What Causes (nearly all) the Rollover and Jackknife Tractor-Trailer Crashes

During my legal career of over 30 years, I have seen and handled a countless number of jackknifed tractor trailer crash cases. Nearly all of them have involved life altering or fatal injuries. Big semi-trucks are a common sight on our public roads.  Although they are a vital part of our transportation system, they can also be very dangerous.  One of the most common types of tractor trailer crashes is called a jackknife. Jackknife crash: when a semi-truck trailer skids towards the truck cab at a 90-degree angle. The term comes from the look of the tractor-trailer after the crash – like a small folding knife. Jackknife crashes may also be considered rollover crashes, although not all roll-overs end in

Truck route planning is a requirement – not an option

Train traffic near Lacey, Washington was stopped for several hours on Tuesday after a semi-truck crashed into a train trestle . Last month, a dump truck weighing approximately 15,000 pounds vehicle collapsed an “old, rickety bridge” in Snohomish County. Neither of those crashes should have happened. More and more often, I am seeing these reports of trucks crashing into underpasses, overpasses, trestles or bridges. Each one of these instances is preventable and under no circumstance should such a crash occur. Here’s why. Commercial Truck Route Planning Besides operating a heavy truck safely on our public highways, a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver is required to know and understand all aspects of their route. This is known as route planning: truck

Technology could prevent many rear-end semi truck crashes – but many don’t use it

Recently, I read about the truck driver that ran into several stopped vehicles in Colorado. People described the crash scene, where 4 people were killed, as “true carnage.” Many were taken to the hospital with serious injuries. The descriptions reminded me of a 2017 rear-end semi crash in Illinois, where 1 man was killed and 3 seriously injured when a semi-truck driver crashed into back of a stopped vehicle, causing a seven-vehicle pile-up. It also reminded me of two rear-end semi truck crashes my law firm has handled. One involved a high school athlete returning home after cross country practice. He was hit from behind at highway speed and pushed into the oncoming lane, where his vehicle hit a pickup

Understanding Garbage Truck Accidents: Causes, Risks, and Prevention

A garbage truck accident can produce severe or fatal injuries for pedestrians, drivers, and others in the vicinity. Getting hit or otherwise hurt by a garbage collection vehicle is no joke – like any other accident this can lead to serious long-term consequences that reduce your quality of life.  At Coluccio Law, our legal experts help ensure that garbage truck accident victims get the compensation they deserve. If you or a loved one have been hurt in an accident involving a garbage truck, get in touch with us today and our team will be glad to help.  Risks Involved with Garbage Truck Accidents Garbage trucks are large vehicles that can sometimes make sudden robotic movements. Not only this, but these

This is what truck deadheading means, and why you should know

Truck deadheading is the practice of driving a semi-truck with an empty trailer. It happens when a trucker drops off a load but has to drive elsewhere to pick up another load. Those deadhead miles can be extremely dangerous. A truck deadheading is 2.5x more likely to crash than a truck carrying freight. The weather has more effect on empty trucks You’ve seen these deadheads on the highway: one wind gust can cause a lot of trailer sway. Truck deadheading increases the likelihood of a rollover. High winds can flip an empty truck trailer if the driver isn’t careful. So you see a truck trailer swaying between lanes, move away from it. It’s likely either a truck deadheading back, or the load is not

Seattle makes a big safety improvement to city trucks

[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″ layout=”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=”true” hover_type=”none” border_sizes_top=”” border_sizes_bottom=”” border_sizes_left=”” border_sizes_right=”” min_height=”” link=”” background_blend_mode=”overlay” first=”true”][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” content_alignment_medium=”” content_alignment_small=”” content_alignment=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” margin_top=”” margin_right=”” margin_bottom=”” margin_left=”” fusion_font_family_text_font=”” fusion_font_variant_text_font=”” font_size=”” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” text_transform=”none” text_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=””] Sharp-eyed Seattle residents may notice something different about SDOT trucks. Earlier this month, the Seattle Department of Transportation started installing side guard panels on city-owned heavy trucks. Why truck side guards matter This may not seem like a big change, but it could have a big impact. Truck side

Categories

Contact Coluccio Law