Gainesville, Ocala & Daytona Beach Personal Injury Lawyer - Tractor-Trailer Accidents

Moving? Safety Tips for Do-It-Yourself Movers.

Jeffrey Meldon — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:41:44 GMT

Tis the season for moving for many Floridians that are heading back to school, or are starting a new job.

When loading and transporting property on trailers there are important safety concerns that can reduce your risk of having a roadside disaster and increase trailer and driving safety. Unless you are a trained moving expert or an experienced big-rig driver, this is a time to make sure you load the moving van or truck properly and proceed cautiously before heading on the highway with a heavy load. As an accident attorney, here are some important tips that may help you arrive safely:

If you are renting a moving van or truck, make sure it is from a reputable company and that their vehicles are in good repair. Check the truck over, paying especially close attention to the tires; worn, damaged or improperly inflated tires, combined with a heavy load is a set up for a blow-out on the Interstate, resulting in loss of control or rolling over.

Do not overload the van or truck, it is suggested that you rent a vehicle that is 10 to 15% bigger than you need for your household goods. If you are loading your own vehicle, double check the recommended weight limit and do not exceeded it; an overloaded vehicle can cause a blow-out or loss of control.

When loading, remember to load it properly and make sure that the weight is balanced and secured. Start with the heavy furniture first, getting it secured and balanced in the front of the box, i.e. if you put a heavy object on one side, balance it with another heavy object on the other side. Then place mattresses along the sides to cushion and secure the load, or use straps to properly secure the load. Remember, gravity is not an acceptable method of securing a load! Unbalanced and shifting loads can cause major accidents on the Interstate due to loss of control and/or roll-overs.

Do not transport flammable materials in the moving van or trailer, such as gas, or propane. In California last month, a moving van exploded when a BBQ and 2 propane tanks ignited. Also, in California, this month a man moving natural gas containers had to jump from his truck when they exploded.

When you finally get on the road give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination; do not rush. Driving a heavy van or truck or even your own heavily loaded vehicle is a different experience. Remember, heavy vehicles take more time to stop, and moving vans or trucks require a wider turning radius, so easy does it!

Safe Moving!

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeffrey Meldon

Asleep at the Wheel?

Jeffrey Meldon — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:14:52 GMT

A big rig driver battles drowsiness on a 40-hour haul, a cell phone distracts him, and a school bus is stopped directly ahead on a busy highway in afternoon traffic.

Such was the horrifying scene in September 2008 when an 18-wheel tractor trailer slammed into the rear of a school bus that was safely stopped on U.S. 301 near Citra, Marion County, Florida leaving one 8^th grade student dead and a school bus in flames.

As an experienced accident attorney (personal injury lawyer) proudly serving Ocala and the surounding area I strongly urge legislative reform to:

Create a zero tolerance policy for truck drivers and cell phone use while driving
Reduce the number of hours truckers can consecutively and cumulatively drive;
Force trucking companies to take responsibility for their drivers; and
Move school bus stops away from highways.

Florida Highway Patrol’s (FHP) final analysis of the tragedy highlights many troubling facts. FHP issued a statement this week, naming sleeplessness as the main culprit. One witness reported that the driver may have been asleep because the truck did not even attempt to swerve to avoid the school bus.

Disturbingly, however, it is reported that only moments before the truck smashed into the school bus, the trucker had finished a cell phone call and placed the phone in the cup holder. FHP’s analysis seemingly discounts the cell phone as a contributing factor, even though it is widely accepted that cell phone use while driving is as bad as driving drunk with a .08 blood alcohol level. Studies show that motorists who are distracted by cell phones are about five times more likely to get in a car accident than undistracted drivers. Plus, drivers who use their cell phones are about 9 times slower to hit their brakes. Big rigs and cell phones don’t mix!

Also alarming is Comtrak, the trucking company, and its lack of oversight of the trucker’s travel log and federal sleep requirements. According to Comtrak’s website, it has more than 650 18-wheel tractor trailers in the Southeast. That is 650 potential accidents waiting to happen because of driver drowsiness. A greater oversight regarding the drivers’ travel logs may reduce the number of fatalities caused by overwork and sleeplessness. It’s time for trucking companies to take responsibility!

More concerning is the failure of Rep. Chuck Chestnut’s bill, filed in February 2009, to prohibit school districts from locating school bus stops on busy highways. Motivated by the death of the 8^th grade student, Rep. Chestnut, Gainesville, lobbied to remove all bus stops from highways by 2011. Tragically, the bill was opposed by school officials and failed in the Legislature this year. How many more lives will we lose before the Legislature takes action to protect Florida’s school children on busy roads? School busses stopped on high-speed highways are sitting targets for semis!

Are truckers the only ones asleep at the wheel?

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeffrey Meldon

"6 Days On The Road" may not be safe for the american public

Jeffrey Meldon — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:15:07 GMT

In light of the controversy over the expansion of the number of straight driving hours permitted truckers in a day from 10 to 11, I have a few things to say. As a truck accident attorney that has helped many clients with the devastating effects of tractor-trailer accidents over 37 years, I can tell you that it does not take a rocket scientist to know when a trucker is driving long hours, it gets monotonous, tiring and dangerous.

A trucker in this condition may do many things to keep alert so they can keep on driving such as taking drugs, taking their eyes off the road to get a CD, change the radio station, or talk on their cell phone or even text message. This can all be a recipe for disaster when a trucker is tired and possibly speeding to get to their destination.

Case on point is the song, Six Days on the Road Six Days on the Road, originally sung by Dave Dudley in 1963, called the definitive celebration of the American Truck Driver. The lyrics of this classic song clearly exemplify a trucker’s life: “6 days on the road and I’m gonna make it home tonight..”, “I can dodge all the scales”, “taking white pills”, “passing everything is sight”, “log books a way behind”, “I’m a little overweight”, “my rigs a little old but, that don’t mean she’s slow”, “not a cop in sight”, etc.

Interestingly, the truck drivers are against this increase in the permitted number of hours as well, because they more than anyone else know how unsafe this new law is to the American public “on the road”.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeffrey Meldon

Reaction to Ocala Bus Tragedy

Jeffrey Meldon — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:38:54 GMT

Only days after the tragic death of middle school student Frances Schee--caused by an accident between the school bus on which Frances was riding and a tractor trailer--Elissa Schee, the mother of Frances, has publicly declared her intentions to present a comprehensive review of all school bus stops in Marion County to a public safety committee. The tractor trailer driver has admitted to being distracted by his cell phone immediately before the collision occurred.

As part of this review, Ms. Schee advocates eliminating bus stops that are located on major highways. In the alternative, Ms. Schee suggests using public facilities and churches as central bus stop locations for parents to drop off and pick up their kids, with a law enforcement or public safety officer assigned to each designated station. If the bus stops cannot be moved, then concrete pads should be installed on the side of roads for the safe loading and unloading of children. A third option is to relocate the bus stops to side roads that intersect highways.

Ms. Schee admits that she and her fellow group of concerned parents "are not experts in anything, except how to be a parent, so to everyone who wanted to know what expertise we have, none except good old-fashioned North Marion County 'Horse Sense.'" In one of two released public statements, Ms. Schee expressed her frustration with lawmakers and other governmental officials: "No more talk from the people in charge of this process currently of Laws, Rules and Regulations can be or will be tolerated. If bureaucrats get in the way of a solution then they need to seek other employment opportunities."

Ms. Schee's loss is incomprehensible to most of us, and her fervent desire to preclude the occurrence of another tragedy is both understandable and laudable. Notwithstanding these points, one cannot help but wonder whether her suggestions address the broader issue and, more importantly, help remedy it.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeffrey Meldon

Driving While Using a Cell Phone Issue Becomes Reality In Our Community

Jeffrey Meldon — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:38:19 GMT

On September 23, 2008, thirteen year-old Frances Schee was killed while riding the bus home from North Marion Middle School. The school bus made a routine stop on U.S. 301 when a tractor-trailer rear-ended it just outside of Ocala, pushing the stationary school bus forward 294 feet. The driver of the truck, Reinaldo A. Gonzales, immediately jumped out of his cab before the vehicles stopped; shortly thereafter, both vehicles caught on fire. The cab of the tractor-trailer completely burned, while the back of the school bus incurred significant flame damage and the rear seats were crushed. Rescue workers and bystanders rushed into the burning bus and rescued the children from the flames. Sadly, they could not reach Frances Schee in time.

Shortly after the accident, Mr. Gonzales made two significant statements. He told a fellow truck driver that he did not see the school bus. He also stated that he was using his cell phone immediately before impact.

While the facts and evidence are still being collected, it is not difficult to deduce from Mr. Gonzales's own statements that he did not see the school bus because he was distracted due to operating his cell phone. The potential dangers of using a cell phone while driving are far from a recent issue. Furthermore, cell phone related motor vehicle accidents have increased at a frightening rate over the past 15 years.

Yet even with these unavoidable facts staring every cell phone user and motorist straight in the face, cell phone usage in the car is more prevalent today than ever before. How many more tragedies like the one outside of Ocala must occur before this issue is taken seriously?

Currently, only five states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws that forbid using a hand-held cell phone while operating a motor vehicle (California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Washington). And although another 16 states have passed "partial ban" laws, they are mostly toothless, prohibiting a small sect--such as bus drivers or teenagers with learner's permits--from using a cell phone wile driving. Countries such as Brazil, UK, France, Japan, and Australia have passed strict laws forbidding this practice.

The key to safe driving is focus and the avoidance of distractions. In fact, it has been reported that using a cell phone while driving equates to driving after consuming four alcoholic beverages. This statistic begs the following question: Why is there such a disproportionate amount of concern (and laws) pertaining to drinking and driving as opposed to using a cell phone and driving? Frances was tragically killed because Mr. Gonzales was not focused on driving. His lack of focus, however, was not caused by alcohol or another substance; rather, it was caused by his cell phone.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeffrey Meldon

Two Killed in Crash with Semi

Craig Cannon — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 08:29:30 GMT

Two Ocala women who had just left a bar died in a fiery head-on collision with a tractor-trailer. The women were driving on the wrong side of U.S. 301. The collision occurred just before 11 p.m. two miles south of Citra. When firefighters arrived on the scene, they saw flames shooting 20 to 25 feet in the air. The truck and the Jeep Wrangler the two women were in were engulfed in fire.

The truck driver escaped the cab without injuries. The women likely died on impact. The victims in the Jeep were identified as Glenda J. Cribbs, 46, and Tricia H. Colwell, 41, both of Ocala. Colwell was the driver.

A patron at On Top of the Hill Bar on U.S. 301 told officials the women had left the bar and turned south onto the northbound lanes of the four-lane highway. The witness jumped into his vehicle to try to stop the women. By the time he caught up with them they had already crashed. At least two vehicles traveling in the northbound lanes had to swerve to avoid the Jeep before the collision with the tractor-trailer occurred.

No charges will be filed against the truck driver who was shaken by the accident. By the time he saw the Jeep it was too late.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Craig Cannon

Woman Killed by Semi-Truck Wheel Near Ocala

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 21:49:18 GMT

A 30-year-old woman was killed when the car she was a passenger in was hit by a tire from a semi-truck. The accident happened early Monday morning on I-75 outside of Ocala. The car was headed north when the front wheels on a semi-truck heading south broke off the truck and came across the median. The semi-truck driver did not stop.

Lt. Mike Thomas said the truck driver stopped at a Petro Truck Stop to make repairs to the trailer, chaining up the front axle.
Witnesses at the store told investigators the truck driver said he was making a 5 a.m. delivery of potatoes to the Lakeland area and would have the trailer repaired after the delivery.

It is unknown if the driver knows he caused the accident. The Florida Highway Patrol is searching for the man and their investigation is ongoing.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Dump Truck and Pickup Truck Involved in Collision

Shannon Weidemann — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 15:35:27 GMT

A pickup truck carrying 4 men was driving eastbound on U.S. 27 this morning when it collided with a dump truck. The front of the pickup went underneath the dump truck.

Ocala Fire-Rescue officials reported it took about 40 minutes to extricate the two men from the blue-and-white pickup's front seat using the Jaws of Life and other cutting tools.
Fire-Rescue spokesman Battalion Chief Wendell Rora said one of the men suffered head and lower body injuries. The other one is believe to have suffered a broken leg.

The two men in the back seat of the pickup were not seriously injured. The driver of the dump truck was unharmed. Police are still investigating the accident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Florida Power & Light Truck Hits Minivan

Shannon Weidemann — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 14:50:09 GMT

A Florida Power & Light truck hit a minivan near the Golden Gates Estates Branch Library. It was by the intersection of 13th Street Northwest and Golden Gate Boulevard.

The accident occurred near a Golden Gate fire station and was observed by a fire captain. The driver of the minivan was rescued from the vehicle and than airlifted to a local hospital. It is unknown if the driver of the FPL truck was injured.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann