Posts by Michael Phelan
Why Truck Accidents Often Involve Multiple Vehicles
Trucks tend to cause more multi-vehicle accidents than cars. Trucks are longer, wider, and taller than passenger cars. Trucks can strike multiple vehicles at one time. Smaller vehicles have a harder time navigating away from large trucks. Many truck accidents involve a primary accident involving just the truck or a truck and one other vehicle,…
Read MoreTruck Drivers Are More Distracted Than Ever
Truck driving is a difficult job. The hours are long. During the time a driver is behind the wheel, the driver has little contact with other people. When drivers are off-duty, there’s no family around to keep a driver happy or occupied. Driving a truck is a physically demanding job. Drivers can be on the…
Read MoreWe Need to Hold Trucking Companies’ Feet to the Fire
Truck accidents usually cause more catastrophic injuries, permanent injuries, and severe injuries than cars due to their dimensions and weight. Cars, motorcycles, and pedestrians are simply no match for the force of a truck in the event of a collision. While some truck accidents are the fault of truck drivers, the fleets and trucking companies…
Read MoreFatal Truck Crashes Increasing in Hampton Roads Region
A report from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) reveals an increase in deadly crashes involving commercial trucks and passenger vehicles over the past year – even though overall crash fatalities have decreased. In fact, Hampton Roads in particular saw a staggering 75% increase in fatal truck crashes in 2022 as compared to 2021.…
Read MoreWhat Are Speed Limiters – and Why Don’t Trucking Companies Use Them?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) plans to unveil its final proposal on speed limiters and commercial trucks sometime later this year. Currently, speed limiters (which work like they sound – they restrict a vehicle from going above a certain speed) are not required in the United States. However, the FMCSA plans to make this…
Read MoreCould This New Software Suite Prevent Truck Accidents?
An article in Transport Topics, a freight industry publication, recently caught our attention. The article discussed a new product by tech company Idelic designed to help commercial truck fleets negotiate lower insurance rates. It does this by leveraging its current trucking safety software’s data and using it to produce reports that notify fleet supervisors about…
Read MoreMulti-Vehicle Accidents Often Have Devasting Consequences
Earlier this month, a multi-car crash involving three vehicles occurred near the A.P. Hill state in Richmond’s Northside. Fortunately, no significant injuries were attributed to the accident, but unfortunately, this is not often the case with multi-vehicle accidents. A multi-car accident (sometimes called a pile-up) is a collision involving several vehicles. Multi-vehicle accidents are particularly…
Read MoreThe Potential for E-Cig Battery Fires and Explosions on Passenger Flights
If you use electronic devices such as electronic cigarettes, vaporizers, smartphones, laptops, or other mobile device, then you most likely use lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are usually the power source for these types of devices. The key to whether any of these devices operate safely is whether the battery overheats. Can vapes explode? In recent…
Read MoreImproperly Loaded Trucks Often Lead to Catastrophic Consequences
Truck accidents are often devastating. Since a semi-truck pulling an empty trailer weighs approximately 35,000 pounds and up to 80,000 pounds when loaded, the sheer size and weight of a commercial truck puts the occupants of smaller vehicles at serious risk for injury in the event of a collision. Commercial truck companies must comply with…
Read MoreLithium-Ion Batteries in Micromobility Devices May Cause Life-Threatening Injuries
Heading into cold weather season, fire danger typically increases, sometimes in unexpected ways, including the lithium-ion batteries used to power micromobility devices. Earlier this month, at least 38 people were injured, some of them critically, in a Manhattan, NYC high-rise apartment building fire that started when a lithium-ion battery powering a micromobility device self-combusted. According…
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