Kentucky (KY) Truck Driver Dialed Phone Before Crossing Median Killing 11

Rick is a Virginia injury attorney who handles car accidents, medical malpractice, FELA, wrongful death, etc.

9/16/2011
Richard N. Shapiro
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Kentucky (KY) Truck Driver Dialed Phone Before Crossing Median and Killing 11

Anyone who has ever driven alone cross-country knows how monotonous spending hour after hour behind the wheel can be. So it's no wonder that commercial truck drivers want to talk on their cell phones to friends and family. Unfortunately, some drivers become so distracted by the conversation or the actual act of dialing that accidents occur. One such fatal truck accident happened in Kentucky (KY) in 2010. Reports now show that the driver of the tractor-trailer ho was responsible for the crash had just initiated a call before he crossed a median and plowed into a van, killing 11 people.

Officials are asking for a national ban barring commercial drivers from calling or texting from behind the wheel. As a Virginia (VA) car accident injury attorney, I'm positive that texting and driving should be banned for all drivers, but I'm not sure if banning phone calls for truckers is the answer.

However, a study by the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration revealed that reaction times are reduced by about 20 percent for drivers using cell phones. There is a condition called "inattentive blindness" during which the cognitive distraction caused by mobile phone use mutes a driver's awareness of information related to driving.

These days, people use cell phones to get driving directions, check email, update Facebook, send text messages and even (if you can believe it) make phone calls. It's hard not to pass a line of cars on I-64 in Virginia Beach or Norfolk, VA, without seeing at least one driver on a cell phone.

Many times, the reason you spot that distracted driver is because he or she performed some type of unsafe manuever such as failing to yield to cutting you off. Distracted drivers, commercial and otherwise, make roadways so dangerous.

If you have been injured in a car or truck accident in Virginia or North Carolina (NC) and you think the at-fault driver was on a cell phone at the time of the accident, it is possible to subpoena phone records. Distracted driving from cell phones is an epidemic that might require government legislation to address if people cannot govern themselves. We have created a free consumer report for anyone looking for information about accidents caused by distracted driving: Distracted Driving Report: Head Injuries Not Uncommon in Car Accidents.

Category: Crashes Caused by Trucks

Labels: cell phone accident distracted driving Kentucky truck accident KY accident Shapiro texting while driving truck accident unsafe driving VA car accident attorney Virginia car accident injury attorney

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia injury law firm whose attorneys focus on personal injury and accident law and have experience handling truck wreck cases. Check out our truck accident case results and our free consumer guide on what to do if you get involved in an accident with a commercial truck.

We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, VA, but we're ready to come to you anywhere in Virginia, including Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Newport News, VA, if you've been seriously hurt by someone else's carelessness.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been named to the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009 and included among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. Jim and Rick have been named Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law since 2010. Fewer than 5 percent of practicing lawyers receive this honor.

In addition, our VA injury law firm was the first in the commonwealth to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical and respected law firms, and we have the highest rating of AV from Martindale-Hubbell, a national lawyer ranking organization. The rating indicates we have a reputation for preeminent legal skill.

While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer a free initial confidential consultations. Call us toll free at (800) 752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a message so we can get back to you.

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Kentucky (KY) Truck Driver Dialed Phone Before Crossing Median and Killing 11

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