Truck accidents kill and injure thousands of Americans every year. Yet outdated insurance regulations mean that many trucking companies carry insufficient coverage to compensate victims and their families for their devastating losses. Although lives may never be the same, victims can seek some semblance of recovery through financial compensation from negligent truck drivers and their...
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Columbus Trucking Accident Risk Lowered by SCOTUS Ruling
A federal mandate requiring trucking carriers to install electronic hourly monitoring devices will stand, following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision not to review a lower court's ruling, as requested by trucking lobbyists. As our Columbus trucking accident lawyers can tell you, fatigued truckers are one of the primary causes of serious and sometimes fatal crashes....
Read MoreOhio Truck Drivers May Face More Sleep Apnea Testing
The U.S. Supreme Court's declination to review an appellate decision in Parker v. Crete Carrier Corp. is likely to result in more sleep apnea testing for truck drivers nationally. In Parker, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit affirmed the trial court's summary judgment in favor of a trucking carrier who fired a...
Read MoreCan Truck Cameras Decrease Ohio Trucking Accidents?
An increasing number of trucking companies have been investing in dual cameras inside truck cabins. The way these cameras work is simple. When a truck driver performs a specific maneuver, such as hitting the brakes hard or swerving erratically, the cameras start to record the driver's actions while simultaneously recording the road conditions they are encountering. The Milwaukee Journal...
Read MoreWill Permitting More Twin-33 Tractor-Trailers Make Columbus, OH Roads Safer?
When truck accidents occur, it is often the motorists in other vehicles who end up getting hurt. Of the more than 4,000 truck accident fatalities in 2013, more than 70 percent of victims were not occupants of the truck. In addition, 11 percent of victims were pedestrians or people riding bikes. This troubling data was made...
Read MoreIncrease in Trucker's Opioid Use Causing Rising Accident Risks in Columbus
Opioid use has become a major problem in the United States. Unfortunately, the opioid epidemic is having fatal consequences. Not only are more people than ever dying of overdoses, but there is also an increased risk of accidents impacting innocent people who do not use drugs. These types of accidents can occur, for example, when...
Read MoreHow Federal Rules Help Prevent Columbus Truck Accidents Caused by Unsafe Cargo Loading
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has passed regulations applicable to truck drivers throughout the United States, including Ohio. Among the many regulations are very strict rules relating to how cargo must be loaded, how cargo must be secured, and how much a load of cargo can weigh. All of these federal rules can help to prevent...
Read MoreProminent Columbus Law Firm Welcomes New Associate
In early 2017, the Smith Law Office welcomed Attorney Nikolas D. Owen as its newest associate. A graduate of The Ohio State University and Capital University Law School, Mr. Owen is an accomplished attorney and student of the law. He is a recipient of both the CALI award for Constitutional Litigation and Robert Weiler Company...
Read MoreSnowy Weather Creates Risk of Ohio Truck Accidents
Recently, a 60-vehicle pileup shut down an interstate in Ohio for 14 hours. USA Today reported the incident was "triggered by heavy lake-effect snow." While the crash involved lots of different vehicles of all types, the initial crash started with a Greyhound bus and more than a dozen trucks. The multi-car pileup left at least...
Read MoreColumbus Motorists at Increased Risk of Truck Accidents Due to Driver Shortage
There are too few truck drivers in the United States today. Trucks.com reported on a survey of leaders from 2,200 trucking companies and, by a margin of two to one, those leaders all described staffing problems as their biggest concern for their company's success. Staffing problems are going to get worse over the next decade,...
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