a loss of steering control, greatly increasing the chance of accidents. And in some instances, the back trailer may come loose from the truck to careen treacherously along the highway, creating deadly threats to surrounding motorists.Read more…
New Rules for Big Rig Drivers on the Horizon?
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is debating a revision to what’s called the “hours of service rules” for commercial vehicle operators. The rules mandate the frequency and length that any commercial driver can stay on the job during any given shift. The potential shift may decrease the allowed hours from eleven to ten in each 24 hour period, according to reporting by the Worcester Times. The revision may also demand additional mandatory rest periods between the hours of 12:00 am and 6:00 am, a time window relished by truckers for its light traffic, but feared by other vehicle drivers for its propensity to induce deadly levels of driver fatigue.
Big rigs (also known as 18 wheelers, semis, or tractor trailers) are among the most dangerous vehicles on the road due to their immense and imposing size and weight. The slightest miscalculation, lapse in judgment, or negligent action by a driver can result in catastrophic accidents.Read more…
DOT Considering All-Cell-Phone Ban for Commercial Truck Drivers
Distracted driving has become a growing concern for all drivers nationwide. However serious distracted driving or cell phone accidents may be with common passenger cars, they are substantially more severe when the accident involves a commercial vehicle. The devastating results of recent commercial vehicle accidents involving cell phones have prompted the proposal of a federal ban on all cell phone use for commercial vehicle drivers, according to The New York Times.
Bus drivers were banned from cell phone use after a crash in 2004 and, very recently, all commercial operators of marine transportation and railroad transportation were banned after a 2010 barge and tourist vessel crash in Philadelphia and a 2008 train crash in California.Read more…
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