Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton
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We have laws and basic safety regulations for car, trucks, motorcycles, and pretty much every other type of motorized vehicle. But what about an attachment to these vehicles? Not so much. Take, for example, trailers. If a trailer weighs less than 3,000 pounds there are virtually no safety regulations.
This lack of oversight has translated into runaway trailers on highways and an increasing number of people seriously injured or killed due to runaway trailer.
The most common occurrence features a trailer detaching from a vehicle and becoming an injury torpedo directed towards an on-coming vehicle. The results are devastating. Vehicles can be sliced in two or completely demolished if they're struck by a runaway trailer.
So what can we do to correct this problem? Well, there are actually a number of common sense solutions lawmakers could implement.
1.)Require the safety lights on each trailer to be fully functioning and operational
The police have the right to pull you over if your brake light has burned out. The same should apply to the lights on a trailer. Many safety lights do not work and pose a challenge to drivers trying to navigate behind, or around, vehicles with these trailers.
2.)Require some type of reflective material on ALL trailers
The regulations in place provide many loopholes and are basically ineffective. New regulations requiring some type of reflective material (e.g. tape, mesh, etc.) for all trailers; no exclusions for weight or the "type" of trailer.
3.)Create fines for drivers who fail to meet the two regulations listed above
For these regulations to actually work, they need to have some muscle behind them. That's why there has to be an enforcement mechanism for police officers. Some type of fine or citation is necessary so drivers understand the ramifications of failing to safely attach and handle their trailers. The same logic has been applied to texting while driving. Numerous states, including Virginia (VA), levy pretty hefty fines against drivers who are caught texting while behind the wheel.
If these common sense solutions are enacted, the number of runaway trailer accidents leading to serious injury or death should decrease. But if we continue down the path we're on, I fear we'll see more and more tragic stories like Caitlyn Johnson. As I have discussed before, visit www.dangeroustrailers.org for the real back stories of families devastated by runaway trailers.
About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and our attorneys have handled thousands of car and truck accident cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. In addition, check out our FREE special reports on distracted driving and The Best Guide to Car Accident injuries in Virginia. Our primary office in based in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) although our lawyers hold licenses in NC, SC, WV, KY and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now-we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Furthermore, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.
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How can you identify a top Virginia injury lawyer for your case? Look no further.
Our VA personal injury lawyers have been selected for many accolades.
Two of the attorneys with our Virginia Beach accident injury law firm, James Lewis and Rick Shapiro, have been named the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. Two of our VA injury lawyers -- Lewis and Shapiro - have been named to Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury since 2010. In addition, Lewis and Shapiro have been selected for inclusion in the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009.
Our VA accident injury law firm was the first in the commonwealth nvited to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical and respected law firms. Rick Shapiro was named as one of the Top 100 Injury Lawyers in Virginia by the National Trial Lawyers Association.
In October, 2000 our law firm and co-counsel obtained what was then the largest verdict in Virginia's history for an injured person. Our brain damaged client received an initial award of $46 million that rose to $60 million with interest when the defendant abandoned an appeal and agreed to settle.
Geographical Areas
Our personal injury lawyers handle personal injury cases throughout the eastern USA, and work closely with lawyers in other states on signficant injury cases.
In Virginia, this includes Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Suffolk, Richmond, Petersburg, Roanoke, Salem, Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, Ashland, Big Stone Gap, and every community on the Eastern Shore, including Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteauge, Wachapreague, and Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague and Wallops Island.
In West Virginia, we can handle personal injury claims in Bluefield, Beckley, Bridgeport, Charles Town, Charleston, Fairmont, Huntington, Lewisburg, Madison, Martinsburg, Morgantown, Moundsville, Parkersburg, Ripley, Sutton, Weirton, Wheeling and any other town or county.
Injury Lawyers licensed in VA, WV, North Carolina (NC), South Carolina (SC), Kentucky (KY), Florida (FL) and Washington, DC.
Car & Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
Crashes Caused by Trucks
Medical Malpractice/Doctor Mistakes
Brain Damage/Head Injuries
Railroad Injury/FELA
All Serious Injuries
Dangerous Drugs & Devices/Product Recalls