How Often Are Crashes Caused by Tractor-Trailer Fifth Wheel Defects?
A tractor-trailer fifth wheel along with a kingpin provides the coupling link between the truck cab and the semi-trailer it will be hauling. Despite its name, the 5th wheel is a horseshoe-shaped coupling device while the kingpin is a, roughly, 2 inch to 3.5 diameter inch steel pin that is inserted into the center of […]
As Highway Speed Limits Creep Upward, Do Tire Blowout Risks?
Between 2009 and 2013, more than 14,000 fatal crashes involving heavy trucks commercial vehicles occurred. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) statistics, these crashes killed more than 15,000 people. Of these catastrophic accidents, tires factored into 198 of those crashes and 223 deaths. While tire blowouts may not represent the most prevalent cause […]
Are Canadian and European Truck Safety Standards Better Than the U.S.?
In the previous parts of the series, we have already looked at the establishment and evolution of commercial trucking underride standards. We have also looked at whether current underride standards adequately protect the health and safety of Pennsylvania and American motorists when a commercial trucking accident occurs. In the last piece we concluded that in […]
A History of Federal Trucking Underride Standards
We have known about the dangers large vehicles like 18-wheelers, dump truck, Mack trucks and others present to a much smaller, everyday passenger vehicle. Regardless of whether the motorist is driving a compact car, a sedan, a pickup truck or even an SUV the commercial truck dwarfs the passenger vehicle. While the danger is most […]
Are Overnight 15-Passenger Vans Dangerous?
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, who arrived on the scene shortly after receiving a 911 report of a serious accident, 8 have been killed after a single-vehicle accident involving a 15-passenger church van. Those killed include the driver and seven others from a Fort Pierce church. 10 more suffered moderate to severe injuries and […]
Fiat Chrysler’s Jeep Fuel Tank Fires May Represent a Safety Crisis in the Making
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that there are at least 58 burn-related fatalities and 119 non-fatal burn-related injuries due to vehicular accidents each year. One of the more common ways that vehicle fires occur is when a car, truck, or SUV with a rear gas tank placement is struck from behind. This impact […]
Do Keyless Ignitions Increase Risk of Injury or Death?
Today it seems that smart keys are everywhere. If the 2000s represented the decade where smart keys first burst onto the scene, the 2010s represent the decade where they became a standard feature in the vast majority of new automobiles. Today nearly every major auto manufacturer has their own branded version of a smart key […]
Substandard Party Buses with Defective Doors Endanger Party-Goers
For many years limousines were the preferred mode of transportation to and from major events like high school proms, bachelor and bachelorette parties, weddings, graduations, sweet 16 parties and many other special days. However in recent years – after the stretch limo and Hummer limo crazes – party buses have increasingly gained favor with the […]
What is the Role of a Medical Expert in Pennsylvania Medical Malpractice Lawsuits?
Medical malpractice is a highly technical area where legal mistakes can sink an otherwise viable claim. In general, if you have been injured by an act or failure to act by a doctor, nurse or other medical professional you may have a claim for medical malpractice. Medical malpractice claims form a broad umbrella of potential […]
Do Drivers Ignore Vehicle Recall Notices?
In light of both the volume and frequency of car, truck, and SUV recall notices issued by vehicle manufacturers in 2014, it’s almost no wonder that some consumers seem to be tuning out these important safety notices. In the early 2000s, and likely for the first time post-Unsafe at Any Speed, the Firestone tire defect […]
