Truck Accidents

April 8, 2011

Slumped Economy Influences Decreased Number of Boston Car Accidents

The United Stated experienced reported 34,700 fatal vehicle accidents last year, according to the National Safety Council. This number shows a 3 percent decrease from the previous year and a fatality decrease for the fourth year in a row. Previous motor vehicle fatality trends credit the recession to the decreased number. Unfortunately, the fourth-quarter of 2010, as we started to climb out of the recession, the number of fatal car accident began to increase.

Our Boston car accident attorneys urge motorists to be prepared for more traffic and a greater risk of car accidents in Massachusetts as the economy recovers.

“As encouraging as it is to see fatalities decreasing on our nation’s roads, the 2010 rate of decrease is less than a third of the previous year’s decrease,” said Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. “We must remain vigilant in addressing roadway safety issues where the greatest impact can be made, such as distracted and teen driving. As miles traveled start to rise again from recession lows, we want to ensure the continuance of this downward trend.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that more than 10 million vehicles were involved in police-reported accidents in 2008. Passenger vehicles made up 94 percent of those involved in accidents.

The NSC also reports that motor vehicle injuries, deaths and property damage cost $236.6 in 2010, also a 3 percent decrease from 2009. This total cost includes medical expenses, wage and productivity losses, administrative expenses, property damage and employer costs.

In Massachusetts, nearly 230 vehicles were involved in fatal accidents in 2008, claiming the lives of roughly 170 motor-vehicle occupants. Percent decreases in fatal accidents are slightly higher than the national average sitting at about 5 percent each year.
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March 17, 2011

Faulty Underride Guard Regulations Cause Increased Risk of Fatal Boston Car Accidents

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Underride guards on tractor-trailers have recently been proven inadequate and unsafe in Boston car accidents. Impact in low-speed crashes often times results in deadly consequences according to recent studies conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Boston personal injury lawyers understand the severity of these failing underride guards and urge you to practice safe and alert driving when sharing the roads with tractor-trailers. The IIHS has estimated that more than 5,000 passenger vehicle occupants are injured every year when their vehicles collide with the back of large trucks — more than 400 people die in these accidents.

In the study conducted by the IIHS, three tractor-trailers were used: two carrying the underride guards of Canadian standards and the third meeting the U.S. standard. The results from the U.S. tractor-trailer raised questions about how and why these guards failed. The study also determined that the lower-speed accidents were the ones with the worst results.

The Canadian vehicles were able to stop the car before possible injuries reached the occupants of the passenger vehicle, while the tractor-trailers meeting U.S. standards caused damage that would have surely injured, if not killed, any font-seat occupants.

“You might be riding in a vehicle that earns top marks in frontal crash tests, but if the truck’s underride guard fails — or isn’t there at all — your chances of walking away from even a relatively low-speed crash aren’t good,” reported the IIHS.

“Damage to the cars in some of these tests was so devastating that it’s hard to watch the footage without wincing. If these had been real-world crashes, there would be no survivors,” said IIHS President Adrian Lund.
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February 25, 2011

Unsecure loads common cause of Boston trucking accidents, work injury

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Wicked Local recently reported on a man that sustained serious injuries when a truck fell on him from a transport trailer.

Our Boston personal injury lawyers are all too familiar with improperly secured loads on trucks and know the havoc it can create on our roadways.

The afternoon accident occurred at a car auction when a pickup truck fell off of a transport trailer. The victim, an employee from the auction, had just secured the truck and was about to check on another vehicle when the incident happened. It appears the truck was not properly secured according to the preliminary investigation.

The man’s injuries were so severe he had to be transported by helicopter to Brigham & Women’s Hospital.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics contact with objects and equipment while at work killed 734 U.S. workers, 12 were in Massachusetts.

This incident could have been far worse if the truck had broke free while in transport.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has many rules and regulations regarding securing cargo, which are documented in the Driver’s Handbook on Cargo Securement.

Sections in the handbook include the proper methods to secure: logs, dressed lumber, metal coils, paper rolls, concrete pipe, intermodal containers, vehicles (car, trucks and vans), heavy machinery, flattened or crushed vehicles, roll-on containers and large rocks.

There are a variety of different devices used to secure cargo including: synthetic webbing, chains, ropes, blocking, clamps, friction mat and steel strapping.

Cargo needs to be secured so it doesn’t spill, leak, blow off fall through or fall off the vehicle, shift to cause instability or become dislodged. Truckers should do a pre-trip inspection of their load and inspect securing devices throughout the trip.

There are also complex requirements on the amount of force a load needs to withstand from different directions. The load can not shift more than a certain amount from front to back, side to side or upwards.

Properly securing loads is the responsibility of truckers and trucking companies and is necessary to ensure the safety of motorists. An improper load can lead to a devastating crash, causing serious or fatal injuries.
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