Truck accidents and hours of service regulations

Fatigued driving is extremely dangerous. A tired driver can experience reduced reaction time and may fall asleep behind the wheel, causing him or her to veer into oncoming traffic or slam into slow or stopped traffic. The results of these accidents can be catastrophic under any circumstances, but such outcomes are much more likely when

Five common factors in large truck accidents

While the average passenger vehicle weighs 4,000 pounds, an 18-wheeler may be up to 80,000 pounds. Many accidents between trucks and passenger vehicles, then, end badly for occupants of the latter. Both for their own safety and the safety of others, truck drivers in Tennessee will want to know what the most common factors are

The importance of commercial vehicle data recorders

Most of the semi-tractor trailers in Tennessee and around the country have devices known as Electronic Control Modules under their hoods. Truck manufacturers started fitting ECMs to their vehicles in the 1990s to weed out invalid warranty claims, but the data they record and store can also be of great use to crash investigators and

5 ways that truckers can deal with fatigue

Truckers in Tennessee hardly need to be told that stress, lack of sleep and exercise, heavy lifting and long hours are all a part of their line of work. But the fatigue that results from it all can put their life in danger. A study from the University of Utah School of Medicine shows that

Truck maintenance and cargo issues often lead to crashes

Truck accidents remain a major hazard on roads in Tennessee and throughout the United States. And when truck accidents occur, the occupants of smaller passenger vehicles are much more likely to be injured or killed than the driver of the truck. This is simply due to the huge size differential – trucks often weigh 20

Determining negligence in a trucking accident

The most important factor in many motor vehicle accident claims relates to the negligence of another party and whether that negligence proximately caused injury and damages to another party. A commercial truck accident case is not any different, although different rules and regulations apply to truck drivers and the companies that employ them. There are

Work quickly to preserve the black box in a truck crash

One thing you may not have been aware of is that commercial vehicles contain black boxes similar to those used in airplanes. These boxes have a few functions including identifying important operational data such as the speed of the vehicle, highest speed driven, the time driven, the amount of time spent driving over a certain

Was dehydration s factor in your wreck with a big rig?

Truckers face pressure from trucking companies to haul their cargo quickly from suppliers to retail outlets and other destinations around the nation. However, what isn’t always acknowledged is how that pressure can compromise trucking safety from coast to coast. For instance, there is the problem of truck drivers becoming dehydrated behind the wheel. According to

Semi strikes tractor, sends driver flying

In many rural communities, it is not uncommon to see a variety of tractors and oversized farming implements on the roadways. While most farmers will try to get off the road as much as possible, sometimes there simply isn’t enough room. That’s the way it was last Monday afternoon at about 12:30 p.m., in Jefferson

What factors cause truck driver fatigue?

Fatigued truck drivers can pose a risk on the highways of Tennessee. Their reaction times may be too slow and some very tired drivers even fall asleep behind the wheel. Combating this isn’t easy, and it starts with identifying the things that cause this excessive fatigue. A few key factors include: Falling into “sleep debt.”

The rising economy leads to more truck accidents

The economy in much of the United States bottomed out in 2008 and 2009. Since then, it has slowly rebounded for years. You can see the evidence everywhere, but one rather unexpected place to look paints a bit of a bleak picture. Truck accidents are often linked to that same economy. In 2009, deadly truck

Does the weather make truck accidents more likely?

It’s easy to assume that the weather plays a huge role in truck accident statistics. Perhaps you’ve seen videos of trucks sliding in the snow or crashing because of reduced visibility in heavy thunderstorms. Truckers are working, after all. They can’t just stay in during bad weather, reading a book, drinking a cup of coffee

Common causes of 18-wheeler accidents in Tennessee

The economy of Tennessee, and our country as a whole, is spurred by the volume of 18-wheelers on the road. The more trucks you see, the better the economy is performing. As important as these trucks are, they can also be quite dangerous if not operated properly. Here are some common causes of 18-wheeler accidents.

Truck accident logo liability: What is it?

Have you ever been traveling in the interstate — perhaps to visit some loved ones on a holiday weekend — and giant big rig passes you buy with an obnoxious advertisement plastered on the side of it? These logos could in fact affect the liability of a truck driver and his or her employer in

Truck driver gets award for safety, but he’s in the minority

Many people outside the trucking industry may not realize that truck drivers are recognized by commercial and government agencies if they have an excellent driving record. One Midwestern man has driven for millions of miles without a truck accident, and he was awarded the Owner Operator of the Year award from the Truckload Carriers Association.

Feds ice speeding rule to prevent 18-wheeler crashes

Legal experts say that the new government administration’s decrees under President Trump could lead to fewer rules for speed limiters in big-rig trucks. Proposed rules require speed limiters on certain types of trucks, and these limiters have proven useful in preventing deadly 18-wheeler crashes. One of the White House’s first actions in 2017 was to