Representing Victims of Accidents Involving Tractor Trailers and Other Commercial Vehicles
On August 1, 2017, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will launch a demonstration program that that will enable motor carriers to dispute the determination of certain truck crashes as “preventable.”
The program is designed to aid motor carriers in improving Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scores – if the agency reclassifies the cause of crashes that were previously deemed preventable.…
Continue Reading FMCSA Announces New Crash Fault Dispute Program
We’ve all experienced it. You are driving down the freeway at 65 miles per hour in the middle lane. Suddenly a massive eighteen wheeler looms in your rearview mirror. Or one roars past you well in excess of the speed limit. Or, even worse, both trucks barrel down on you at the same time. It is intimidating and frightening to be in the path of an 80,000 pound big rig while driving in a 3000 pound car. Here’s why you should be frightened: that truck driver may be exhausted, on the verge of falling asleep, and about to crash into you or the cars around you.
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Continue Reading Are Long-Haul Truckers Asleep at the Wheel?
Recently, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”) released a crash accountability study that focused on whether incorporating Police Accident Reports (“PARs”) in its crash fault weighting system would improve the Agency’s ability to target carriers most at-risk for crashes.
The report focused on crash accountability in the FMCSA’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (“CSA”) Program. CSA…
On December 16, 2014, President Obama signed Congress’ $1.1 trillion spending bill for the 2015 fiscal year. The spending bill included the “Collins Amendment,” which was introduced by Maine Senator Susan Collins, and seeks to repeal two key provisions of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (“FMCSA”) 2013 hours of service rules.
Under the 2013…
Despite the American public’s overwhelming opposition to increasing the number of hours that a truck driver can work each week, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) has introduced legislation that would increase truckers’ weekly hours from 70 to 82. The “Collins Amendment” is currently before the Appropriations Committee.
In a recent poll conducted by Lake Research Partners,…
Data reflecting a motor carrier’s safety history is presently available to the general public by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The FMCSA generates a carrier’s score through this data, compiled in its “Safety Measurement System” (SMS), which incorporates the results of roadside inspections and other safety-based violations – also known as “Compliance, Safety,…
As you may have previously read on this blog, or seen elsewhere in the news, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is currently considering new regulations that would raise the federal minimum insurance requirements for trucks and buses. Approximately 4,000 people die in truck crashes each year. Studies have revealed that a fatal truck…
