News
The Louisville injury lawyers at Franklin, Gray and White specialize in car and truck accident cases, as well as misdiagnosis, drug errors, birth injury and other medical malpractice claims. We represent clients throughout Jefferson County, Fayette County, Campbell County, Boone County, Spencer County, Warren County, Henry County and all of Kentucky.Truck Accidents
-
Cucumber Truck Overturns on Kentucky Parkway
Jul 09, 2010July 9, 2010 - A semi-truck loaded with cucumbers overturned on the Kentucky Parkway on June 30 after the truck driver reportedly fell asleep while behind the wheel.
- 61 - 70
According to reports in the Courier Press, David Epperson, 50, of Tennessee was driving a 2006 Kensworth semi-truck westbound on the Kentucky Parkway when he fell asleep around 3:15 a.m. The truck then crossed over the median and overturned on the parkway's eastbound lanes before finally coming to a stop against a guardrail. The truck-which was loaded with cucumbers-spilled its contents across the road.
The truck itself sustained significant damage but Epperson suffered minor injuries and was treated and released from Caldwell County Hospital. Luckily no other vehicles were involved in the truck accident, and the cucumber debris was finally cleared from the parkway just before 10 a.m.
Driver fatigue is one of the primary causes of truck accidents, both in Kentucky and nationwide. Truck drivers typically work long hours which can unfortunately result in cases such as these when drivers fall asleep while behind the wheel and cause serious truck accidents. Needless to say, the size and weight of a truck combined with a sleep deprived driver can be a deadly combination.
To learn more about truck accidents, and truck accident claims in Kentucky, you can visit our article library.
If you have been injured in a Kentucky truck accident, it's important to be aware of your legal rights and options for obtaining the compensation you need. Contact a Louisville truck accident attorney at Franklin, Gray and White to discuss your truck accident case - 1-800-643-8767. -
Workers Hit by Commercial Truck on Audubon Parkway
Jun 23, 2010June 27, 2010 - Henderson, KY - Two highway workers were injured after being hit by a commercial truck on the Audubon Parkway on June 10. A spokesman for the Kentucky Highway Department said both contract workers were struck by the vehicle and taken to a Methodist hospital for treatment.
- 62 - 70
According to reports in the CourierPress, the truck accident occurred near the Zion exit on the Audubon Parkway around 2:30 p.m. when the driver of a commercial truck, Joseph Hamilton, 47, fell asleep at the wheel, left the road and struck a parked truck occupied by Jessie Dean, 25, and Roger Long, 55.
Hamilton has been cited for reckless driving as well as driving a commercial vehicle while ill or fatigued. Hamilton admitted to authorities that he fell asleep while driving the truck. There has been no update on the condition of the injured construction workers.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Kentucky truck accident, it's important for you to understand your legal rights and options. Contact a Louisville truck accident attorney at Franklin, Gray, and White to discuss your truck accident case - 1-800-643-8767. -
Nortonville Truck Accident Kills Truck Driver, Injures 2 Others
Jun 23, 2010June 23, 2010 - Nortonville, KY - A truck accident in western Kentucky has resulted in the death of a truck driver and injuries for 2 people who were parked in a pickup truck at the side of Edward T. Breathitt Parkway in Hopkins County.
- 63 - 70
According to reports in the Chicago Tribune, Kentucky State Police still do not know what caused Bryon E. Nuss Jr., 54, to leave the road before striking the parked pickup truck and continuing down an embankment during the June 20 truck crash.
The occupants of that pickup truck, Tammy Warren, 44, and Matt Warren, 17, had pulled over to the right shoulder of the roadway to read a map when they were struck by the out-of-control truck.
The pickup truck was also forced down the embankment, but luckily both Tammy and Matt Warren survived the truck accident and were taken to the Regional Medical Center in Madisonville. Nuss was taken to the same hospital for treatment but did not survive his injuries.
This fatal truck accident remains under investigation by the Kentucky State Police.
To learn more about truck accidents, and truck accident claims in Kentucky, you can visit our article library.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Kentucky truck accident, it's important for you to understand your legal rights and options. Contact a Louisville truck accident attorney at Franklin, Gray and White to discuss your truck accident case - 1-800-643-8767. -
Baptist Youth Group Survives Crash with Kentucky Semi Truck
Jun 11, 2010June 10, 2010 - A Baptist youth group visiting Kentucky from Georgia was fortunate enough to survive a terrifying truck accident with a semi-truck on June 9 on Highway 92 in Whitley County.
- 64 - 70
According to reports by ABP News, 2 adult sponsors and 3 teenagers were injured in the truck accident on a hairpin turn that is notoriously difficult to navigate. The van driver and his wife were the most seriously injured of the group and were airlifted to the University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington. They are both expected to survive their injuries.
The 3 injured teens were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries and later released. They have since continued doing the Mission work they intended to do while visiting Kentucky. Since there were 13 people in the passenger van involved in this truck accident, it's lucky more people were not seriously injured.
The truck involved in the accident was transporting coal. There has been no information on whether any charges will be brought against any of the drivers involved or how the truck accident might have occurred.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Kentucky truck accident, it's important for you to understand your legal rights and options. Contact a Louisville truck accident attorney at Franklin, Gray and White to discuss your truck accident case - 800-643-8767. -
Two Trucks Collide on I-65 in Hart County
Jun 04, 2010June 4, 2010 - Munderfordville - Two tractor trailers collided on I-65 last week sending both drivers to local hospitals. The truck accident occurred at about 9 a.m. on May 25 near the 65-mile-marker, which is just a mile from the site of the March fatal truck accident that killed 11 people.
According to reports in the Courier-Journal, one of the trucks rear-ended the other after one driver looked down, then looked back up to see the truck in front of him was either slowing or had stopped. The truck driver claims he did not have enough time to safely stop his truck. Both trucks caught on fire as a result of the crash.
One truck driver sustained burn injuries and was flown to University Hospital in Louisville while the other was transported by ambulance to Caverna Hospital. The identities of the truck drivers have not been released.
Southbound lanes on I-65 were closed for several hours to allow police and emergency crews to clear the scene. One of the trucks involved in the collision was carrying glue, which was "all over the place" after the crash and took some time to remove.
Trucking companies can be held liable for a Kentucky truck accident in if it can be proven that they were negligent in any of the critical areas related to the hiring or training of truck drivers and ensuring the safety of their vehicles and cargo.
Our firm will occasionally publish news about national truck crashes and Kentucky truck accidents in particular. We do this to raise awareness about the common factors in truck crashes and what may lead to such traumatic events.
Some of the most common types of truck accidents include, but are not limited to:- jack-knife accidents;
- accidents involving hazardous materials;
- truck override or underride; and
- accidents caused by driver fatigue, aggressive driving or distracted drivers.
- 65 - 70
If you have been named in this news piece or you are the victim's family member or friend and would like the blog removed from our website, please feel free to contact us and we will promptly accommodate your request. -
Garbage Truck Driver in Jeffersonville Collision Took Pain Meds Before
May 26, 2010May 25, 2010 - New reports released on Monday reveal that the driver of the garbage truck from Jeffersonville involved in the May 6 fatal 5-vehicle accident on Indiana Highway 60 had taken a prescription pain reliever and a muscle relaxant hours before the fatal truck crash.
- 66 - 70
The Courier-Journal reports Roger E. Crum Jr., 45, the driver of the garbage truck, ingested Lortab (a pain killer) and Flexeril (a muscle relaxant) between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m. The fatal garbage truck accident took place several hours later at 11:45 a.m. While the medications are prescribed to Crum, they also boast warnings that clearly state that anyone taking these medications should not drive as the medications can cause drowsiness or dizziness.
Crum told police he did not see the warning signs that construction was ahead before he realized that all the cars in front of him were stopped and he crashed into the car of Bethany Burrier, 19. The impact caused Burrier's car to slam into a flatbed truck, which then struck yet another passenger car, and that 2nd passenger car subsequently struck another garbage truck. Burrier died as a result of the accident. Three other people involved in the truck accident, including another Jeffersonville employee in Crum's garbage truck, were taken to University Hospital.
Crum is still receiving medical treatment and an inspection of the truck revealed the brakes were in good working order. No information has yet been released on any criminal charges involved in the fatal crash, but Crum did violate a city policy by not informing his supervisors that he was currently taking prescription medications. -
Fatal KY Truck Crash May Have Been Caused by Driver Distraction/Speedi
May 14, 2010May 13, 2010 - A new report detailing the preliminary findings by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) through the Kentucky State Police concerning the recent fatal truck accident that killed 11 people in March suggests that the truck driver may have been using his cell phone and speeding at the time of the crash.
- 67 - 70
According to reports released by the Courier-Journal, the driver of the truck, Kenneth E. Laymon, might have been using his cell phone in the moments leading up to the fatal truck accident. The report also cites vehicle evidence and a witness statement that suggest the truck may have been speeding as well.
While these findings have yet to be confirmed, the NTSB did state that Laymon did not have control of the truck at the time of the crash and listed "cell phone," "distraction," and "not under proper control" as items under "human factors" in the early crash report.
Some of these findings have already been refuted by Laymon's sister who claims his cell phone records reveal his last phone call was 10 minutes before the crash and that the truck was equipped with a "governor" which would have prevented the truck from speeding.
The report by the Kentucky State Police did include a mechanical inspection of the vehicle but did not mention if the truck had a governor installed. Laymon's actual cell phone records were not included in the information released from the report.
Since the truck accident is still under investigation, the final consensus as to what caused the fatal truck crash will have to wait until a final crash report is released by investigators. -
Fatal Kentucky Truck Accident Leads to FMCSA Policy Change
Apr 21, 2010Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fatal Kentucky truck accident that killed 11 people in March, but they are looking at changing federal policies that could prevent a similar tragedy from happening in the future.
- 68 - 70
On March 26, a tractor-trailer crashed through a median and struck a 15-passenger van head-on, resulting in the deaths of 11 people, including the truck driver. On April 1, The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which oversees trucking regulations for the entire country, issued a new rule that will require trucking companies with a sub-par safety record to install electronic onboard recorders to monitor truck drivers and their hours spent behind the wheel.
There is currently a federal regulation mandating that truck drivers cannot drive more than 11 hours per shift and cannot be on-duty for more than 14 hours. Trucking companies looking to increase their profits often neglect these rules.
Hester Inc., the Alabama-based trucking company who owned the truck involved in the March 26 crash, has been cited at least 13 times in the last 30 months for drivers logging too many hours and breaking federal law.
Now, the FMCSA is changing its policies and forcing any trucking company with an "unsatisfactory" review to install the electronic recording devices, which will monitor the exact number of hours a truck driver spends on the road, as well as their required break times.
This new requirement will apply to truck companies with a 10% rating of hours-of-service violations (determined during a compliance review). The trucking companies will be required to keep the electronic onboard recording devices installed in all of their vehicles for at least 2 years. The FMCSA predicts this new rule will affect approximately 5, 700 companies during its first year of implementation.
Hopefully this new regulation will force trucking companies to manage their fleets and drivers with safety as their No. 1 priority and help prevent future tragedies like the March 26 truck crash. -
Highway Cable Barriers Are Effective At Preventing Truck Accidents
Apr 16, 2010The fatal truck accident that claimed the lives of 10 family members in a passenger van, as well as the driver of the tractor-trailer, has prompted investigation of the cable barriers designed to stop such truck accidents. The March 26 truck crash on Interstate 65 in Hart County, Kentucky took place on a stretch of highway notorious for accidents.
Another truck accident which claimed the lives of 2 women in 2008 had prompted an increase in the use of cable barriers along I-65. These cable barriers, also in place in Jefferson and Bullitt Counties, have been hit more than 700 times since their installation in 2006. Out of those 700 recorded impacts, only 2 crossovers resulted - one from a car slipping under the barriers, and the other was a truck accident involving a semi.
The system initially cost $250,000 to install per mile, but only about $30 per post to repair. The cable barriers in place near the site of the fatal I-65 truck accident that took place in Hart County have recorded more than 25 successful preventions of crossover accidents.
Even with these safeguards in place, Kentucky truck accidents can and do still happen. If you or a loved one were seriously injured in a truck accident in Kentucky, the attorneys at Franklin, Gray & White are here to help. We have successfully handled many Kentucky truck accident and wrongful death cases. Contact us today to schedule an evaluation of your case - 1-800-634-8767.
- 69 - 70 -
Fatal Truck Accident Kills 11 in Kentucky
Apr 10, 2010A recent head-on collision between a passenger van and a tractor-trailer resulted in the death of 10 of the 12 van passengers, as well as the truck driver, in the second deadliest auto accident in Kentucky since 1988.
- 70 - 70
The fatal truck accident occurred March 26 when a van carrying 12 members of a Mennonite family was struck by a tractor-trailer that crossed the I-65 highway median in Munfordville. The van was occupied by an engaged couple and several family members on their way to another couple's wedding in Iowa. Two children were the only survivors in the van.
After crossing the highway median and slamming head-on into the van, the tractor-trailer, loaded with auto parts, smashed into a rock wall and burst into flames, killing the driver on-site.
The National Transportation Safety Board has taken over the investigation to determine the factors that led to the crash, but the investigation will take several months.
Cable barriers were installed along the stretch of I-65 where the accident occurred, but were unable to prevent the fully loaded truck from crossing the median and striking the van. These cables were a temporary install in 2009 while a project for permanent concrete barriers and a widening of the highway was in consideration.
Free Consultation
Begin your case review by filling out the form below or call us toll free at
(800) 634-8767.
Franklin Gray and White
The Speed Mansion
505 West Ormsby Avenue
Louisville, KY 40203
Phone: (502) 210-8942
Fax: (502) 637-1413
Toll Free: (800) 634-8767
Get Directions
