In a collision between a large tractor-trailer truck and a small passenger vehicle, people in the smaller vehicle often suffer serious injuries. If the truck driver was negligent, under Montana law the injured victims have the right to sue that driver for damages. But, what about the truck driver’s employer? When do injured truck accident victims have the right to…Read More
It does not take much imagination to picture what can happen when the tires or brakes on a semi truck fail on a busy Montana highway. To help prevent accidents caused by negligent truck maintenance, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations include provisions governing truck maintenance. The federal regulations apply to trucks in interstate service with a gross weight over…Read More
For Montana residents, large semi trucks are a familiar sight on our highways. For drivers of passenger cars and pickup trucks, sharing the road with these behemoths can sometimes be intimidating. In a collision, they can destroy a smaller vehicle and leave its occupants dead or seriously injured. In order to promote semi truck safety, federal trucking regulations have been…Read More
When a large semi truck collides with an automobile, a pickup truck or an SUV, the outcome is often tragic. The smaller vehicle does not stand much of a chance against the overwhelming size and weight of the semi. Not surprisingly, these accidents often result in serious injuries and death. Data compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)…Read More
A head-on collision between a pick-up truck apparently driven by a teenager and a semi-trailer truck has killed three young men and left a fourth in critical condition. As is the case with most car-truck accidents, details on the accident and its cause were not immediately clear. The pick-up truck was apparently carrying four teenagers. It was heading south on…Read More
While car accidents are a day-to-day occurrence in Billings, Montana, minor fender-benders pale in comparison to the destruction caused by a truck accident. Unfortunately, as the 2013 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals, truck accidents have the potential to cause thousands of fatalities each year. According to the NHTSA, in 2013 nearly 4,000 individuals died in…Read More
Truck driver fatigue is a serious danger on Montana roads. When over-the-road truckers drive too long without rest, their alertness and reaction times are adversely affected. In a worst-case scenario, a trucker can fall asleep at the wheel. When a large semi truck is involved in a collision with a smaller vehicle, the occupants of the smaller vehicle can be…Read More
Large 18-wheel trucks are a common sight on Montana highways. But when a passenger car is involved in a collision with a semi truck, the results are often tragic for the occupants of the car. Because of their size and weight, large trucks can demolish a smaller vehicle when they hit it, resulting in injury or death to those inside.…Read More
The trucking industry is important to Montana farmers, ranchers and businesses. But some argue the trucking industry puts profits over safety. In 2012, big trucks were involved in 333,000 crashes, according to data from the National Transportation Safety Board. Those accidents resulted in 3,921 deaths and injured over 104,000 people. Recently truck driver fatigue, one of the most critical safety…Read More
The Montana Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate an accident in which a 23-year-old Busby, Montana woman was struck and killed by a vehicle as she walked along U.S. Highway 212 recently. The woman was walking with two men at the time of the accident, and they have said they believe she was struck by a semi truck. Unfortunately the…Read More