Suffolk County

Published on: May 14, 2012

Hero Pulls Injured Man from Truck Before Fire

by Stephen Bilkis

As part of a Lawyer’s ongoing commitment to fair and accurate reporting of accident incidents, we have learned that a Maryborough, Victoria, Australia, man is being called a hero for rendering aid to an injured truck driver on March 12.

The incident occurred at about 6:20pm, Saturday March 12, on the Bendigo-Maryborough Rd at Havelock, when the driver of a semi-trailer had apparently driven off the road, due to as of yet unknown reasons. The truck then turned over and rolled through some trees. By the time the truck had rolled to a stop, it had burst into flames.

A passing motorist, the local police are not releasing his name at this moment, stopped his vehicle and proceeded to the burning truck where he pulled the badly injured truck driver from the raging inferno mere moments before the truck became completely engulfed in flames.

Published on: May 12, 2012

Minivan and Truck Collided in Levittown

by Stephen Bilkis

While the investigation into the cause of the truck accidentare unclear due to the ongoing investigation, a rep has learned that the collision between a box-truck and a minivan have learned the persons from both vehicles hospitalized, with the driver of the minivan in serious condition.

The accident occurred at the intersection of Hempstead Turnpike and Division Avenue this past Friday at about 1:58am. The details of the accident are still sketchy, but it appears to have been a rear-end collision, that resulted in the entire front end of the minivan impacted into the left rear corner of the truck’s left rear corner, and was at least partly underneath the truck. The degree of the impact completely totaled the minivan.

First Responders from the local police, fire, and other emergency management services were quick to arrive on the scene. Their combined efforts kept a bad situation from becoming even worse, as traffic was diverted safely around the accident scene and any potential for fire was carefully monitored and prepared for.

Published on: May 7, 2012

School Bus and Semi Crash on Oregon Hwy

by Stephen Bilkis

A witness reported that a school bus and a semi truck collided near Gaston, on Oregon 47 last Tuesday. The bus driver and nine students were taken to a local hospital and treated for minor injuries. The 57-year old truck driver was not injured in the accident, and was cited for careless driving for his part in the collision.

The crash occurred at approximately 7:40am when the bus had stopped to pickup students on their way to school. The bus had its warning lights on, when the truck rounded the curve. The truck driver applied the trucks brakes in an effort to stop. It was then that the tractor-trailer fishtailed across the road and hit the bus as it went into a ditch. Almost immediately after the accident, the driver of the semi went to the school bus to see if he could render assistance to those who were injured.

The accident scene was not want for eyewitness accounts, as this particular bus stop is a central location where many students are picked up each morning, and there were many parents on the scene who witnessed the accident. One witness told a cop that it appeared to him that the truck was going too fast as it rounded the curve. While the trooper on the scene who was investigating the accident stated that, he did not think the truck’s speed was “grossly out of line for the area.” The trooper also added that while the suggested speed for the curve is set at 45mph, the speed limit for that particular road is 55mph. Another of the witnesses stated that this makes the fourth semi-involved accident that has occurred in the local area over the past year, and they hope that warning lights will be installed, like they have been in Nassau and Suffolk, so as to warn drivers of the potential hazards that lie ahead.

Published on: April 30, 2012

Woman Files Lawsuit Against Truck Driver

by Stephen Bilkis

As part of our ongoing investigative and reporting efforts, a rep strives to not only bring you the latest in truck accident investigations and reports, but also writes about when certain legal cases are presented that are of interest to our readers. As a matter of policy, a Lawyer does not specifically mention names of those persons that are involved in the legal system in any manner. This not only protects those persons who are desirous of maintaining their privacy, but also helps to avoid any confusion between certain stories that we cover.

A Missouri woman has filed legal suit in St. Clair County Circuit Court on February 9 against trucking company Empire Express of Memphis, TN. The suit alleges that the plaintiff was injured when one of the company’s drivers reportedly struck her vehicle in the rear with the truck on June 17, 2009.

The suit further alleges that she sustained permanent injuries to her head and lumbar spine as a result of the driver having rear-ended her vehicle. The suit further alleges that she has suffered great pain and mental anguish due to her injuries and blames the driver that has been named in the suit. The woman has also stated within her complaint that, “she incurred medical costs and has been deprived of participating in her normal life activities.”

Published on: April 19, 2012

Commercial Accidents Statistics Published by New York Truck Accident Lawyer

by Stephen Bilkis

Each year, a company publishes a collection of figures for the previous year’s accidents and collisions for Commercial Vehicles. The list also includes the stats for Tractor Trailer and Semi Truck accidents. After much anticipation, the numbers for 2010 are out, shedding light on the grim upturn in serious accidents involving commercial vehicles. During the last calendar year, accidents involving Commercial Vehicles numbered upwards of 500,000. One fifth of accidents resulted in significant injury for at least one person involved. The death rate for accidents was just at 1 percent, a markedly higher number than 2009, when only about .8 percent of collisions resulted in a fatality.

According to the source who released the numbers, these truck accidents will only increase over the coming years. The massive up-tick in accidents and collisions is a direct result of the increased number of commercial vehicles on the road. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that an increase of as much as 25 percent in the number of Commercial Vehicles on the Roadways is possible by the end of 2012.

The study pointed out that the increase presents a major problem for US traffic and criminal courts, which are already significantly backlogged with cases. He said that the extremely high number of cases which are settled out of court is a direct result of the agonizingly slow legal process involved for those in accidents. This problem is exacerbated by the notoriously long lag time required by insurance companies in Nassau and Suffolk to settle a suit.

Published on: March 17, 2012

A truck driver crashed his truck

by Stephen Bilkis

Friday at about noon on Route 80 West by Exit 34, a driver of a tractor-trailer overturned his truck and had to be removed by first responders. According to a witness, the identity of the man who drove the truck was not available.

He was removed from the truck accident about 12:55 p.m. State Police Sgt. Mark Kapenis in Netcong, told a reporter, that the driver was alert and conscious the whole time.

It took emergency crews almost an entire hour to get him out of the truck. During that time traffic on Route 80 West was at a stand still for about 5 miles.

Published on: March 15, 2012

5 killed in Texas accident

by Stephen Bilkis

Three children and two adults were killed in a head on crash that took place in Texas. The collision resulted in a fiery explosion, Police told a reporter. Police authorities indicate that the accident happened this past Sunday afternoon. The adult in the truck accidentwas driving a Volkswagen vehicle when it got out of control and slammed into a dump truck head on.

Everyone in the vehicle was killed as soon as the impact happened. Three of the passengers were children ranging from age two to eight; two boys and one girl. The driver was the children’s grandmother. It was reported to the TV station that the other adult in the truck accident was the driver of the dump truck who was also killed in the accident. The dump truck was on its way to a garbage dump and that makes this truck accident a commercial truck accident. Any truck accident which happens in the act of work is considered to be a commercial truck accident.

The witness said that it seemed as if the truck driver’s death came at the hands of the fire and not necessarily the impact itself. The Police said, “The truck driver was on the phone with his wife when the crash happened.

Published on: February 19, 2012

Truck catches fire after accident

by Stephen Bilkis

On Wednesday evening, a minivan and a semi-truck crashed and exploded in a fiery collision. This happened in the Ohio area on Highway 275. The truck accident took place approximately 5:45 p.m. as fire trucks and their crews rushed to the scene in order to clear the accident scene.

The fire truck and its crews told a policeman that at least one lane remained closed for a long time. Workers were called to scene to remove the debris and the media also came to the scene to report the accident. Bridge inspectors arrived on the scene the next day to make sure that the highway was safe for other travelers.

Some witnesses reported to the police that the semi-truck was traveling eastbound on Highway 275. They reported that it seemed as if the driver could not control the vehicle and therefore the vehicle began to swerve while hitting the guard rail. Suddenly fire exploded from the truck as soon as it came to a stop. Semi Truck accidents like this one are common on the Long Island Expressway in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The LIE seems to be the kind of road that promotes accidents where the moving vehicle hits a guard rail and spins out of control.

Published on: January 27, 2012

Five injured by jackknifing semi

by Stephen Bilkis

Snow played a big part in this ugly semi truck accident, explained the witness. It had been snowing all day and there was a good four inched of the white, sticky stuff on the roads. Accidents were happening all over the place. Two police officers and three others were hurt when they were hit by a jackknifing tractor trailer.

When EMS crews responded to the scene, they discovered that the semi had lost control while speeding and trying to pass another vehicle. Not the brightest thing in the world to try and do, as it sent the semi across the road, causing it to hit a disabled car and the two officers talking to the motorist. The truck hit the car so hard, it send one of the officers under the truck and propelled the other at least 100-yards down the road, where he landed with incredible force, described the report.

The officer trapped under the truck sustained a compound ankle fracture and the one thrown into the air suffered a dislocated shoulder. Both were lucky they were not more seriously hurt, the friend commented. The driver of the car that the semi hit was also taken to the hospital and admitted to the trauma unit. Truck accidents like these are common in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Published on: January 12, 2012

Two vehicle wreck involves milk truck

by Stephen Bilkis

This was a case with a bit of a different twist. A Ford utility van rear-ended a milk truck. While there was some spilled milk, over all, both the Ford driver and the trucker were okay after the wreck. From the truck accident reports, the police indicated that the Ford driver wasn’t paying attention to what he was doing and because he was driving while distracted, he slammed into the back end of the milk truck, explained the source.

There was some on scene clean up and a warning issued by police to drive with care in the area and avoid the frozen spilled milk. It was also suggested that others traveling the same highway use due care and attention to the road conditions and slow down accordingly. There is some speculation that the driver of the Ford utility van may be issued a speeding citation, added the police, which wouldn’t be too surprising given the road conditions at the time and the Ford driver’s inattention.

Luckily, neither driver was hurt, but this story could have very easily turned out another way. Driving while distracted cannot only cause injuries, it may kill someone, added the expert. Those behind the wheel of a vehicle owe it to themselves and others on the road, to take care while driving. It’s only common courtesy to take care out there and pay attention to your own driving, the road conditions and what others are doing around you. Your life may depend on it.