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

How Truck Drivers Work to Stop Crime as Well as Traffic Accidents

Published on: January 9, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

Commercial truck drivers do a great deal more than simply deliver cargo for clients. Their intensive training and strict licensing means that they have the driving skills and experience to stop many truck and car collisions in Miami and other Florida cities. Truck drivers also act as eyes on the road, stopping criminal behavior on the road and at truck stops.

Truck Drivers Work to Prevent Traffic Collisions

Most truck drivers have more training and on-the-road experience than passenger car drivers. In some cases, this means that drivers of big rigs and tractor trailers can act quickly to avoid a collision. Truckers may be able to predict a dangerous maneuver and evade a collision. They are also trained in crash avoidance techniques. When other motorists drive unsafely around trucks, they put everyone at risk. In some cases, it is only the quick thinking of truckers that can prevent tragedy.

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Getting Workers Compensation after a Trucking Accident

Published on: January 2, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

Truckers are protected by insurance in the event of a truck accident in Hollywood or another community. However, since they are also on the job they should be covered by workers’ compensation benefits. Unfortunately, many truck drivers who are injured in traffic crashes report that they have a hard time getting the full and fair compensation they need for their injuries. There are a few reasons for this:

1) The truck driver may be blamed for the accident.

Although truck drivers get extensive training and must pass strict driving tests to get their commercial licenses, they can still be blamed for causing a collision. The finger-pointing that can happen following a traffic accident in Hollywood or another community can delay compensation and can mean that the true liable parties are not uncovered. In turn, this can mean that those who are injured do not get the compensation they may be entitled to.

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How Can we Improve Truck Driver Training?

Published on: December 30, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Truck driver training is an important part of the solution when it comes to preventing trucking collisions in Aventura and other Florida communities. Properly trained drivers understand what steps they need to take to drive safely on the roads and since they understand why safety measures are in place they may be more inclined to follow the rules.

Truck driver training begins with the steps needed to get a commercial driving license. Drivers who want to drive commercial trucks must take courses and must pass a rigorous written and driving test first. However, safety experts agree that more can be done to ensure that drivers get adequate training and instructions.

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Preventing Brake Failure

Published on: December 23, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Brake failure in trucks leads to many collisions in Miami and other cities. The frustrating thing is that in many cases these accidents are preventable. Often, brake failure can be prevented with:

1) Manufacturer and truck carrier accountability.

Manufacturers have a responsibility to create safe brakes for trucks and cars. This means designing safe brakes and monitoring the manufacturing process to ensure that the final product is safe. Manufacturers are expected to test their products to make sure that they are safe and to recall any products that may be unsafe due to flaws. When brake makers fail to take reasonable precautions to ensure their products are safe, they can be held partly liable if their product leads to mechanical failure or to a crash.

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Truck Driver Screening Can Help Truck Carriers and Can Help Prevent Trucking Collisions

Published on: December 16, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Truck driver training is an important part of preventing trucking accidents in Homestead and other communities. Commercial truck drivers may be operating vehicles that weigh tens of thousands of pounds. These vehicles have many blind spots and in some cases may be used to transport hazardous cargo. For all these reasons, driving a truck can be more dangerous than driving a passenger car, and truck drivers are expected to abide by more rules and pass stricter driving tests. They are also expected to get adequate training to ensure that they can stay safe and keep other users of the roads safe.

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Studies about Distracted Driving Suggest We Need to Look Beyond Cell Phones When Driving Safer

Published on: December 11, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Two new studies from Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) suggest that we need to reconsider how we look at distracted driving in Hollywood and other communities. According to the studies, people who use cell phones while driving do have more crashes and close calls when compared with other motorists, but cell phones do not seem to have an impact on overall collision risks.

The problem, according to researchers, is distracted driving itself and not cell phone use in particular. This is because drivers who are texting or using a cell phone may slow down or engage in other activities to reduce the risk of crashing. Drivers who are not on cell phones, however, are not necessarily safer because they are more likely to take part in other distractions – such as eating, talking with passengers, or smoking – when compared with drivers who use mobile devices.

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Illegal Truck Driver’s Licenses in Miami and Florida

Published on: December 9, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Commercial truck drivers must secure a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in order to be hired by a truck carrier and in order to drive a big rig. Getting a CDL involves driver training, a driving test, a strict written exam, and a dedication to following the federal rules established for truck drivers.

You expect that the big rig and tractor trailer drivers next to you has the training they need to stay safe on the road and that someone has checked to make sure that the drivers are qualified to be sharing the road with you. The problem is that may not be the case. According to a 2006 U.S. Department of Transportation report, there are about 15,000 license holders across 27 states (including Florida) whose licenses are “suspect.” Since that report was published, about one third of the suspect license holders gave up their commercial driver’s licenses or had them taken away, but safety experts say that illegal and unearned CDLs are still a problem on Florida and U.S. roads.

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Why Truck Driver Fatigue in Miami and Other Communities May be a Money Problem

Published on: December 2, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

A lot has been written over the past few years about driver fatigue. Experts have noted that fatigue plays a role in many fatal truck accidents in Miami and other communities, even though the issue is preventable. Legislators have weighed in with many solutions for fighting driver fatigue. In fact, just this year the hours of service rules were changed to cut back the amount of time commercial truck drivers can stay on the road before they have to rest.

One issue that often gets overlooked with truck driver fatigue is money. Truck drivers do not typically enjoy driving while tired and in many cases industry experts say that the problem is an economical one. That is, truck drivers are encouraged to drive longer hours and are financially motivated to do so. Many truck carriers pay by mile driven and the fastest truck drivers that travel the longest can often expect to get better pay.

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Fatigued Drivers Causing As Many As One in Five Fatal Collisions

Published on: November 12, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Fatigued driving is a known contributor to trucking collisions in Homestead, Miami, and other cities across the country. Many government studies and independent research studies have shown the huge impact that fatigue driving can have on response times and on driving safety. Truck drivers are especially vulnerable to fatigued driving because they work long hours and often need to make strict deadlines, which can mean that sleep falls by the wayside. It’s why federal rules require truck drivers to get adequate rest every day and every week.

While safety advocates and Congress have looked at fatigued driving in big rigs and tractor trailers, it is important to keep in mind that tired truck drivers are not the only culprits. Passenger car drivers also drive fatigued and there are no rules requiring them to get adequate rest. According to a number of studies, fatigued car drivers, too, are contributing to trucking crashes.

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Getting Serious About Truck Driver Health

Published on: October 30, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

A study published by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health earlier this year found that truck drivers are more likely than the general population to have higher-risk factors for chronic diseases and are more likely to smoke. The study showed that risk factors such as high cholesterol, poor sleep patterns, sedentary lifestyles, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking and other factors were more common in truck drivers than in Americans in general.

About 69% of drivers polled in the study were found to be obesity, an obesity rate that is twice that of American adults. About 88% of the truck drivers had at least one serious risk factor, while 54% of the general population has these types of risk factors for chronic disease.

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