Bergen County Personal Injury Lawyer - Tractor-Trailer Accidents

Truck Crash - Wrongful Death

Donald Caminiti — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:41:00 GMT

Two construction workers died after an SUV crushed them into the back of a dump truck shortly after midnight Wednesday on the New Jersey Turnpike, in Elizabeth.

State police and Turnpike officials said the driver of the SUV entered a construction zone at exit 13A and smashed into the workers, killing both. The tragedy was caused as a result of the driver having fallen asleep at the wheel.

The driver managed to negotiate a toll booth and ramp when his SUV entered a construction area just north of Interchange 13A around 12:15 a.m.

Jones said the vehicle hit a truck before pinning the two workers against the second truck.

Driving while overly tired is just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated. If you believe you are having difficluty operating your motor vehicle because you are tired, pull over to the nearest rest stop and take a break. A simple stop may save your life or the lives of others.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Donald Caminiti

Medically Unfit Truck Drivers Still on Roads

Donald Caminiti — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:00:00 GMT

A recently released AP article notes that hundreds of tractor-trailer and bus drivers in the US carry commercial driver's licenses despite also qualifying for full federal disability payments, and some of those drivers have suffer seizures, heart attacks or unconscious spells, according to a new U.S. safety study.

The problems threatening highway travelers persist despite years of government warnings and hundreds of deaths and injuries blamed on commercial truck and bus drivers who blacked out, collapsed or suffered major health problems behind the wheels of vehicles that can weigh 40 tons or more.

The U.S. agency responsible for cracking down on unfit truckers, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, acknowledges it hasn't completed any of eight recommendations that U.S. safety regulators have proposed since 2001. One would set minimum standards for officials who determine whether truckers are medically safe to drive. Another would prevent truckers from "doctor shopping" to find a physician who might overlook a risky health condition. officials who determine whether truckers are medically safe to drive.

"We have a major public safety problem, and we haven't corrected it", said Gerald Donaldson, senior research director at the Washington-based Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, whose members include consumer, health and safety groups and insurance companies. "You have an agency that is favorably disposed to maintaining the integrity of the industry's economic situation."

Unfortunately, it is unclear whether any of the eight recommendations will be done before President Bush, who has been very friendly to business interests, leaves office.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Donald Caminiti

Tractor Trailer Load Shifting

Donald Caminiti — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:13:21 GMT

That time of year is quickly approaching when may of us will find ourselves driving to a holiday destination with our families. We've all seen tractor trailers driving excessively fast and, more recently, have seen tractors with double trailers flying down the highway.

Often, these tractor trailers present an unseen danger. In a recent tragedy, two persons were killed and a third was seriously injured when the load being carried in a trailer shifted, causing the truck to slide into the path of a car travelling in the opposite direction. Two persons in that car were killed. The truck continued to slide and struck a third vehicle, causing serious personal injury to that driver.

Consider keeping a good distance between you and any tractor trailers on the road and, only pass these trucks if you can do so safely, quickly and with a safe amount of distance between you and it.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Donald Caminiti