How long does it take to learn to drive a semi-truck … safely?

There are no national standards for training new semi-truck drivers. Here’s why that’s a problem. Several years ago, I represented Angelah, a young girl with a mild traumatic brain injury. She had been in a terrible crash. Her mother was driving. The afternoon was rainy, and the road was wet. A truck driver failed to take into consideration roadway hazards and struck the family vehicle. He hadn’t been driving a semi-truck for very long—he was still in training. He wasn’t driving carefully, especially for the weather conditions. If that young trucker had more experience, he might not have made this tragic decision. He might have slowed down. I don’t think that the semi-truck driver meant to cause a crash. I

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Here’s what happened: the story of the Skagit River Bridge collapse

[fusion_builder_container type=”flex” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” border_style=”solid”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_repeat=”no-repeat” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”no” hover_type=”none” border_sizes_top=”” border_sizes_bottom=”” border_sizes_left=”” border_sizes_right=”” min_height=”” link=””][fusion_text] It was early evening on a sunny May day in Washington. A young man was driving his Subaru to hockey practice. A couple in a pickup truck was headed out on a camping trip. A pilot car driver was talking to her husband on the phone. Then, a semi truck’s oversize load struck the Skagit River Bridge on I-5. The bridge suddenly broke apart. The Subaru and the truck plunged into the river below. It was the stuff of nightmares. When the Skagit

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The X Factor in Brain Injury Recovery

Tessa Venell was in a serious car accident and hit her head on the car’s windshield. Most people with severe head injuries like hers do not survive. So far, Tessa’s made an amazing recovery. A short video of Tessa’s story: Then and Now How did Tessa make such a complete and unexpected recovery? She credits her strong support network. Tessa describes the loneliness and isolation that TBI patients endure. That’s a well-documented problem for brain injury survivors. Many face persistent cognitive issues that take medical precedence over psychological issues. And many rehabilitation approaches don’t include psychological treatments as a regular part of treatment. There’s not much research on how the support and encouragement of family, friends, and medical providers assist

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The inspiring resilience of a young burn injury survivor

In the last 30 years, I’ve worked with thousands of injured people. I have seen the aftermath of massive truck crashes, of pedestrian fatalities and of tragic accidents that have destroyed lives. But the incredible pain of a burn injury stands out as particularly devastating. Burn wounds are not only physical, but also psychological: visible burns drastically change a person’s appearance. Survivors often experience severe depression, and withdraw from society to conceal their injuries. That’s why it’s so inspiring to see a young burn injury survivor bravely tell her story as part of the documentary Trial By Fire. Calais Weber was only 15 when she almost died. An accidental fire started during chemistry class changed her life forever. She was

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Rebuilding after a traumatic brain injury

David Grant is doing something very unusual: he’s actually talking about his traumatic brain injury. He survived a serious bicycle accident in 2010, but was left with a brain injury. David explains the challenges of TBI in frank and honest way. He describes his personal struggles to accept his disability, and to live a different life than he had planned. He writes of his routine, of “bad brain days,” of friends he lost, and family challenges. He talks about educating other people – even medical professionals – on TBI, and how there are times when he can’t bring himself to explain it yet again. “There is still a very real social stigma attached to having a traumatic

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How long does it take to learn to drive a semi-truck … safely?

Here’s what happened: the story of the Skagit River Bridge collapse

The X Factor in Brain Injury Recovery

The inspiring resilience of a young burn injury survivor

Rebuilding after a traumatic brain injury

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