Commercial Truck Accident

Published on: February 5, 2012

Luck was with this overturned semi driver

by Stephen Bilkis

No one goes off to work in the morning thinking they may be in an truck accident. The trucker in this accident case wasn’t expecting to overturn his rig either, said a friend. Unfortunately, it happened and the truck blocked large portions of the Interstate near an exit ramp. Traffic was re-routed around the big rig and on to the shoulder.

The police report is not clear on what caused the trucker to overturn his rig. They are searching for his cell phone and any other items in the cab of the truck that will give them some idea of what he was doing just prior to the accident. They will want to know if he was texting or talking on his cell phone, using a computer while driving or adjusting his GPS on the dashboard. It only takes mere seconds of inattention to the road to lose control of an 18-wheeler, explained the source.

The roads at the time weren’t in the best condition and there is also some speculation that the truck accident may have been caused by the semi hitting a patch of black ice, which raises the question of what speed the trucker was going. The police will be checking the onboard computer to find out his speed and whether or not he applied his brakes before rolling over.

Published on: February 2, 2012

Trucker avoiding an accident ended up in an accident

by Stephen Bilkis

In a slightly bizarre twist of events, this trucker, who went out of his way to avoid a truck accident, ended up getting into a crash anyway, recounted a witness. He overturned and as a result of that, ended up blocking the whole southbound lane of the highway for about five hours.

Evidently, a car on the highway just ahead of the tanker, swerved in order to avoid a box that was in the middle of the road. The semi, with nowhere else to do, then veered sideways to try and avoid hitting the car. He was carrying 5,100 gallons of gas.

Unfortunately, the trucker hit the median and the rig overturned, spilling about 2,000 gallons of fuel out across the road. EMS crews were on the scene in minutes, their focus trying to contain the gas from spreading. They knew that any spark could trigger the whole river of gas and send it up in a roaring conflagration explained the police.

Published on: January 30, 2012

An action was filed seeking declaratory judgment

by Stephen Bilkis

An action was filed seeking declaratory judgment. The plaintiffs, who are the insured and one of their insurers, seek an adjudication that another insurer, is obliged to defend a certain action for personal injuries based upon the alleged negligence of one of the plaintiffs. The personal injury action was filed by workers who were injured as a result of a truck accident. According to sources, the motor truck involved in the accident had been leased. The truck was covered by a liability policy.

The policy not only protected the named insured, the owner of the truck, but also any person or organization legally responsible for the use of the subject truck. The policy, however, does not protect the named insured if the accident occurs while the automobile is not being used exclusively in the business of the Named Insured and over a route the Named Insured is authorized to serve by federal or public authority.

The plaintiffs contended that at the time of the truck accident the truck was operated in the business of the named insured and that therefore the policy applies to the pending personal injury suit. The insurer, on the other hand, asserted that the named insured did not operate the truck exclusively in his own business at the time of the accident and that therefore there is no coverage here.

Published on: January 23, 2012

Semi backs up over man killing him

by Stephen Bilkis

This was a horrific truck accident that devastated the lives of many, said the report. The family of the dead man in this case filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the trucker that backed up over their dad in a parking lot.

The semi driver was attempting to move his rig to a different location in the parking lot and for some reason, failed to see the man walking behind him. Unfortunately, that man lost his life and even though responding EMS crews got there fast, reported the witness, he didn’t survive his injuries from the truck accident.

There are obviously some questions the police will need answered in this case, not the least of which is why was the deceased walking behind a big rig in one of the trucker’s blind spots? Why was he walking behind a moving rig in the first place? Did he fail to hear the backup warning signals, asked the questioner? Why was the driver backing up and not checking behind his truck? And why would the deceased, a trucker himself, walk into the path of a moving semi? In Brooklyn and Staten Island there would be an investigation.

Published on: January 20, 2012

Trucker overturns with load of live chickens

by Stephen Bilkis

Some days, it doesn’t even pay to get out of bed and go to work. Some days, things go fine and other days, they wind up to be a truly memorable occasion that one wishes to forget. This trucking accidentcase was one of those days the trucker would love to write off and forget, but, unfortunately, it will likely dog his footsteps for many years to come, given the nature of the mishap.

The big rig in this case was heading south on the highway and for some reason, yet to be determined, the rig flipped over. The cargo was 8,740 live chickens on their way to the processing plant, explained a report. The accident scene posed a major problem for rescue crews as they would need to figure out how to handle the chickens and where to take them.

The trucker wasn’t badly hurt; shaken up, but did not receive life-threatening injuries. He will be questioned by the police as to what happened just prior to his rig flipping over, said the police. Was he reaching for something on the dashboard or the seat next to him? Was he DUI? Was he trying to dial a cell phone? One thing is for sure, if he had not turned over with no one near him at the time, this truck accident could have turned out to be a lot worse than it was.

Published on: January 15, 2012

Four killed in taxi versus semi collision

by Stephen Bilkis

Four men on their way to a wedding were killed in a truck accident when the cab they were riding in ran into the back of a big rig parked in the middle of the road, said the observer. What was the big rig doing in the middle of the road without any flares or warning signs? This is a good question and one that the police will want answered when they succeed in tracking down the negligent truck driver.

Because there was no warning that a truck had been abandoned in the middle of the highway, the taxi driver didn’t see it, as they were traveling in the very early hours of the morning, when visibility was not good. When the cab rear-ended the truck, three passengers and the driver died on impact, reported the source. There was one survivor, who was rushed to hospital for medical care.

Why a trucker would leave a big rig sitting in the middle of the road without any warning signs or flares just defies all common sense logic. Would he not have anticipated that someone would come along and possibly hit his vehicle? Why weren’t the authorities called when the truck had problems and needed to be abandoned? Why did the trucker not follow safety rules and put out flares, direct traffic around his rig or put up warning cones for several hundred yards down the road to keep people from running into his truck? Truck accidents like this one are not often reported in places like the Bronx or Brooklyn.

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.

Published on: January 7, 2012

Two truckers hurt in accident involving both semis

by Stephen Bilkis

Strange things sometimes happen when you least expect them. This trucker and trucker accident case was unusual, as it did not involve moving vehicles, which should have meant a relatively benign outcome. Unfortunately, given the nature of the injuries, that may not be the case, indicated the police report.

This truck accident took place at a car manufacturing plant and happened just as the two semis were leaving the premises. One of the rigs stopped on its way out of the lot for an inspection before hitting the road. Evidently, the driver had some trouble opening the doors.

The driver of the other rig, noticing that his buddy was having problems, came over to help him out. As he got out to help the other trucker, the big rig moved forward and pinned both of them between the trucks; a pretty horrific truck accident, commented the officer.

Published on: January 2, 2012

Jackknifed Semi Accident Badly Injures Four

by Stephen Bilkis

The semi in this case badly injured four when it jackknifed right at the scene of another crash on the highway, said a reporter. The bad weather conditions were the cause of the first accident and the snowfall was not letting up any when the second truck accident happened.

The highway was alive with the presence of numerous police officers, who had responded to the first accident, when a big rig driver lost control while trying to speed past another vehicle on the snowy highway. The rig hit a disabled car and two officers who were checking on the motorist, explained the police. Accidents like this one do not occur often in Manhattan or the Bronx.

One officer was trapped under the semi and rescue personnel had their work cut out for them to rescue him. The officer under the truck had rib and chest injuries, as well as a broken ankle. He was taken to the nearest hospital for medical help. The second officer hurt sustained head lacerations in the truck crash and a dislocated shoulder after being tossed into the air and landing 100 feet down the road.

Published on: December 30, 2011

One Killed in T-Bone Collision with Mack Truck

by Stephen Bilkis

No one quite knows what made a man drive his Volvo right into the path of a Mack Truck. Although he was from another country, he surely would have known that the huge truck could not stop on time to avoid hitting him.

It appears that the man was at a stop sign along a highway and was trying to turn left onto it. He was behind a Dodge truck, also turning left. The Dodge made the turn and the man tried to follow right behind him, but instead of making the turn safely, he turned right into the path of an eastbound tri-axle truck and the truck accident ensued , reported the police.

The trucker had no place else to go and could not stop in time, explained the authorities, although there were skid marks extending for at least 15 yards from where the trucker did apply the brakes in an attempt to stop before the truck accident occurred.