Articles Posted in Truck Accidents

According to 7NEWS, a recent Worcester trucking accident occurred on West Boylston when the driver lost control of the tanker, crossed over the median and slammed into three parked cars. Subsequently, the tanker (transporting gasoline) slammed into a moving vehicle.

Accident reports indicate that the car was traveling at 30 miles per hour when it collided with the truck.

“We thought it was someone dropping something next door. It was the loudest thing I’ve ever heard. It was an explosion pretty much, sounded like an explosion,” said one of the witnesses.

Our Boston trucking accident lawyers understand that large trucks, tankers, and tractor-trailers serve up some serious risks on our roadways. Unfortunately, our passenger vehicles don’t stand much chance against the weight, size and power of these larger vehicles. According to witnesses, the driver of the vehicle was unable to escape the car after the accident.

The driver was taken to the hospital and officers are investigating what caused the tanker to run out of control.

Unfortunately, we can’t always rely on the safe driving habits of these truckers. Accidents happen and we’re oftentimes the ones who suffer the consequences. To help to keep you safe out there, officials with Road Safe America offer some safety tips:

Driving Safely Around Large Trucks:

-Make sure you’re alert when approaching a large truck. Remember that they behave a lot different than passenger cars.

-Stay out of a truck’s blind spots. These are the spots around a truck in which a driver cannot see you in their mirrors. Make sure you can always see the driver.

-Never pass a truck while it’s making a right-hand turn. These trucks make wide turns.

-Don’t cut off a large truck. These vehicles take a lot longer to stop than our vehicles. You never want to follow too closely either.

-Call authorities and report any unsafe driving you may witness.

-Keep an eye on truck’s turn signals. You never want to pass one of these trucks when there turn signals are activated.

-Use the proper procedure to pass a large truck or bus on the highway. Accelerate slightly and maintain a consistent speed while passing. Wait until you can see the entire cab in your rear-view mirror before signaling and pulling in front of it.

Sharing the road with these vehicles is easy — you just have to be careful. Remember that we don’t stand much of a chance against these large trucks. Drive safely, stay alert and accommodate trucks to help to prevent an accident.
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In a recent traffic accident, a dump truck let out about 100 gallons of fuel onto Ash Street. According to the Metro West Daily News, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is still waiting to do an investigation into the accident scene to see just how much damage was done.

“Once we get in there, we’ll have a better sense of what the situation is,” said MassDEP Spokesman Ed Coletta.

Our Boston accident lawyers understand that this accident could have been prevented with a little more caution. It all happened when the driver of the dump truck crossed over into the left lane and slammed right into a wooded area just before 11:300 a.m. According to Ken Clark, the Hopkinton Fire Chief, the truck slammed into a number of trees. One of those trees caused some serious damage to the 132-gallon diesel fuel tank. Fuel wound up spilling everywhere.

The driver of the truck was transported to Milford Regional Medical Center where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Firefighters who responded to the accident tried to catch the fuel using an inflatable pool-like collection device. Luckily, the accident didn’t happen near any sensitive environment areas, but officials want to make sure that none of the fuel is going to affect any of the well systems nearby.

The truth of the matter is that there’s no getting around large trucks. They carry critical commodities, including fuel. Unfortunately, these trucks also work to deliver some serious accident risks. Most times, other travelers, such as those in passenger vehicles, those on bicycles and those on foot, don’t stand a chance against these large vehicles. That’s why you have to be extra cautious when driving around these vehicles.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were close to 4,000 people who were killed in the U.S. in traffic accidents involving large trucks in 2010, There were also another 80,000 people who were injured in these kinds of accidents. And it doesn’t look like it’s getting better any time soon. From 2009 to 2010, there was an increase in the number of these fatal accidents by close to10 percent.

More than 75 percent of the people who were killed in these accidents were in fact the occupants of the other vehicles that were involved.

In the state of Massachusetts, there were close to 100 large trucks involved in fatal accidents in 2010. Many of these trucking accidents could have been avoided with safer driving habits. Our trucking accident lawyers are reminding you that these trucks don’t operate like the vehicles that you and I drive. We have to allow them more space and much more consideration. Our safety often depends upon it.
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A recent trucking accident in Woburn ended up shutting down Interstate 95. According to state authorities, the truck was carrying nearly 10,000 gallons of gasoline when it crashed at about 10:00 p.m. Lanes were closed in both directions as emergency response crews reported that the truck was leaking fuel all over the roadway, according to WWLP.

Preliminary reports of the trucking accident conclude that the truck collided with a passenger car on the Interstate. Officials with the Woburn police and fire department worked to contain the leakage. Nearby homes were even evacuated with the risks associated with the hazardous material
Our Woburn trucking accident attorneys understand the dangers that accompany accidents with tractor-trailers, big rigs, 18-wheeleers, semis and other large vehicles. These kinds of accidents get a whole lot worse when these vehicles are carrying dangerous materials on them. Under federal law, trucking companies are restricted regarding which materials they’re allowed to carry. When they’re carrying an approved material, then they’re required to make sure that it’s being transported in the appropriate trailer and that it is marked accordingly. They’re also limited to where they’re allowed to travel. Only specific roadways are designed to handle the weight and the demands of these large trucks. When trucking companies do not adhere to these rules and regulations, both the truck drivers and the companies can face some serious criminal charges, in addition to civil liability.

These kinds of accidents can be caused by a number of conditions:

-Injury or fatality resulting from unsafely-loaded cargo or hazardous materials.

-Fatigued truck drivers.

-Distracted truck drivers.

-Truck drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

-Drivers who fail to obey road and trucking laws.

-Truck driver sickness.

-Drivers not being provided with sufficient training or supervision.

-Truck maintenance problems.

In 2010, there were nearly 7,700 people who were killed in traffic accidents that involved a large truck, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). These large trucks are considered to be vehicles that have a gross vehicle rating of 10,000 pounds or more. In the country, there were nearly 300,000 of these trucks involved in accidents during the year. As a matter of fact, these kinds of accidents showed a near 10 percent increase from the previous year.

The drivers of passenger vehicles are urged to be safe, cautious and alert when driving near these large vehicles. This is especially true during the summer travel season when our roadways are more congested. The increase in traffic increases the risks for accidents, too. The safest of driving habits can help to keep you out of a potentially fatal accident. Your best bet is to just stay away. Avoid traveling near these large trucks for any more time than you have to.
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A lot of fuel spilled on a busy road following a recent trucking accident in Dorchester. The accident happened when a Sunoco truck driver ran over a traffic control box, which ruptured one of its tanks. Fuel spilled all over Dorchester Avenue, according to the Boston Globe. Officers had to block off traffic from both directions while they cleaned up the mess.

According to local fire officials, the accident happened near Freeport Street just after 11:00 p.m. Stopping the fuel leakage proved to be quite the task for officials. Boston Fire said many dikes had been set up, and no one had been injured. Two of the tanks, which held more than 5,000 gallons of fuel were leaking from the ruptured tank.

Our Boston trucking accident attorneys understand how devastating these kinds of accidents can be. Collisions that involve large trucks can also be complicated by hazardous material loads. Much of the time, people are killed in these kinds of accidents. According to the most recent statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were nearly 4,000 people killed in auto accidents that involved at least one large truck in 2010. Officials define a large truck as a vehicle that has a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds of more. Nationwide, there were more than 275,000 of these trucks involved in accidents during the same year. Unfortunately, many of these collisions produced some pretty serious, and costly, damage.

What’s most alarming about the new statistics from the NHTSA is that these numbers illustrate a near 10 percent increase from the number of fatalities in 2009. Most alarmingly, it’s the passengers of the other vehicles involved that are injured and killed most often. It’s so serious that more than 75 percent of the people who were killed in these accidents throughout the year were the occupants of the other vehicles.

In the state of Massachusetts, there were more than 400 vehicles involved in fatal car accidents in 2010. Of these vehicles, nearly 20 of them were large trucks.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) offers the following safety tips to help to keep you safe when traveling among large trucks:

-Avoid cutting off large trucks. Cutting off a truck could cut your life short.

-Always wear a seat belt.

-Keep out of truck driver’s blind spots. If you cannot see the driver, they cannot see you.

-Block out the distractions. Keep all of your attention on the roadways.

-Never drink and drive.

-Allow trucks with plenty of room when they’re turning.

-Never follow too closely.
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It’s always frightening to drive next to a big rig or a tractor-trailer on the highway. Driving next to one of these big vehicles leaves drivers of passenger vehicles at risk of a serious or fatal accident. Unfortunately, accidents are typically life-threatening. A recent trucking accident in Foxboro killed an innocent driver, according to NECN.

The fatal trucking accident happened in the southbound lanes of Route 1 and North Street when a cement truck collided with a passenger vehicle. The accident was so severe that roadways in both directions were closed for over 2 hours as officials with the Massachusetts state police investigated.

Our Boston trucking accident attorneys get that feeling too, that anxious feeling when traveling next to large semis and tractor-trailers. The sheer size and weight of these vehicles has the ability to do some serious damage in the event of an accident. Oftentimes, accidents involving these large vehicles can be deadly. Luckily, with driver awareness and caution, we can all do our part to minimize these catastrophic collisions.

To no one’s surprise, there have been many more traffic accidents involving these big rigs over recent weeks. Recently, a trucking accident that happened in Erving left roads closed for hours after a trailer truck flipped on its side on Route 2. This accident happened just before 10:00 a.m. right by Christina’s Restaurant. State officers say that the 62-year-old driver of the truck was okay and that heavy duty wreckers were called to the scene to remove the truck from the roadway, according to 22News.

Trucking accidents can happen for a number of reasons, for both passenger vehicle driver and truck driver fault.

Trucking Accidents Can Be Caused By:

-Head-on, rear-end accidents and jackknives.

-Poor trucking maintenance, including brakes and tires.

-Sleepy and fatigued drivers.

-Dangerous road conditions.

-Poor weather conditions.

-Unsecured cargo or loads.

-Improper lane changes.

-Aggressive driving habits.

-Drug use.

-DWI.

-Lack of reflectors and poor visibility.

-Non-compliance with federal regulations.

-Driver inattention.

In all of these scenarios involving truck drivers, the drivers of passenger vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians are at an extreme disadvantage. Accidents involving big rigs, tractor-trailers, cement trucks, garbage trucks, 18-wheelers, etc. can all lead to catastrophic personal injury, death and damages. Equip yourself with safe driving habits to help to minimize these risks. Steer clear of these large vehicles when possible. Be safe, not sorry.

Trucking accidents are a common sight on our hectic Massachusetts roadways. It’s estimated that about 5,000 people die each year in the U.S. because of accidents involving large trucks. In 2009, there were more than 440 vehicles involved in fatal car accidents in the state of Massachusetts. During this time, more than 20 of these vehicles were large trucks.
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