Alabama Injury Attorneys Blog

Our Bessemer accident attorneys have seen far too many crashes caused by truckers who were either distracted, fatigued or reckless.

Causes of accidents involving large trucks over 10,000 pounds are as varied as the people behind the wheel. A study conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in 2007 looked at the top causes of large truck crashes, and this is what they found:

Of a sample of 120,000 large truck crashes analyzed, at least one person was killed in every single case. In nearly 80 percent of these cases, the large truck was pulling one semi-trailer. In 5 percent of the cases, the trucks were hauling materials deemed hazardous. Also in about 75 percent of these crashes, the truck struck another vehicle.

When investigators look at the causes of the crash, they sometimes have to analyze what was happening hours, days or even months prior to a crash. That's because crashes can involve elements such as driver fatigue, driver training and experience or the design and manufacturing of the vehicle itself.

In cases in which the truck driver or his rig were responsible, here are the top 10 crash causes:

1. Problems with the brakes;


2. Traffic jam or congestion from prior crash;


3. Use of prescription drugs;


4. Speeding;


5. Unfamiliarity with the road;


6. Problems on the roadway;


7. A required stop, such as a traffic light or crosswalk;


8. Over-the-counter drug use;


9. Inattention;


10. Fatigue

Continue reading "Alabama Truck Accidents Have Variety of Causes" »

Ray LaHood, the Secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation, recently announced a final rule that employs the most recent facts and stats of driver fatigue to help reduce the risks of accidents. The new rule is to help ensure that truck drivers get enough rest before setting out on our roadways and endangering innocent motorists. The newly-enacted rule is being used to revise the hours-of-service (HOS) safety requirements for commercial truck drivers, which was previously written by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

"Trucking is a difficult job, and a big rig can be deadly when a driver is tired and overworked," said LaHood.

LaHood added that this rule will help increase roadway safety, help reduce the risks of accidents and potentially save lives.

To help spread the word and ensure this rule is effective, the FMCSA conducted a number of public listening sessions across the U.S. where trucking company owners, truckers, police officers, safety advocates and the public could share questions and concerns.

The Administrator for the FMCSA, Anne Ferro, said the rule was created after an intense and thorough public outreach. After receiving input from all of the invited parties, the FMCSA created what they believe to be the most effective hours of service rule ever.

The new rule says drivers' weekly driving time needs to be cut by 12 hours. Before the new rule, drivers were allowed to be behind the wheel for 82 hours in a week. The new rule only allows driver to be behind the wheel for 70 hours each week.

The second addition to the rule states that drivers must take at least a 30-minute break after every eight hours of driving.

Lastly, drivers are not allowed to driver for longer than 11 hours in a single day.

Companies that fail to acknowledge these new rules could face serious penalties and fines for each offense.

In 2009, there were nearly 4,000 people killed in the U.S. in accidents involving a large truck. Additionally, another 75,000 people were injured in these types of accidents. Alabama saw nearly 100 large trucks involved in fatal accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates there are more than 295,000 large trucks on U.S. roadways. These new rules from the FMCSA are designed to help to reduce these numbers of fatalities and injuries and to keep these 10,000+ pound trucks from wreaking havoc on our roadways.

Continue reading "FMCSA Passes Final Rule to Help Reduce Risk of Trucking Accidents in Alabama, Nation" »

The holidays are right around the corner and our risks for car accidents in Birmingham have skyrocketed. From 2009 to 2010, Alabama actually saw an increase in the number of fatalities resulting from traffic accidents.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) just put out the new 2010 Motor Vehicle Crashes Overview. These are the full stats regarding traffic accidents that occurred throughout the year. They're also the most recent traffic statistics available.

The overall report says that there was a decrease in the total number of traffic accidents fatalities from 2009 to 2010 throughout the country. The report also says that we experienced the fewest fatalities on U.S. roadways since 1949. While this news may be good, there is some bad that comes with it. While the total number decreased, a few categories of fatal accidents saw a significant increase, including fatalities among large truck occupants, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians. And the overall number of fatal traffic accidents increased in 20 states as the economy continues to recover.

Our Birmingham car accident lawyers note that while the numbers were relatively low throughout the year, they started to increase as the year progressed. This leads officials to believe the risks for car accidents will rise as our economy recovers because travelers will feel more comfortable splurging on road trips. Despite the decreased number, motorists are asked to remain cautious and alert at the wheel.

The NHTSA is also using more measures to track the different types of accidents. "Distraction-affected crashes" and "alcohol-related crashes" were both recently introduced to track the most common types of traffic accidents. Drivers continue to engage in dangerous behaviors behind the wheel and endanger everyone on our roadways.

"We need to maintain our focus on this issue through education, laws, enforcement, and vehicle design to help keep drivers' attention on the road," said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland.

Key Findings of the Newly-Released Report:

-Less than 33,000 people died in traffic accidents throughout the year.

-Another 2.24 million people were injured in car accidents throughout 2010.

-The year reports the lowest recording of fatalities since 1949.

-Alcohol-related traffic accidents still accounted for about a third of all fatalities despite the increase in preventative measures among national, state and local.

-The fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled only decreased by 0.05 percent.

-The number of fatalities among van and large truck occupants increased from the year before.

-The number of fatalities among single-vehicle accidents increased by nearly 5 percent.

-Fatalities from car accidents in rural areas decreased, while the number of fatalities from car accidents in urban areas increased by nearly 5 percent.

-The number of people who were killed in daytime accidents who were wearing a seat belt increased.

-Thirty-one states in the U.S. experienced increases in the number of traffic fatalities.

-Fatalities among motorcyclists, pedestrians and bicyclists increased significantly.

-The number of fatalities increased by nearly 2 percent in Alabama.

There have been a number of safe driving campaigns and enforcement efforts to keep our roads safe. Some of these efforts have been effective, while others have not. Drivers are asked to navigate our roadways responsibly and to voluntarily make safe driving habits a top priority. With a conscious effort from everyone, we can help to reduce the fatality and injury statistics in every category.

Our state experienced just about 850 traffic-accident fatalities in 2009. We witnessed more than 860 in 2010. This proves that motorists on our roadways need to be a little more cautious at the wheel, especially during the holiday season when traffic increases.

Continue reading "More Fatal Car Accidents in Alabama in 2010 than Previous Year" »

The National Transportation Safety Board ("NTSB") has proposed that truckers and other commercial drivers be banned from talking on the phone and texting when they are driving. The NTSB said the ban should include use of hands-free devices.

The NTSB endorsed the ban during a hearing in Washington after ruling that a truck driver using his cellphone caused a crash that killed 11 people on a Kentucky interstate in 2010. A Jasper, Alabama truck driver had just made a call that lasted one second at the time of the March 26, 2010, accident on Interstate 65 near Munfordville, Kentucky, investigators said.

The NTSB's proposal builds on previous recommendations and a push by federal authorities to stop commercial drivers from using hand-held cellphones and texting while operating large truck and buses. The NTSB sent its proposal to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and all 50 states for action.

Our Alabama truck accident lawyers applaud the NTSB for making this proposal.

Source: The Associated Press