Controversy Surrounding System to Determine Truck Crash Accountability

Efforts to track the accountability of commercial carriers for truck accidents have sparked much debate.

2012-08-15

August 15, 2012 (Press-News.org) The sheer size and weight of commercial trucks make truck collisions some of the most deadly types of motor vehicle accidents. The potential danger posed by 18-wheeler accidents has led the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to track such crashes and rate carriers' safety performances. Now, those in the trucking industry are advocating for changes to this system.

The FMCSA tracks truck accidents as part of its Compliance Safety Accountability (CSA) program. Under the program, part of a carrier's safety rating is based on the number of crashes its trucks are involved in, regardless of whether its truck drivers are at fault for the accidents. The agency maintains that such crash data, with or without fault, is a reliable predictor of a carrier's future safety performance.

Approaches to Determining Truck Accident Fault

Some of those in the trucking industry, including the America Trucking Associations (ATA), want the FMCSA to change its system for measuring crash data and place emphasis on which driver is at fault for a wreck. The FMCSA has been considering this approach, and conducted a study to see if it would be feasible to use police reports to determine fault in truck accidents.

Since the study was completed, the ATA has repeatedly requested that the FMCSA release the results. "To live up to its goal to be open and transparent, FMCSA should release the results of the study, identify the specific concerns that caused it to place the planned solution on hold, and commit to a timeline for addressing the issue," explained the ATA President. The FMCSA has refused, saying the findings were preliminary and require further review. In the meantime, the carrier safety rating system has remained in place and unchanged.

The Causes of Truck Accidents

Although 18-wheeler accidents may sometimes be caused by the drivers of passenger vehicles, often the truck driver is at fault. A variety of factors may contribute to a truck driver causing an accident, including: driver fatigue, substance abuse, speeding, distracted driving, overloaded tractor-trailers and disrepair of tractor-trailers.

If you or a loved one has been involved in an 18-wheeler accident caused by a negligent truck driver, contact an experienced personal injury attorney. A lawyer can investigate your case, advocate on your behalf and help ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.

Article provided by Jaroslawicz & Jaros
Visit us at www.jaroslawiczandjaros.com

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Lower Extremities Injuries From Motorcycle Accidents

2012-08-15

Anyone who has ridden a motorcycle knows the thrill of being out in the open with their bikes. But being exposed like this also has a serious drawback; when a motorcyclist is involved in an accident, the injuries can be severe or fatal. The most common types of injuries suffered by motorcyclists are injuries to the lower extremities, according to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). And, after reviewing motorcycle accident data from 1997 to 2006, the agency found that the most common injuries to the lower extremities are to motorcyclists' ...

Curbing Defensive Medicine

2012-08-15

Defensive medicine is a term used to describe practices that doctors engage in to protect themselves from possible liability claims. Defensive medicine includes any procedure that a doctor may prescribe in order to protect him or herself from liability. It typically involves extra testing or diagnostic procedures on a patient in order to "be sure" the doctor is taking the correct route. These tests are not only dangerous in terms of potential side effects, but they also waste time and money for both patients and hospitals and add strain to an already overtaxed ...

Study Finds Cars With Lane Departure Systems Have More Accidents

2012-08-15

Automobile lane departure systems are designed to help motorists avoid accidents by warning them when they are straying out of their lanes. This is done through the use of radar, sensors and computer controls in the car. Although these systems were expected to reduce car accidents, a recent study shows that they may not be effective. According to a study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), they found a 10 percent increase in car crashes for automobiles that contained lane departure technology. While it is unclear why this increase occurred, ...

Older Workers Hit Hard by Country's Economic Woes

2012-08-15

A recent survey performed by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) confirms what many older jobseekers have suspected -- the country's economic crisis seems to be disparately affecting older workers. Allegations of age discrimination have risen about 30 percent since 2006. In fact, complaints of age discrimination reported to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) are at an all-time high, and they now account for over a quarter of all work-related complaints. The AARP survey -- which included 1000 people over the age of 50 -- found that not only ...

More Elderly Homeowners at Risk of Foreclosure

2012-08-15

The scourge of the foreclosure crisis has affected millions of middle-aged Americans, but little has been reported on the most vulnerable homeowners; elderly Americans. According to a recent report by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) millions of older homeowners are at risk. Among the report's findings, nearly than 600,000 people age 50 and older are facing foreclosure, and an estimated 625,000 are at least three months behind on their mortgage payments. The proportion of delinquent loans held by older Americans has increased by 450 percent over the last ...

Can a Subsequent Owner of a Home Succeed on a Claim for Implied Warranty of Habitability Related to Construction Defect in Real Estate?

2012-08-15

Is occupancy of a home by the first owner a condition precedent to denying a subsequent owner a claim for implied warranty of habitability? This question is posed by many subsequent homeowners for construction defects against original builders. The answer in short is yes. The subsequent homeowner cannot bring a construction defect claim against the original builder, unless the defects from the current seller are not readily visible or discoverable. This is the classic, patent v. latent argument in construction defect and real estate in general. In Colorado, under the ...

Use of Fake IDs, Enforcement on the Rise

2012-08-15

Now that graduation season has come and gone, and summer party season has begun, it's important for parents to be aware of issues related to the use of false identification among young people under 21. The use of fake IDs among young people is pervasive. The internet has made obtaining one easier than ever, while better technology has enhanced the quality of fake IDs. Millions of teenagers and students younger than 21 years appear to believe that the rewards outweigh the risks of getting caught. People in this age group drink over 10 percent of the alcohol consumed in ...

Two Attorneys From Miami Law Firm Freidin - Dobrinsky PA Named Top Civil Trial Attorneys in 2012

2012-08-15

For the second year in a row, Manuel Dobrinsky, of the South Florida law firm Freidin - Dobrinsky, has been named a Top Civil Trial Lawyer by Florida Trend magazine. Dobrinsky is a board-certified trial attorney in Florida and represents individuals in medical malpractice, auto accident and wrongful death cases. Joining Dobrinsky on the list of Florida's Legal Elite and also named a Top Civil Trial Lawyer is Randy Rosenblum, of Freidin - Dobrinsky. Rosenblum concentrates his legal practice on helping those who have been injured due to medical malpractice or a motor ...

Could the Complexity of White Collar Crimes Help Defendants?

2012-08-15

Simplify the issue. That's the advice often given to prosecutors who must try white collar criminal charges before a jury. White collar crimes often involve complex concepts and evidence. Many prosecutors are hard-pressed to understand the complicated financial scenarios involved in some white collar crimes. If a case is headed to a jury, whether in Florida or elsewhere, the prosecuting attorneys may have the difficult task turning thousands of pages of financial records, accounting procedures and other complex evidence into information that a jury of laypeople can easily ...

Wrongful Death In Pennsylvania

2012-08-15

A wrongful act, a negligent act, a violent act or neglect that results in death may give rise to a wrongful death lawsuit in Pennsylvania. A wrongful death may be the result of a motor vehicle accident, medical malpractice, poorly maintained premises or even a workplace accident. Who May Bring A Wrongful Death Lawsuit In Pennsylvania? The personal representative, the administrator of the estate or the executor of his or her will is the appropriate person to bring a wrongful claim on behalf of another in Pennsylvania. If a wrongful death claim is not made within six ...

TF-rs1049296 C>T variant modifies the association between hepatic iron stores and liver fibrosis in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease

ASH publishes clinical practice guidelines on diagnosis of light chain amyloidosis

SLAS receives grant from Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to develop lab automation educational guidelines

Serum interleukin-8 for differentiating invasive pulmonary aspergillosis from bacterial pneumonia in patients with HBV-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure

Controversy Surrounding System to Determine Truck Crash Accountability

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: