Tractor-Trailer Accidents | InjuryBoard Richmond

Virginia law recognizes a claim for the negligent hiring of an employee or an independent contractor. With respect to independent contractors, the Virginia Supreme Court recognized a rule of...

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The term "heavy trailers" means trailers that are at least 80 inches wide and have Gross Vehicle Weight Rating over 10,000 pounds. I once handled a case in which a tractor trailer driver attempted...

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Driver fatigue is a leading cause of tractor trailer truck accidents. Consumer advocates sued recently to require the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to lower the current 11-hour driving limit to 10 hours. The requested change would have resulted in one less hour behind the wheel each day. The Teamsters union supports the lower limit. Alas, the Bush Administration once again...

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On a clear day in April 2004, a father of eight kids and owner of a plumbing supply company, was driving his Chevrolet Suburban and obeying the rules of the road. At the same time, a driver of a Swift Transportation tractor-trailer drove 65 mph across three sets of rumble strips designed to warn of an approaching stop sign, ran the stop sign, and crashed into the Suburban, killing the father. ...

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About 100 people die each week in truck accidents. Despite this alarming statistic, the Bush Administration once again succumbed to pressure from lobbyists (this time the American Trucking Association) and, in 2005, adopted new rules permitting tractor trailer truck drivers to drive 11 hours per day. Safety experts and insurance industry analysts challenged the new rules on grounds that the...

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A study released by two truck and highway safety advocacy groups showed that U.S. fatalities from truck accidents have remained consistent at 100 per week from 1999 (when the federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was created) through 2005. This week, families of truck crash victims are lobbying Congress and the Bush Administration to create stricter safety rules. The advocacy groups seek...

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After completing its investigation of the tragic bus fire that killed 23 elderly Hurricane Rita evacuees, the National Transportation Safety Board on February 21st called on the Federal Motor Carrier Motor Safety Administration to promulagate stronger safety regulations for buses and large trucks. The FMCMSA is charged with reducing crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and...

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At 3:50 a.m. Tuesday morning, a tractor trailer traveling west on I-66 in Fairfax crashed into the rear of a Jeep Wrangler, knocking the Wrangler into a Volvo. The Wrangler and Volvo burst into flames. The driver of both the Wrangler and Volvo plus a passenger in the Volvo were killed. This brings to 61 the total number of people killed on Virginia highways in 2007. While the State Police...

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A 15 passenger bus (commonly referred to as a 15 passenger van) is designed to seat 14 passengers and a driver. The design of these buses is a standard cargo chassis with an extended full-size body that has been equipped with passenger seating. These buses have been sold by GM, Ford, and Chrysler under various names:1. Chevrolet Express 35002. GMC Savana G35003. Dodge Ram Van/Wagon B35004. ...

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An 11 month old baby was killed and her two siblings and mother were were injured when the tractor trailer truck in which they were passengers overturned. The children and their mother were taking a road trip with their father who was hauling magazines stacked on pallets. Unfortunately, the magazines had been loaded improperly. When the truck slowly entered a curve, the mother heard a loud...

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