Interstate

Published on: August 30, 2021

Are Drones Being Used For Car Accident Reconstruction In Alabama?

I recently read a post on the website of another local law firm that announced drones were being used more frequently in accident reconstruction. The post says drones are now being used by emergency personnel across the country. It then cites a Massachusetts state trooper and a Minnesota-based accident reconstruction expert. Are drones actually being used for car accident reconstruction in Alabama? The other post is silent on this key issue. The post was clearly written by a marketing person with no local information. I would like to dig a little deeper. Let’s look into drones and their impact on accidents right here in Alabama!

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Has Started A Drone Program.

A February 2020 story on channel WSFA notes that the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (our State Troopers) had recently started a new drone program for traffic and safety issues. At the time of the article, our state police had 16 drones plus a goal to expand the program. According to the article, State Troopers had begun using drones in September 2019.

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Published on: November 23, 2020

Did The Trucking Company Put An Unsafe Driver On The Highway?

By Jeff Blackwell

Earlier this week, I was reading an article about a horrible Interstate crash involving a distracted trucker. The article packs several issues — Distracted driving. Bad driving record. Commercial truck crash. Potential punitive damages.

What happened? A car became disabled on the Interstate. Its driver put on her hazard lights, called authorities and waited patiently for help. While waiting, many other vehicles saw the disabled car, slowed and safely passed. The disabled car was clearly visible. Several minutes later, our trucker came down the Interstate. The trucker hit the disabled car without slowing at all. The trucker never even saw the car with its flashers right in plain view. He was not paying attention.

The crash caused terrible injuries. You can only imagine the impact of a full speed eighteen wheeler on a small, stationary car. At our office, we see many distracted driving crashes here in northern Alabama as well. Yet, there’s more to this truck crash. The truck driver in the article had a bad driving record. Why was he allowed to continue driving? The trucker had several prior accidents, including one where he even hit an overpass. And, he had also been cited multiple times for exceeding allowed driving hours. He had a history of being a careless and reckless driver. The trucking company clearly should NOT have allowed him to continue driving its trucks. But, it did. That company knew his record. Because the company knowingly allowed a dangerous driver to continue operating its trucks, it faces potential punitive damages.

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Published on: September 30, 2019

Truck Driver Fatigue: Research Reveals A Growing Problem

By Jeff Blackwell

I’ve written several articles about truck driver health and fatigue. These are serious safety issues on Alabama roads and highways. All of us have felt uneasy as a big truck zoomed past us on the Interstate. We need truck drivers who are healthy and alert.

Both health and fatigue are related. How? Truck drivers suffer much higher rates of health issues like sleep apnea, diabetes and obesity. These conditions can create problems with sleep, concentration and awareness. My past articles discuss several ways we can improve truck driver health and make our roads safer for all.

Researchers at Ball State University recently published a new study involving sleep and workers. The study is titled Short Sleep Duration in Working American Adults, 2010-2018. What makes the study interesting is that it gathered data over a long period of time.

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Published on: November 12, 2018

Injured By A Big Truck? Beware The Rapid Response Team.

By Jeff Blackwell

Truck crash cases are very different than car accident cases. This is true for several reasons. Commercial trucks can cause much more physical damage. Commercial trucks also operate and maneuver differently than cars. Face it — that truck is much heavier and bigger than your car.

The differences don’t stop with weight, size and maneuverability. Commercial truck drivers often feel pressure to drive long miles for long hours to make deliveries. Truck driver fatigue is a major safety issue. So is truck driver health. I’ve written previously about both of these serious safety issues affecting highway safety.

Don’t forget, trucking companies and their drivers are also subject to specific safety regulations. We could discuss these differences over many blog posts. Here, I want to discuss briefly just one. That is — The Rapid Response Team!

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