truck

Published on: March 22, 2021

Truck Driver Sleep Apnea — A Serious Highway Danger

I recently read a law firm article indicating nearly half of truck drivers are prone to sleep apnea. That article reaches this conclusion based on a Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study using the STOP-BANG method of screening truck drivers. The Virginia Tech researchers interviewed 20,000 commercial drivers. So, the study has a broad base for reliability. The data is very interesting.

While the law firm’s article cites the study, it really only lists the scary statistics. Yes, it is scary to think up to half of the truck drivers around you may be sleep deprived. The article does a good job of scaring the reader into calling the law firm. Why not talk about potential solutions? The law firm’s article tells us the problem but offers no discussion into solutions. Of course, that’s like most law firm websites — short on real discussion. If it’s a problem (and it is), then the real discussion should surround potential solutions that make our highways safer. With that in mind, I’ll briefly discuss the study. Then, I’m going to talk about two areas where I think we can improve highway safety and trucker health.

What Does The Virginia Tech Research Tell Us?

Continue reading →

Published on: July 8, 2019

The Danger Of Impaired Truck Drivers

By Jeff Blackwell

Truck Driving Is A Solitary Profession

We spend much of our lives at work. For many of us that means going to the office, factory or construction site. We see and speak with other people throughout the day.

Truck driving is different. Truckers may spend long, solitary hours on the road. Miles and miles of highway pass as the hours turn from day to night. In past articles, I’ve written about some of the health problems commonly seen in truckers. Many of those health problems are tied to long, sedentary work days.

Continue reading →

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!

Continue reading →

Published on: January 18, 2016

Truckers With Serious Medical Conditions Are A Real Danger On Alabama Highways

By Jeff Blackwell

A recent article discusses a Georgia truck driver barred from driving by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) due to personal health issues. Do you know if the driver of that big truck next to you on the highway is healthy and safe? Commercial drivers with serious health issues are a major safety issue on our highways.

A recent FMCSA study of truck driver health paints a troubling picture. According to the study comparing long-haul truck drivers to other workers:

Obesity in truck drivers is twice as high

Continue reading →

Published on: November 10, 2014

Can We Learn From Walmart And The Blame Game?

By Jeff Blackwell

An article from a personal injury firm in our nation’s capitol starts by saying “Tracy Morgan Shocked By Walmart’s Accusations.” The article was an interesting read. The crash that injured Tracy Morgan generated months of media headlines. If you’ve avoided all news for the last few months – A Walmart truck driver crashed his truck into the limousine carrying Tracy Morgan. Morgan suffered severe injuries. Another passenger, comedian James McNair, died in the collision.

Morgan later sued Walmart claiming its truck driver had not slept in 24 hours before the accident. Did Walmart take responsibility for the collision which caused so much injury and damage? No. Walmart refused to take responsibility. Instead, Walmart played the blame game. Walmart answered the lawsuit by blaming Tracy Morgan for his own injuries. I have represented clients in the past with claims against Walmart. I’m not surprised Walmart tried to blame an innocent victim. In a prior work comp case of mine, Walmart initially claimed the accident never happened even though it possessed video of the event! Sadly, Walmart’s actions are not unusual. Too many defendants attempt to blame the victim instead of accepting their responsibility.

How do corporate defendants attempt to shift the blame? At first, the defendant ignores its own recklessness (like putting a truck driver on the road for 24 hours without rest) and falsely asserts the other driver must have contributed to the crash. When that effort fails, many defendants then attempt to shift blame for the actual pain and injuries. They begin to claim falsely that the victim exaggerated their injuries, lied about their condition, or refused rehabilitation.

Continue reading →