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Trucking Accidents

• One Injured in Semi-Truck Accident on I-435 in Northland Kansas City

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Commercial Trucking Accidents

Commercial Trucking Accidents

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there were 4,008 fatalities involving large trucks in 2008. Further, 69% of the deaths in these accidents were occupants of other passenger vehicles, 14% were bicyclists, pedestrians or motorcyclists, and only 15% of these deaths were truck occupants. What accounts for these differences? Trucks are much larger than the average car. The legal weight for a tractor-trailer is 80,000 pounds, while most passenger cars top the scales at a mere 5,000 pounds. Trucks also have greater ground clearance, which enhances protection for the commercial driver.

Is The Driver Too Tired to Effectively Operate His Truck?

One of the leading causes of accidents in the trucking industry is fatigue. Drivers spend too many hours behind the wheel without adequate rest in order to effectively operate their commercial truck. There are two initiatives that have been proposed to help regulate this industry. In 1995 congress told the trucking industry to take measures to stop fatigue-related incidents. One means of providing accountability for truckers is to install electronic tracking devices in trucks to record time spent on the road as well as time spent idle. The technology is there to provide these tracking measures - think “black box” from the airline industry - however, this proposal has been met with keen opposition.

The other change needed in the industry is a change in regulations of hours spent behind the wheel. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, in 2000 the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration proposed recorders as well as a decrease in the daily work limit for a commercial driver. Unfortunately, the proposal never became a reality. In 2003 a new work rule was established allowing truckers a daily driving limit of 11 hours, a daily work limit of 14 hours, a weekly limit of 77 hours and an 8-day limit of 88 hours. Monitoring and enforcement continues to be handwritten log books. As a comparison, airline pilots have piloting limits of 30 hours per week, 100 hours per month and 1,000 hours per year. Although it may not be a fair comparison, since one airline accident can cause hundreds of deaths in one crash, the statistics are quite alarming. The Road Safe America organization reports that in the last three years there have been less than 100 deaths caused by accidents in the airline industry, while commercial truck accident fatalities top 15,000 in the same time period. Additionally, there have been 300,000-400,000 injuries reported.

If you or a loved on has suffered an injury due to a commercial truck accident, you are likely to have some immediate and important questions. There are answers to some of your most important questions right here on our website. For more information, you should also download our FREE book, “10 Essential Steps You Must Take To Protect Your Injury Claim, How You Can Escape The Personal Injury Trap, The Ultimate Guide To Accident Cases in Missouri and Kansas,” right here on our website.

At Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, we have been representing victims of motor vehicle collisions, including those who have been needlessly injured at the hands of a commercial truck driver, for more than 15 years. We understand that a serious medical injury can have devastating consequences and we are dedicated to thoroughly representing the victims of such injuries every step of the way. Contact the experienced lawyers at Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys at (816) 471-5111 for a FREE consultation with no obligation.

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Latest News

• Posted on 1/19/2012Driver Injured when Semi-Truck Over Turns in North Kansas City
• Posted on 11/14/2011Missouri Family Awarded $7 million After Fatal Trucking Accident

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Trucking Accidents

• How long do I have to file a Kansas City truck accident lawsuit in Kansas and when should I contact a Kansas City truck accident lawyer?
  

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