Steering Defect Prompts Volvo Truck Recall
A truck recall of more than 63,000 Volvo semi tractor trailer trucks has been announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). These Volvo VNL and VNM trucks are being recalled because a defect relating to the drag link and ball socket could cause complete loss of steering control to the driver, posing a serious risk of a semi truck or tractor trailer accident.
The recalled Volvo truck defect models include 2001 through 2006 vehicles. Volvo dealers will make necessary repairs and inspections for the ball sockets and drag link. Owners may also contact Volvo.
Semi Truck Accident Liability: Defective Parts
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is the government agency that regulates the commercial trucking industry. Part of these regulations include laws that deal with the working order of truck parts, including brakes, tires, etc. Drivers, trucking companies and manufacturers are required by law to take certain steps to ensure the good working order of commercial trucks so they don’t jeopardize the safety of public roadways for other motorists.
If a semi truck or tractor trailer accident should occur due to a defective truck part, victims of that accident could bring a truck accident lawsuit against the trucking company, the driver, the manufacturer, and potentially others.
Intersection Crash in Worthington, Minnesota between a Peterbilt Semi and Chevy Trailblazer Injures One
An accident involving a Peterbilt Semi on Highway 60 in Worthington has injured the driver of a Chevy Trailblazer. According to the police report, Nyanhial Yoa of Worthington was driving the Chevy Trailblazer and Bryant Reynolds of Sioux City, Iowa was driving a Peterbilt semi when the two vehicles crashed in an intersection. Nyanhial Yoa was treated at the hospital and released.
Our experience is that people injured in semi crash accidents often experience significant pain long after the accident. Headaches, tinnitus (ear ringing), muscle pain, neck pain and back pain are common. Ask our lawyers about out many successful cases representing clients who were treated and released from the hospital after an accident.
When you hire Pritzker Olsen law firm to represent you in an accident case against a trucking company, our lawyers investigate the accident and build a case for your full and fair compensation. We are not paid unless you win. Contact us for a free consultation: 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or submit our online consultation form.
Head-On Car-Semi Truck Accident Injures Shoreview Woman
A car-semi truck accident on the morning of Tuesday, June 22 on Highway 8 resulted in a woman being airlifted to a nearby hospital, local news sources report.
The 75-year-old woman was driving a 1998 Toyota headed eastbound on Highway 8 around 8 a.m. that morning when her vehicle collided head-on with a westbound Volvo semi truck tractor trailer operated by a 55 year-old-driver from Lindstrom, Minnesota.
The truck was struck on the front left side and that caused the driver to lose control and travel across the center line of the highway and collide with a third car, a Buick traveling east. The semi tractor trailer driver and driver of the Buick were treated for minor injuries and released at the scene, while the Toyota driver was airlifted to a local hospital.
Truck Accident Laws and Liability
According to truck accident lawyers at Pritzker Olsen attorneys, semi truck drivers in the trucking industry are regulated by both federal and state guidelines, including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which regulates such elements as:
- Hours of service (the amount of time a driver can drive). The amount of driving and off-duty time is required to be recorded in the driver’s log. A good truck accident lawyer will analyze the driver’s log to determine if the truck driver violated FMCSA hours-of-service regulations. The argument would be that the accident was caused by driver fatigue.
- Truck driver drug and alcohol use. FMCSA regulations require motor carriers to implement a successful controlled-substances-use-and-alcohol-misuse program. This requirement is meant to prevent truck accidents caused by drunk truck drivers and drivers who are taking drugs.
- Driving requirements. The federal regulations outline driving rules that must be followed before a commercial vehicle under federal jurisdiction can be operated, for example, a person may not drive a commercial truck if the person is too tired, drunk, knows that the truck is not in good working order, etc.
- Truck driver qualifications. These regulations prohibit a motor carrier (trucking company, etc.) from permitting an unqualified person to drive a commercial truck. To be qualified, a driver must pass the required road test, have a certificate saying they are medically fit to drive a commercial vehicle, not have a record of certain criminal offenses, etc.
- Truck parts and accessories, including tires, brakes, etc. FMCSA also has detailed requirements regarding parts and accessories necessary for safe operation. If our law firm is retained by you, we will look at whether the accident was caused, even in part, by improperly maintained equipment, the lack of safety equipment or any other equipment-related question, which would include problems with tires, lights, axles, coupling devices and towing equipment, brakes, engines and other equipment.
Source:
http://the-leader.net/clients/the-leader/minnesota-woman-airlifted-after-headon-crash-p9674.htm?twindow=Default&smenu=61&mad=No
Truck Accident Lawyers Win Over $2 Million for Victim
The truck accident lawyers at Pritzker Olsen law firm recently won $2,750,000 for a victim in a tow truck accident. Our client was in the cab of his truck when the chain using to tow his truck broke and sent the hook flying through his windshield and the hook struck him in the face. He lost his left eye and suffered a traumatic brain injury and facial disfigurement.
In just the past two years, the Pritzker Olsen law firm has collected over $10,000,000 on behalf of truck accident victims. Four of those recoveries were multi-million dollar awards.
Truck Accident Lawsuit FAQ
If you or a loved one have been a victim in a truck accident, Pritzker Olsen truck accident attorneys offer the following advice:
- Report the accident to your insurance company
- Do NOT discuss the accident with other insurance companies
- Do NOT sign anything without consulting your own lawyer
- Take photographs of accident scene or aftermath if possible
- See a doctor
- Share information with your own truck accident attorney
Truck drivers are regulated by state and federal laws. If a truck driver has violated one of these laws or regulations in connection with the accident that injured you, you could receive a larger amount of compensation for your injuries.
Fatal Multi-Vehicle Semi Accident Driver Likely Not Wearing Glasses
A semi truck accident in Minnesota involving a semi truck carrying a load of thousands of honey bees killed two people and resulted in a four-car accident in late May. The swarm of thousands of bees hindered rescue efforts while firefighters in Lakeville, Minn., where the crash took place, tried to clear the wreckage.
New evidence shows the driver of the semi that caused the crash may not have been wearing corrective lenses and was also distracted and temporarily took his eyes off the road while reaching for a beverage, according to local news reports and Minnesota State Patrol officials. This caused the semi to rear-end the car in front of him, which hit the car in front of it, and then that car collided with the second semi carrying the bees. The accident happened on Interstate 35.
Other questions have been raised about the driver’s physical condition. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
“The patrol also is looking at [the driver's] physical condition…adding that the 36-year-old driver was ordered “out of service” by a trooper. [Officials] did not specify what it was about the driver’s condition that prompted the order; however, the trooper invoked a federal regulation that allows such an action when a driver is ill or fatigued. [The driver] was sidelined for 10 hours…”
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a division of the Department of Transportation, has strict regulations for commercial drivers. If an accident occurs and injures or kills someone as a result of a failure to follow these regulations, accident victims could have a legal claim against several parties. This could include:
- the truck driver
- the truck owner
- the owner of the truck’s cargo
- others
Semi truck accident victims could obtain money for damages suffered because of the accident. This could include money to cover medical expenses, future medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of wages, loss of earning capacity and others.
Sources:
http://wcco.com/local/bee.truck.accident.2.1743676.html
http://www.startribune.com/local/south/95957679.html?elr=KArksc8P:Pc:UthPacyPE7iUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU
