How Does Speed Affect Rollover Truck Accidents?

By WRSMH on November 18, 2016

Driving at high speeds causes a very high number of rollover accidents, which can be particularly dangerous in light trucks that may not have the roof strength to protect occupants. According to one study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 45% of the rollover accidents they examined were caused by speed in one way or another. In New York, where road conditions can be affected by adverse weather, it is even more important to understand how to maintain safe control of a vehicle and avoid rollover accidents.

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Posted in: Truck Accident

How Should I React to a Jackknifing Accident?

By WRSMH on October 28, 2016

A jackknifing accident occurs when a large truck hauling a trailer attempts to brake suddenly or on a slippery surface and the trailer continues forward, pushing the cab of the truck to the side and back along the trailer. This type of accident is rarely fatal for the driver or other parties involved, but it can be frightening and result in personal injury or property damage. If you are a driver and see a jackknife occurring, there are a few things you can do to help yourself avoid a collision and respond to the situation safely.

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Posted in: Truck Accident

How do Human Factors Cause Large Truck Accidents in New York?

By WRSMH on September 29, 2016

Large trucks carry tremendous amounts of cargo throughout America. These vehicles are vital to ensuring daily operations for businesses all across New York and safely navigate the roads and bridges of the state every day. Fortunately, accidents and crashes involving large trucks are quite rare, but when they do occur, they can result in tremendous property damage, physical injury, and even fatalities. More often than not, when a driver is injured in a crash with a large truck, it is the driver of another vehicle and not the truck driver. Although mechanical failures can happen, more than 80% of crashes with large trucks occur due to human factors, not vehicular ones.

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Posted in: Truck Accident

Top Four Causes of New York Truck Accidents

By WRSMH on February 25, 2016

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regularly reviews the causes of reported traffic accidents to better understand how these devastating crashes happen. According to the federal agency, there are well over 250,000 large truck accidents nationwide each year. These accidents injure 60,000 people and kill over 3,000 people annually.

Understanding the main causes of truck accidents can help you avoid being involved in one. Here are four of the most common causes of New York truck accidents:

  • Truck driver error: Inexperienced, careless, and reckless truck drivers put everyone on the roadway at risk of serious injury. Some of the most common forms of truck driver error include excessive speed, violating hours-of-service regulations, driving while fatigued, distracted driving, and impaired driving.

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Posted in: Truck Accident

New York Truck Accident Proves Fatal

By WRSMH on August 27, 2015

Rockland County Truck AccidentTwo people were killed in a New York car accident involving a tractor-trailer, two box trucks and another vehicle. According to an AM New York news report, the fatal truck accident happened near exit 14B of Interstate 87 in Suffern. Officials say the truck was attempting to pass slower traffic, lost control and struck a box truck head on. The tractor-trailer tipped over, a box truck burst open littering debris across the highway. Two people were killed and a third suffered minor injuries.

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Posted in: Truck Accident

Truck Drivers Continue to Fight Drowsy Driving Accident Prevention

By WRSMH on June 17, 2014

NY Truck Crash AttorneyIn an effort to reduce the number of serious truck accidents that occur each year due to fatigued driving, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) enacted new Hours-of-Service rules for truck drivers in July 2013. The new rule reduced the number of hours a trucker may spend on the road in a single week from 82 hours to 70, with a mandatory 34 hours of rest before beginning a new workweek.

Driving while drowsy is a great risk for any driver, but when an individual is operating a semi-truck that can easily weigh 80,000 pounds, the potential for causing catastrophic or fatal damage is all the more real. According to National Transportation Safety Board, nearly half of all fatal truck accidents are the result of a fatigued truck driver.

Unfortunately, in an industry in which truckers earn more money the quicker a delivery is completed, forcing drivers to spend less time on the road, especially between the low-traffic hours of 1am and 5am, is not a welcomed change.

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Posted in: Truck Accident