Item: Flaxman Law Group
Rating: 5
Author: Clara Barman

NTSB Report Recommends Changes to Prevent Truck Collisions at Railway Crossings

Published on: November 19, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Train accidents in Miami and Florida involving trucks are a serious cause for concern. Both trains and trucks are larger vehicles. When they collide at train crossings, the results can be devastating. These types of collisions can lead to explosions, fatalities, and environmental disaster.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a new report about an accident that occurred in May in Maryland. In the report, the NTSB notes concerns about Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) oversight and truck safety. In the May accident, a truck driver using a mobile device did not stop to check train tracks, causing an accident that lead to a derailment and explosion.

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Insurance Problems Common After a Trucking Collision

Published on: October 24, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Many people involved in a trucking collision in Miami or another community expect that they will be able to get help from their insurance provider. After all, motorists pay their insurance premiums precisely so that they can enjoy help if they are ever in a motor vehicle collision. Unfortunately, due to the complexity and high costs of trucking accidents, insurance problems are not uncommon after a crash involving a tractor trailer or big rig. The most common insurance problems include:

1) “I can’t get an insurance offer.”

If you cannot complete a claim because your insurance carrier claims that you are not covered or because there are delays in the process, you will want to get legal advice. You may have an insurance dispute and an attorney can help you explore your options. You will also want to contact an attorney if you are accused of causing an accident you did not cause.

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How Liability is Decided in Trucking Accidents in Homestead and Other Florida Cities

Published on: October 3, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

If you are injured in a trucking crash in Homestead or anywhere in Florida, you may be rushed to the hospital or you may need to contact your insurance carrier if you have sustained some vehicle damage. Behind the scenes of a trucking accident, however, there is a lot of work being done, and understanding how the process works can help you secure fair compensation and justice in your case.

Truck carriers and drivers are protected by teams of attorneys and by larger insurance companies. When an accident involving a commercial truck takes place, these companies take action right away. An investigator or insurance adjuster is usually sent to the scene very quickly. The aim of these experts is to investigate the cause of the accident and to determine liability. Since they are working for the trucking company, they often want to reduce the liability of the trucking company and reduce the amount of money the insurance company will need to pay out. The investigation will usually involve securing evidence that includes:

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CNBC Trucking Industry Investigation Highlights Some Causes of Trucking Accidents

Published on: August 27, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

As trucking collisions continue to happen in Homestead and across the country, many people ask why the numbers of these crashes is not dropping. Recently, one station, CNBC, aired an investigative report about the state of the trucking industry. According to the report and the Federal Motor Carrier Administration (FMCSA), the number of fatal trucking accidents across the country increased close to 18% between 2009 and 2012, despite an increased focus on driving safety. According to investigative reporters, there are a few key reasons why big rig and tractor trailer collisions continue to occur:

1) Repeat offenders.

Federal safety rules and policies are meant to prevent traffic accidents in Hollywood and across the country, but enforcing those rules and getting unsafe trucks and drivers off the roads is more difficult than many realize. According to the CNBC investigation, about 20% of trucks inspected in 2012 were not safe to be on the roads due to out-of-service violations such as bad tires. That amounts to more than 2 million potential unsafe trucks on the roads. In addition, about 5% of drivers inspected had violations that could have prevented them from driving. That amounts to about 171,000 unsafe drivers on the roads.

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Some Trucking Companies Use Unsafe Tactics

Published on: August 21, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

While some truck companies and carriers have a good reputation for safety and take steps to protect their drivers and other motorists on the road, others are not so conscientious. Unfortunately, some of the unsafe tactics used by a small number of trucking companies in Florida and Fort Lauderdale result in serious trucking collisions and car crashes each year. According to safety experts, there are a few practices that trucking companies use that can be especially unsafe:

Fly-By-Night Carriers

According to the Truck Safety Coalition and other groups, some truck carriers re-register with a new name with the Department of Transportation to avoid violations, charges, and safety rules. Essentially, the companies will violate safety rules and then change their company name and re-open as a new company to avoid facing the consequences. These truck companies can be extremely unsafe because they know the legal loopholes that help them avoid liability while continuing to avoid basic safety procedures. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has started a crackdown on carriers who change names and corporate structure to avoid the law, but these companies can be hard to spot – especially if they change addresses as well as names.

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