Just One Mistake While Driving a Big Rig Can Kill Others
Sep 28, 2011
Little Rock, AR (Law Firm Newswire) September 27, 2011 – What is the difference between life and death on the road – one mistake by a trucker.
“If a trucker makes one mistake and takes his eyes off the road, the consequences are usually not nice, and indeed, may be fatal for the trucker and his innocent victims,” said Michael G. Smith, an Arkansas injury lawyer and Arkansas accident lawyer. “Did you know that an 18-wheeler going at 70 mph packs twice as much force and energy as another vehicle doing 50 mph? In other words, the truck can completely cream a smaller vehicle and its occupants.”
Cars are not made to withstand collisions with tractor trailers weighing up to 80,000 pounds. “Let’s take a quick look at a recent case that made national headlines, the Amtrak train and 18-wheeler that smacked into it, killing six and injuring even more,” said Smith. “The trucker, as it turns out, had at least two relatively recent citations for driving violations. In 2007, he was cited for rear-ending a car stopped on the highway and severely injured a family of three.”
It seems that same trucker also had numerous speeding tickets over a period of time, and as a result he did not lose his commercial driver’s license. “In many instances, a commercial license is yanked if a certain number of violations are picked up in a short period of time or if they are fairly severe – say for speeding,” Smith pointed out.
What caused the trucker to slam into the Amtrak train? That could have been due to any number of reasons that include faulty brakes, human error, using a cellphone, driving while fatigued, driving while under the influence, defective tires, speeding, or not paying attention to the road signs. All of these causes are forms of negligence and definitely irresponsible on the part of the trucker and trucking company that hired the driver.
“Trucking accidents are never simple and often involve numerous defendants, massive amounts of evidence, and a long list of insurance companies and their lawyers,” added Smith. “Experience tells me that wrongful death lawsuits may be brought against the driver and his company, and a cast of thousands if need be in order to get a victim justice. Justice is my job, and if you have been hurt in a collision with a big rig, call my office. Let’s talk. You need to know what you are facing.”
Learn more by contacting Arkansas personal injury lawyer, Michael Smith at http://www.arkansaslawhelp.com.
Michael Smith
425 W. Capitol Av., Suite 3700
Little Rock, AR 72201
Call: 501.519.4357
