Truck Accidents May Take Years To Resolve.

Unlike passenger vehicle accidents, truck accidents can take years to resolve. That's why it is important to establish a relationship with a competent law firm that will continue fighting for you until it wins all the money you are entitled to recover to help ease your pain and suffering.

The Glassman Law Firm is experienced in dealing with shrewd corporations who will try to suppress and bury the average individual in an avalanche of legal paper in order to delay and obstruct your right to recover damages for your severe injuries. Our masterful attorneys use innovation and diligent investigative methods to ensure you aren't buried in litigation by a trucking company's legal team.

We will fight for you to expose:

-Intoxicated truck drivers;

-Truck drivers with impaired health;

-Untrained/unlicensed truck drivers;

-Unsafe truck equipment;

-Improper maintenance;

-Unsafe/poorly loaded trucks; and

-FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) violations, log book fabrications, and log book violations.

These are just a few of the factors that trucking companies will make extensive efforts to cover up and/or pass the blame to another party. Any party...perhaps you.

In many cases, trucking companies and the corporations that hire them have an investigator of their own on the scene—sometimes arriving before first responders. It really gives you an idea of the lengths to which they are willing to go to protect their own interests and damage yours.

If you or someone you know has been involved in an accident with a semi-truck, big-rig, commercial vehicle, or 18-wheeler, give us a call today. Time is of the essence. Truck companies are working right now to bury your case. Call us so we can uncover the truth.

Large Trucking Companies Only Have Their Driver’s Best Interests At Heart

Semi truck accidents are among the most disastrous motor vehicle accidents. Injuries from semi-trucks are often very serious because of the size and weight of the truck. Truck accidents can result in catastrophic injury, permanent disability or even death, causing a ripple effect of pain and suffering.

Drivers of large trucks and other vehicles involved in truck crashes are ten times more likely to be the cause of the crash than other factors, such as weather, road conditions and vehicle performance. The most commonly associated factors were driver related, such as illegal drug/alcohol use, traveling too fast for conditions, unfamiliarity with the roadway, inadequate surveillance, fatigue, improper equipment, and feeling under pressure from their employer as well as others on the road.

Because semi trucks are usually owned by large companies, often a sophisticated team of insurance adjusters or lawyers will quickly begin working on building a case against you —even if the accident was not your fault. Don't talk to these folks.Their interest is in protecting the trucking companies and truck drivers who hire them.

If you or someone you love has been injured or even killed in a Missouri semi truck accident and the accident was not your fault, you have certain rights to recover money for injuries, property damage, missed work, medical bills, pain and suffering and disability. But truck companies or their insurance adjusters or attorneys may try to get you to waive (give up) those rights.

Don’t say another word. Call us today for a competent attorney who understands semi truck laws in Missouri and will fight for you. Time is paramount. Contact us today.

The Safe and Efficient Transportation Act of 2013

Introduced in the house on February 12, 2013, the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act of 2013 (H.R. 612) would allow each state to permit vehicles exceeding certain federal weight limits to operate on Interstate Highway System routes within that state.

H.R. 612 states that vehicles can exceed federal standards if: the vehicle is equipped with at least six axles, the weight of any single axle does not exceed 20,000 pounds, the weight of any tandem axle does not exceed 34,000 pounds, the weight of any group of 3 or more axles does not exceed 51,000 pounds, and the gross weight of the vehicle does not exceed 97,000 pounds.

Maine and Vermont participated in a pilot program which allowed tractors with semitrailers up to 100,000 pounds gross vehicle weight and tandem axle weights up to a maximum of 46,000 pounds. Vermont allows trucks that weigh up to a maximum gross vehicle weight of 99,000 pounds, and trucks with tandem axles that weigh up to a maximum of 36,000 pounds plus a 10 percent additional weight allowance, which allows a total of 39,600 pounds.

This bill only supports one group: the shipper. Those in favor of the bill site efficiency in their reasoning. They believe packing more goods into an already dangerously large trailer will result in less trucks on the road and a reduction in fuel consumption. There is little regard for safety in this belief. Larger trucks means increased stopping distance, resulting in additional accidents on the roads. Groups like Parents Against Tired Truckers (PATT) advocate that truck crash deaths are increasing, thus truck size and weight limits should not.

Contrary to the claim that the bill would result in fewer trucks on the road, during the pilot period in both states combined, official reports from U.S. Dept. of Transportation Federal Highway Administration found the percentage of trucks in that weight category on the road has jumped. Commercial motor vehicle crashes on non-Interstate roads increased 24%, Interstate crashes increased 10%. During the pilot period, trucks were placed out of service (OOS) for brake violations between 54.2% and 66.2% of the time. The amount of roadside inspections alarmingly declined during this time.

This bill is also extremely worrisome to many due to the impact these large trucks have on roads. Opponents of the bill argue that heavier trucks will result in bridge failures across our nation's highway system. It is estimated that 25% of our nations bridges are not equipped to take on the increased load size.

The public strongly opposes having bigger, longer, heavier, deadlier trucks on our nation's roads and groups like PATT are urging Congress to reject this bill. Contact the St. Louis Truck Accident Attorneys of The Glassman Law Firm at 314-446-6000 if you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of a collision with a tractor trailer. Visit www.glassmanlegal.com for more information about tractor-trailer accidents.

Underride Guard Safety Standards For Tractor Trailers

Research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has indicated that many manufacturers are fitting large truck trailers with safer, more efficient underride guards, however many manufacturers are still falling short.

An underride guard is intended to prevent a car from sliding under the rear end of a large truck, such as a tractor-trailer rig. While a large truck that is equipped with a functional underride guard can significantly increase the chances of surviving a rear-end crash with that truck or trailer, most guards have been unsuccessful in preventing deadly and catastrophic outcomes, according to crash tests conducted by The Insurance Institute since 2010.

When most vehicles slide under the rear end of a large truck, the top of the car --- hood, windshield and roof -- typically absorb the brunt of the impact. Adequate underride guards must necessarily prevent the intrusion of automobile bumpers under a large truck, in order for seatbelts and airbags to protect auto occupants from catastrophic injuries or death.

Although in 1998 the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration issued a mandate requiring that all trailers, including those pulled by big rigs and semis, that weigh 10,000 pounds or more, be equipped with an underride guard, the US standards fall short of their intended purpose unless passenger compartment intrusion is prevented. Hopefully further study and consideration of successful Canadian standards will result in an upgraded safety standard that will save lives in tractor trailer and big rig crashes.

Contact the St. Louis large truck attorneys of The Glassman Law Firm at 314-446-6000 if you or a loved one has be injured or killed in a collision with a large truck.

  

The Fatal Truck Accident In Republic, Missouri

A fatal chain reaction has taken place in Republic, Missouri resulting in the deaths of two people. The crash involved two passenger vehicles and two tractor-trailers. This resulted in truck driver, Lei Sun, being charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Sun's truck failed to slow down before it collided with the back of a car and a pickup truck, forcing them both under a tractor-trailer that was stopped at the intersection in front of them. Both drivers of the passenger vehicles were killed.

Trooper Price Richardson said in an excerpt from the probable cause statement against Sun, "(Sun's) log book shows that he has driven more than the allotted seventy hours within the past seven day period." It was also noted that the data recorder in Sun's tractor-trailer recorded his speed at 59. 5 at the time of the crash.

Sadly, truck drivers don't always comply with their rules and regulations, which often results in tragic consequences. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that a truck driver behind the wheel for more than eight hours is twice as likely to crash. Sleep deprivation is also a contributing factor in a truck driver's performance. After being awake for 24 hours or longer, the reaction time of a sleepy driver is as impaired as that of an intoxicated driver. A survey conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found that one in four truck drivers admitted to falling asleep while driving in the past 30 days.

Due to the catastrophic injuries and fatalities associated with large truck crashes, it is crucial that an attorney with an extensive knowledge of trucking rules and regulations is employed after a collision. Contact the Missouri Truck Accident Attorneys of The Glassman Law Firm to ensure that your rights are protected.

Stay Safe While Sharing The Road With Large Trucks

March 20th kicks off the first day of spring this year. With spring comes blooming flowers and sunny days ahead. Spring also comes with unpredictable weather and slippery conditions on the road. Motorists need to be especially careful around big rigs and semi trucks on our nations highways and roads during this time of year due to these conditions.

Large trucks have the capacity to weigh up to 80,000 pounds depending on their cargo; comparatively, a car can weigh around one or two tons. Mix these vehicles together with icy, slippery conditions and a distracted driver and you have a recipe for disaster. In addition to the road conditions you can have violent thunderstorms, high winds, and in some parts of the country, giant dust storms called Haboobs that bring visibility to near zero.

To protect yourself and the occupants in your car, there are several steps you can exercise while sharing the road with a semi truck:

• Stay out of the truck’s blind spots- Even though every truck is equipped with side mirrors, the driver still has blind spots. If you find yourself driving next to a large truck either pass the truck or fall behind it. While passing, try to stay to the trucks left side where their visibility is greater.
• Never follow a large truck too closely- Keep roughly 20 car lengths in between the front of your vehicle and the back of the truck. A large truck’s stopping distance varies greatly depending on if their carrying cargo or not so it’s best to steer clear incase the truck driver underestimates their stopping distance.
• Use extra caution when passing a truck- When you’re passing a truck, do not go back into your lane until you can see the trucks headlights in your rear view mirror. Leaving this distance is important because if you are in a collision with a truck, the smaller vehicle will be the one that takes the brunt of the damages.
• Never allow a truck to follow your vehicle too closely- Again, the truck driver could underestimate their stopping distance so it’s better to be safe than sorry. Simply move your car into another lane if it’s possible. 

By exercising caution and being diligent of your surroundings, you could avoid a collision with one of these giants and keep enjoying the sight of nature blooming around you.

If you or a family member is unfortunate enough to be involved in a tragic accident with a semi-truck or rig of any kind, our knowledge of the Federal Motor Carrier Regulations enables us to help injured victims and their families obtain substantial settlements from trucking companies each year. Call us for a free case evaluation whenever involved in this type of accident.