U.S Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced federal guidance to expressly prohibit texting by drivers of commercial vehicles such as large trucks and buses. The prohibition is effective immediately.

“We applaud the U.S. Department of Transportation for taking this measure to prevent senseless accidents involving texting while driving,” stated Attorney Eric Hageman. “Because trucks are heavier, harder to maneuver and more difficult to slow and stop than passenger vehicles, it is important that we continue to hold truck drivers to the highest possible standards.”

The texting ban on truck and bus drivers is the result of the Department's interpretation of standing rules. Truck and bus drivers who text while driving commercial vehicles may be subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750.

In addition to the federally-imposed penalty, truck and bus drivers, the companies they work for and others can be held liable for injuries and death caused by texting while driving. Contact our law firm about holding drivers accountable and compensation for accident victims and their families.

To contact an injury lawyer MN about a lawsuit against a truck driver, bus driver, trucking company or bus company, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our online form for a free consultation.

Labels: car accident lawyers, semi accident mn

Our law firm has been retained by a Lake City, Michigan family following a deadly crash on November 30, 2009 on M-55 near Menzies Road in Missaukee County.

A westbound semi-tractor trailer operated by Jeffery Lofquist and owned by USF Holland, lost control and slid into the eastbound lane where it collided with an automobile operated by 41-year-old Michelle Ash. Ash’s 15-year-old son, Alexander, was killed. Michelle Ash remains hospitalized in Traverse City with a severe traumatic brain injury.

Our truck accident lawyers are investigating whether the crash was due in part to the condition of the truck or trailer. Firm president, Fred Pritzker, stated, “Unfortunately, we often see large truck companies running equipment in violation of state and federal law. If the condition of this truck increased the risk of this horrible loss, we want people with information about it to come forward.”

Pritzker Olsen law firm represents survivors of truck crashes in cases throughout the United States and has collected millions of dollars on their behalf. Anyone with information about this incident should contact the firm at 1-888-377-8900, email Fred Pritzker or submit our contact form.

Labels: head injury, tractor trailer accident, wrongful death

A fatal Minneapolis head-on collision may have been caused by a drunk driver.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, Connie Stroud, 42, may have been drunk when she drove the wrong way on the I-94 ramp to 49th Avenue in Minneapolis. Her Toyota pickup truck collided head-on with a car driven by Yia Vang. An unborn baby was killed, and the mother, Tao Thao, is still in critical condition. Yia Vang, Tao Thao’s husband, and five children between the ages of 3 and 10 were also injured in the Minneapolis head-on collision.

Tao Thao has been the sole breadwinner in the family since Yia Vang was laid off from his welding job.

A benefit fund has been set up in Yia Vang’s name. Donations can be taken at all Wells Fargo locations.

Lao Thao, Tao Thao’s brother has asked the community for help because the Vang family is not able to buy food or clothes or to pay for housing.

Liability of Bars, Liquor Stores and Other Sellers of Liquor under the Minnesota Dram Shop Law

If Ms. Stroud was drinking at a bar or similar establishment before the head-on collision, that bar may be liable for the death and injuries resulting from the accident under Minnesota's dram shop law.

Minnesota law holds bars, restaurants and other "dram shops" responsible for the dangerous actions of an intoxicated person when they illegally sell liquor to that person.

Under Minnesota Statutes, Section 340.801, Subdivision 1:

A spouse, child, parent, guardian, employer, or other person injured in person, property, or means of support, or who incurs other pecuniary loss by an intoxicated person or by the intoxication of another person, has a right of action in the person’s own name for all damages sustained against a person who caused the intoxication of that person by illegally selling alcoholic beverages.

If your family has been hit by a drunk driver, contact a Minnesota car accident lawyer for a free consultation: 1-888-377-8900 (toll free), email Fred Pritzker or submit our online consultation form.

Labels: car accident lawsuit, drunk driver, Minneapolis accident lawyers, wrongful death

A former Billings, Mont., bus driver was arrested Wednesday in Washington state and is accused of hitting a teenager in a crosswalk while driving drunk, local news media report.

The accident occurred Sept. 25, 2009 on Timothy Whalen’s routine high school bus route. Witnesses told authorities he got out to see if the girl was hurt and then kept driving. He returned to the scene hours later where authorities tested Whalen’s blood alcohol level, which was .118. The legal limit for commercial drivers is .04.

The girl suffered a broken leg and other minor injuries. Whalen is charged in Yellowstone County with negligent vehicular assault, criminal endangerment and failure to remain at the scene of an accident. These are criminal charges.

For the girl injured in this accident to recover compensation, she will need to pursue the responsible parties in a civil action. Compensation generally includes amounts for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, emotional distress, disability, loss of quality of life and other damages. The amount of compensation should reflect both past and future expenses, losses and pain and suffering.

To contact a bus accident attorney at Pritzker Olsen law firm, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free), email Attorney Fred Pritzker, or submit our online form for a free consultation.

Labels: bus accident, school bus accident

A collision between a truck and a school bus carrying 39 children in Ruskin, Florida, resulted in 10 children taken to the hospital with minor injuries, reports the St. Petersburg Times.

The driver, 39-year-old Olga Guerrero, was cited with violating the right-of-way when she made a left turn into the path of an oncoming truck Wednesday morning. She was also taken to the hospital for minor injuries. The Times also reported that Linda Cobbe, spokeswoman for Hillsborough County Schools, said Guerrero has a clean driving record but will be tested for drugs and alcohol as standard procedure.

Right-of-way mistakes are one of the primary causes of traffic accidents. Violation of a right-of-way law is negligence unless there is a clear and convincing justification.

For a free consultation with a bus accident attorney, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free), email Attorney Fred Pritzker or submit our online consultation form.

Labels: bus accident

Burlington Northern Train-Car Collision Lawsuit Update: Burlington Northern was penalized $4.2 million dollars for abuse of evidence and misrepresentations to opposing counsel and the court.

In June 2008, an Anoka County jury issued a $21.6 million verdict against Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad Company for a car-train collision that killed four people. The plaintiff’s argued that the car was hit by the Burlington Northern freight train when the gates and warning lights at a railroad crossing malfunctioned.

In October of 2009, a Washington County District Judge ruled that the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad abused evidence and penalized an additional $4.2 million for its conduct.
District Court Judge Ellen Maas wrote in her ruling:

"The breadth of (the railroad's) misconduct in this case is staggering; beginning within minutes of the accident, up to and through the trial. The plaintiffs have established that (the railroad's) misconduct did indeed strain the limits of the civil justice system."

The judge ruled that Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad Company destroyed, mishandled and tampered with evidence and made so many misrepresentations that the judge “lost count.”

Free Consultation Regarding
a Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad Lawsuit

To contact a railroad accident lawyer regarding a Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad car-train collision lawsuit, please call Pritzker Olsen Attorneys at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free), email Attorney Fred Pritzker or submit our online free consultation form.

Keywords: Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad Company lawsuit, car-train collision lawsuit, lawyers, attorneys, Burlington Northern accident suit, car hit by a Burlington Northern train, auto hit by a Santa Fe Railroad train.

Labels: accident death, car accident lawsuit, wrongful death

A man who was allegedly rear-ended by a tractor-trailer truck has filed suit against the tractor-trailer driver and 5 trucking companies, Motor City Express Inc., Challenger Motor Freight, James Group International, James Group International II Inc. and James Group Midwest.

While the man was stopped in bad traffic, the semi tractor trailer failed to stop for traffic and slammed into the rear of the automobile. The impact caused the car to collide with vehicles in front.

According to the complaint, the driver of the car suffered the following as a result of being rear-ended by the tractor-trailer truck:

• Injuries that needed medical attention, resulting in medical costs
• Pain
• Suffering
• Disability
• Emotional distress
• Disfigurement
• Lost wages
• Loss of quality of life and an impaired ability to participate in normal activities
  

The complaint filed in the tractor-trailer accident suit alleges that the driver of the tractor-trailer was at fault for the following reasons:

• Negligent failure to maintain proper control of his vehicle
• Failure to keep a proper lookout
• Speeding—driving too fast for the conditions
• Failure to decrease his speed to avoid a collision
• Failure to properly yield to the vehicle in front of him
• Driving too close to the vehicle in front of him, the plaintiff’s car
  

If you have been in a rear-end collision with a tractor-trailer truck, contact our national law firm for a free consultation by calling 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submitting our online form.

Our truck accident lawyers have been interviewed by The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Lawyers USA and other publications.

Madison County Circuit Court (Illinois) case number: 09-L-1059.

Labels: accident, car, car accident lawsuit, collision, head injury, pain, rear end collision, semi, tractor trailer accident