Truck Accidents

Published on: February 19, 2011

Infant Killed in Atlanta Truck Accident

A six-month-old infant, who had sustained critical injuries in a Cobb County, Georgia truck accident, has succumbed to his injuries. Cobb County police have charged the truck driver involved in the truck accident. Any injury and death in a truck accident is sad, but that is especially true when such a young life is lost.

The accident occurred over the weekend, when tractor trailer driver Henry Lipps crashed his rig into the rear of a car. In the car were a couple and their six-month-old baby, strapped into his car seat. Both parents were injured, and taken to the Atlanta Medical Center. The baby suffered critical injuries, and was taken to Scottish Rite Hospital. He succumbed to his injuries earlier this week

Investigators believe that the tractor-trailer driver failed to brake, and crashed into three separate vehicles, including the GMC Arcadia, Toyota Highlander and a Buick LeSabre at the Windy Hill Road exit. The driver of the LeSabre and his passenger also suffered visible injuries, and were rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital.

Published on: February 17, 2011

Georgia DOT to Allow Memorials to Auto Accident and Truck Accident Victims

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Memorial signs to auto accident and truck accident victims have been used around the country not just to commemorate the dead, but also serve as a warning to the living.As Atlanta auto accident lawyers, we believe that such stark signs help increase motorist awareness of the dangers of reckless driving and, therefore, help to decrease the number of auto accidents and truck accidents.The Georgia Department of Transportation has now announced that it will allow memorials to auto accident victims to be placed on federal and state highways.

Another program that allows highway memorial signs bearing the names of drunk driving accident victims on Georgia highways, is already in effect. That program was created through the efforts of the Department of Transportation, the Georgia Gen. Assembly and the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council in 2006. That program is separate from this new memorial sign program, and will continue as scheduled.

The new memorials will consist of 15- inch round, white signs containing the message Drive Safely: in Memory (name of the deceased).Families and friends of accident victims can request a sign for a $100 fee that will go towards installation and fabrication charges. The sign will be in place for a period of one year, after which it will be returned to the sponsor of the sign. However, families can only order these memorial signs through the Department of Transportation.

Published on: February 11, 2011

Flintstone, Georgia Man is Safest Truck Driver in Georgia Avoiding Truck Accidents for 41 Years

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

As Atlanta truck accident attorneys, we don’t hesitate when it comes to holding truck drivers responsible for their negligence if it results in truck accidents. So, it’s only fair that we acknowledge truck drivers who have an exemplary driving record. This week, UPS inducted 49 Georgians into its elite Circle of Honor organization. These are truck drivers in Atlanta and throughout Georgia who are helping keep our roads safe by avoiding truck accidents.

The Circle of Honor includes only those UPS drivers who have completed 25 years of safe driving. This year was a record year for new Circle of Honor inductees. There were 1,122 new honorees worldwide into the Circle of Honor this year, the highest in any year for the company.

With Georgia’s 49 new UPS drivers who are in the Circle of Honor, Georgia now has 232 active UPS Circle of Honor drivers. These drivers have among them 6,670 years of combined safe driving experience. The safest UPS truck driver in Georgia is Flintstone-based Robert Millican Junior, who has an impressive 41 years of accident- free driving to his credit.

Published on: January 14, 2011

Police Officer Injured in Atlanta, Georgia Truck Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A truck driver has been charged after being involved in a truck accident in Clayton County, Georgiain which a police officer was injured. The trucker had been driving a massive tractor-trailer rig, when he rear-ended a patrol car in front of him. The police officer was driving the Department of Transportation truck on the road when the truck accident occurred. The officer suffered serious injuries, and had to be airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital. The tractor-trailer driver meanwhile has been charged with causing serious injury by vehicle, following too closely and too fast.

One of the challenges of operating a massive truck is understanding that your vehicle takes a much longer time to come to a complete stop than a passenger vehicle. It’s important for all 18-wheeler drivers to understand that this greatly increased stopping distance amplifies the risks of colliding with a vehicle in front.

Any time a passenger vehicle is involved in an accident with a tractor-trailer, injuries sustained can be extremely series. A typical rear ender accident involving two passenger vehicles can cause whiplash and other injuries. However, when you have a massive 18-wheeler weighing more than 80,000 pounds rear ending a passenger vehicle, the kind of injuries that the passenger car occupants suffer can be devastating.

Published on: January 7, 2011

Students Injured in a Truck Accident in Cherokee County

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

There has been yet another serious school bus accident in Georgia.Six students on a school bus suffered personal injuries in a truck accident in Cherokee County over the weekend.The accident involved a school bus and a tractor-trailer.The bus was taking students to the Free Home Elementary School when it struck a tractor-trailer early Tuesday morning.The bus driver, truck driver, and six students of the school suffered personal injuries in the crash and had to be taken to the hospital.

The year 2010 proved to be a dangerous year for Georgia school children.A number of accidents involving school buses and other vehicles were recorded last year, and some of these ended in personal injuries and even fatalities.The accident is under investigation, but according to CBS Atlanta, the school bus driver was a substitute driver.She had been with the Cherokee County School System since November.By all accounts, she had had sufficient hands-on training according to state laws.However, some parents have been questioning whether her driving was sufficient.

Besides, this school bus accident also brings up the question of seat belts on school buses.Atlanta personal injury lawyers would like to see some movement in this direction in 2011.New bus safety rules that were announced in 2010 include charter and intercity buses, but not school buses.This is in spite of the fact that school buses transport some of the most vulnerable passengers, and are at a high risk of being injured in an accident.

Published on: January 6, 2011

NHTSA Proposal to Prevent Speed-Related Truck Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The idea of using speed limiting devices to restrict speed limits on commercial trucks, and therefore, minimize the risk of speed-related truck accidents, has been floating around for a while now. In 2006, the American Trucking Associations and several other interested parties petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to mandate speed limiting devices on all trucks. Last week, the NHTSA announced that it would initiate an NPR aimed at getting these devices installed in all trucks. If the rule does pass, there will be far fewer truck accidents and, therefore, many injuries avoided and many wrongful deaths prevented.

The NHTSA announced on its website a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking related to the mandating of such devices on all trucks. Proposals to have speed limiting devices installed on commercial trucks have been widely supported, not just by Atlanta truck accident lawyers, but also by trucking safety groups and the trucking industry.

It’s not every day that you get the trucking industry and Atlanta truck accident attorneys on the same page as far as trucking safety is concerned. However, on this issue, the American Trucking Associations has been extremely vocal in its support for such devices. However, not all trucking companies are happy about such rules. The Owner- Independent Operators Drivers’ Association, which consists of smaller independent trucking companies and drivers, has strongly opposed any rules to mandate these devices on truckers. The devices would limit the speed of trucks weighing 20,000 pounds and above to a maximum of 68 mph.

Published on: December 29, 2010

DOT Proposal to Prevent Distracted Driving Truck Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

As Atlanta truck accident attorneyswho have been concerned about the lack of serious restrictions on cell phone use by truck drivers, we were happy with a new Department of Transportation proposal banning the use of handheld cell phones by truck and bus drivers. The banning of cell phones by truck drivers and bus drivers will greatly decrease the likelihood of truck accidents and bus accidents. Personal injury attorneys and lawyers for the trucking and busing companies will closely monitor the new proposal. Simply put, the ban would prevent a significant number of personal injuries and deaths each year.

This week, the DOT made a formal announcement, proposing the ban. The ban would include not just talking on a cell phone, but also holding and dialing a cell phone while driving.The announcement comes just months after a ban on text messaging while driving for both commercial truck and bus drivers earlier this year.

According to the DOT, inattention was a factor in 9% of all commercial truck accidents in 2009. Meanwhile last year, between 6% and 13% of all bus accidents were linked to distracted driving. Obviously, there is a need for a law that would completely ban the use of handheld cell phones and text messaging devices for all commercial truck and bus drivers.

Published on: December 28, 2010

FMCSA Proposes New Truck Driver HOS Rules to Prevent Truck Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is responsible for issuing regulations to decrease truck accidents, this week proposed a series of changes in the current Hours of Service rules for truck drivers. According to the agency, the new rules will give the drivers more rest in a workday, allowing them to work fewer hours, and reducing the possibility of truck accidents. Of course, truck accidents pose one of the greatest risks of serious personal injury and death to drivers of cars. Lawyers for trucking companies and injury attorneys will be monitoring these changes very carefully.

Overall, the changes have been encouraging to Atlanta truck accident lawyers. The FMCSA is proposing the following changes:

· The possibility of restricted driving time from 11 hrs daily to 10 hours

Published on: October 11, 2010

Mandatory Alcohol Testing Could Have Caused Decline in Truck Accident Fatalities

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Mandatory Alcohol Testing Could Have Caused Decline in Truck Accident Fatalities

As Atlanta truck accident lawyers, we keep ourselves informed about the latest developments in trucking safety.A study by scientists at Columbia University seems to suggest that mandatory alcohol testing programs have been responsible for the decline in truck accident fatalities in 2009.Last year, saw a significant drop in these deaths, from 4,245 fatalities in 2008, to 3,380 fatalities in 2009.

The results of the study titled Effectiveness of Mandatory Alcohol Testing Programs on Reducing Alcohol Involvement in Fatal Motor Carrier Crashes show that these alcohol testing programs that were implemented in 1995, have contributed to an approximately 23% reduced risk of alcohol use as a factor in truck accidents.

Published on: September 29, 2010

One Killed in Canton Truck Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

One Killed in Canton Truck Accident

A 22-year-old man was killed in a multi-vehicle accident involving a tractor-trailer and two passenger vehicles in Canton last week.The accident occurred on Wednesday evening on the exit ramp from Interstate 575 to GA 140.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a tractor-trailer ran a stop light at an intersection, and struck a Chevrolet Tahoe.The impact caused both vehicles to hit a Honda Prelude.The driver of the Honda Prelude, a 22-year-old resident of Canton, sustained serious injuries, and was declared dead at the scene.The driver of the Chevrolet Tahoe was also injured.