Distracted driving kills. In 2018, nearly 3,000 people were killed by distracted driving in the U.S. Distracted driving is any activity that diverts attention from driving. This can include talking on your phone, texting, changing the radio station, using a GPS system, eating, and drinking. Really, distracted driving is anything that takes your focus away…

Any time there is a tragic airplane crash, one of the most crucial pieces of evidence to investigators is the plane’s “black box.” Likewise, commercial tractor-trailers are equipped with a “black box” that records certain data about the truck’s operations. Though they’re often referred to as “black boxes,” the on-board computer device in trucks are…

Under section 392 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs), no commercial motor vehicle (CMV) can be driven unless the driver is satisfied that the following parts and accessories are in good working order: Service brakes, including trailer brake connections;  parking (hand) brake; Steering mechanism; Lighting devices and reflectors; Tires; Horn; Windshield wiper or…

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), a subsidiary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, governs interstate trucking nationwide. To provide guidance to trucking companies, the FMCSA issued the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs or “federal regs”). Sections 383 and 391 of the FMCSRs outline the minimal requirements for interstate commercial truck drivers. What…

Recently, FleetOwner, an online magazine covering the commercial transportation industry, published an article highlighting how one trucking company implemented new technology to reduce collisions amongst its fleet.[1] Groendyke Transport of Oklahoma installed blinking amber lights on the back of its tanker trucks at a cost of $150 per light. Groendyke had already made a significant…

At over 80,000 pounds fully loaded, a tractor-trailer weighs at least 26 times more than the average passenger car.  Unsurprisingly then, when a tractor-trailer driver loses control of his truck on a congested highway, the damage can be tremendous.  In many truck accidents, multiple vehicles will be struck, sometimes with several passengers in each.  Often,…

On May 26, 2020, FleetOwner, an online trucking industry magazine, published an interesting article called “Protecting Fleets from Nuclear Verdict: The Defense Side.” You can read the article here. FleetOwner has teased that it will discuss nuclear verdicts from a plaintiff’s perspective later. What is a “nuclear verdict?” A nuclear verdict is a trucking insurance…

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is the division of the U.S. Department of Transportation that implements policies and regulations to reduce commercial motor vehicle accidents. On May 14, 2020, the FMCSA announced changes to its hours of service (HOS) rules governing interstate truck drivers. The changes are intended to give truck drivers increased flexibility…

Driving large trucks is a dangerous business. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) recognizes the significantly increased risks associated with commercial trucking. The USDOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is responsible for minimizing crashes and injuries involving commercial motor vehicles. To reach this goal, the FMCSA has issued hundreds of regulations imposing a variety of…

The moment a new client comes to our law firm, our investigation of their crash begins. The same day that a new case is signed up, we send what are known as “spoliation letters” to all parties involved in the crash. A spoliation letter advises the at-fault drivers and trucking companies that the accident may…