Michael Leizerman’s Blog

Trucking litigation is very document-intensive and governed by hundreds of regulations. Given this, the need for qualified truck accident attorneys to understand all facets of litigation is important. I have handled numerous truck accidents throughout the United States, many of them similar to those noted below. Please feel free to contact me at michael@leizerman.com or call me at:
1-800-628-4500.

Startribune.com reports that on Tuesday, July 20, a wide-load combine towed by a semi killed a Brown University senior taking a break from her transcontinental fundraising bike ride. The woman had cycled more than 2,200 miles and was standing on the shoulder of the road, checking her voicemail, when the protruding machinery hit and killed her. The accident happened on Hwy. 18 on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

KCRA.com reports that a flipped big rig caused accidents, injuries, and a huge traffic snarl when its load of PVC pipes spilled all over Highway 5 South between Woodland and Sacramento, CA. Two cars were caught up in the crash on Tuesday, July 20, as was another semi, which appeared to have been impaled by some of the pipes. Three people were taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

WVGazettemail.com reports that a semi carrying coal crossed the center line on W. Va. 61 and slammed into an SUV on Wednesday, July 21, seriously injuring the driver and his passenger, both 19. The accident happened near Beards Fork, WV. HealthNet flew both victims to a Charleston Hospital. Sheriff’s deputies believe the 26-year-old semi driver, who was not injured, was distracted when he caused the crash.

KPTV.com reports that a dump truck struck and killed a woman as she pulled out onto Highway 30 near Warren, OR, in the early hours of Thursday, July 22. She was declared dead at the scene of the crash; her sole passenger was hospitalized. The truck driver was not injured. The highway was closed for about six hours for the investigation and cleanup.

KXXV.com reports that a woman died in a collision with an 18-wheeler on Thursday, July 22, on Loop 340 in Bellmead, TX. The driver of the chicken truck was not injured. It is not clear who was at fault in the fatal crash.

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Attorneys handling truck accident cases should be familiar with all the Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations. Of course, just being familiar with the regulations is not enough. Attorneys must also conduct thorough discovery in order to apply those regulations to the facts of a specific case. I have handled numerous truck accidents throughout the United States, many of them similar to those noted below. Please feel free to contact me at michael@leizerman.com or call me at 1-800-628-4500.

STLToday.com reports that a semitrailer caused a seven-vehicle pile-up on Saturday, July 17, when it failed to slow for construction traffic and hit a second semi that had stopped on I-57 near West Frankfort, Illinois. A third tractor-trailer carrying asphalt hit the first one, and then a fourth truck, also bearing asphalt, hit the third. The first semi caught fire, and the flames spread to three passenger vehicles, whose occupants sustained injuries. The drivers of the first two trucks died at the scene of the crash.

KCRG-TV.com reports that a trailer came loose and killed the driver of a car heading in the opposite direction. The accident happened Saturday, July 17, on Balltown Road south of Balltown, Iowa. The semi driver and the car’s passenger were both unhurt. In 2003, that same truck driver was involved in another fatal crash, when a backhoe slid off a flatbed trailer he was towing and struck a car, killing the passenger and injuring the driver.

Examiner.com reports that on Sunday, July 18, an 18 wheeler struck a pickup truck on I-10 near Lake Charles, Louisiana, leaving it damaged and stalled in a traffic lane. A second semi hit the pickup from behind, throwing the passengers (a woman and her daughter) into the median. They were taken to a local hospital with injuries.

KCSG.com reports that a semi speeding on I-15 near Pintura, Utah, killed a vacationing couple on Sunday, July 18. When the truck driver hit his brakes, his rear trailer swung out into oncoming traffic and hit a Kia SUV head-on. The crash totaled the car and killed its occupants, an older married couple from Pennsylvania.

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It takes a little fire in the belly to fight with truck companies and insurance companies day in and day out. I get personally offended when, for example, an insurance company offers a pittance when one of their insured’s vehicles crosses a centerline and kills somebody’s mother. But being passionate alone is not enough. The best way to beat the truck companies is old-fashioned hard work. Please feel free to contact me at michael@leizerman.com or call me at 1-800-628-4500.

ABC 6 On Your Side reports that a semi slammed into a Ford Focus on U.S. 23 in Pickaway County, Ohio, killing a passenger in the Ford and injuring its driver. The Ford was entering a Wal-Mart parking lot when the truck crash happened. The Ohio Department of Transportation is working with Pickaway County Sheriffs officials to investigate the truck accident.

Tracy Press reports that a semi-truck slammed into a minivan on Grant Line Road in Tracy, California, injuring three people including a child who was trapped inside the van following the truck crash. The accident occurred at an intersection whose traffic signal lights were out due to a power failure. Tracy Police pointed out that when a traffic light fails the intersection becomes a four-way stop. They are continuing their investigation of the truck accident at this time.

TheINDYChannel.com reports that a tractor-trailer rear-ended a passenger vehicle on State Road 37 near Bloomington, Indiana, killing the car’s 31-year-old driver. The passenger vehicle was slowing to pull into a gas station when the big rig crashed into it from behind. A passenger in the car was transported to a local hospital with a bone fracture, lacerations, and severe cuts. Police investigators are continuing to review the truck accident.

St. Tammany News reports that an 18-wheeler crossed the median on Interstate 59 north of Pearl River, Louisiana, entered the opposite flow of traffic, and crashed into a Dodge Ram pickup, killing four people in that pickup. A spokesman for the Louisiana State Police stated that it is believed the right front tire on the semi blew out or came loose, causing the big rig’s driver to lose control and cross the median. The impact of the truck crash mangled the pickup truck beyond recognition.

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State trucking laws vary, and the need for qualified truck accident attorneys to understand all facets of a particular litigation is imperative. I have handled numerous truck accidents throughout the United States, many of them similar to those noted below. Please feel free to contact me michael@leizerman.com or call me at 1-800-628-4500.

Mansfield NewsJournal.com reports that a semitrailer failed to stop for traffic flagged to a stop on Ohio 13 north of Richland County, Ohio, and slammed into at least nine vehicles before coming to rest in a field where it burst into flames. Several people, including children, from several of the vehicles were injured, some very seriously. Ohio Highway Patrol officers reported that no citations were issued, but that the truck accident investigation is ongoing.

Vcstar.com reports that a tractor-trailer rig pulled in front of a van on the Pacific Coast Highway north of Ventura, California, causing the van to crash into the truck and injuring two teens in the van. The California Highway Patrol reports that the semi-truck was stopped on the shoulder and failed to yield when it pulled back onto the PCH. The driver of the van was trapped and was freed by firefighters. He was treated at a nearby hospital for arm and leg fractures and cuts and bruises to his head.

Jconline.com reports that a semi-trailer tipped over on U.S. 24 near West Lafayette, Indiana, crushing a minivan and injuring its driver. The truck crash was caused by excessive speed as the driver of the big rig took a curve at high speeds, causing his semi-trailer to overturn. Indiana State Police cited the big rig’s driver for driving too fast for conditions.

Omaha.com reports that a semitrailer truck crashed into a turning vehicle on Highway 15 north of Schuyler, Nebraska, killing a passenger in the vehicle and critically injuring the vehicle’s driver. The truck accident is under investigation by the Colfax County Sheriff’s Office and the Nebraska State Patrol.

The Denver Post.com reports that the driver of a big rig caused an accident on I-70 in Mesa County, Colorado when he placed reflective emergency triangles on the roadway, causing a car to overturn in its attempt to avoid them, and resulting in the death of a passenger in that vehicle. The Colorado State Patrol states that the big rig’s driver placed the emergency triangles in a traffic lane of the interstate rather than on the shoulder where his broken-down semi was parked. The triangles were around a curve. The passenger vehicle rounded the curve, swerved to avoid the triangles, overturned, and crashed into a second vehicle. The passenger in the first vehicle was thrown from that vehicle and died after being airlifted to a nearby hospital. The driver of the vehicle was also injured, but there is no word on her condition. The Colorado State Patrol reports that the driver of the big rig will face negligent homicide charges following this truck accident.

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