Oklahoma City Personal Injury Lawyer - Will Rogers Turnpike

Trucking Litigtion - How to Level the Playing Field Against the Trucking Company

Jeremy Thurman — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:32:59 GMT

On June 26, 2009 we saw one of the most horrific trucking accidents Oklahoma has ever suffered. You may recall that 9 people were killed in that accident and several others injured when 76 trucker plowed into a line of congested traffic on the Will Rogers Turnpike NE of Tulsa Oklahoma. I blogged on the subject which drew several comments from visitors who had seen the carnage of the accident and even a relative of some of those involved in the accident. In discussing this tragic accident, it occurred to me the importance in this or any semi accident to retain an attorney early in litigation.

One thing every individual who has tried to navigate a trucking accident without an attorney knows is that you are not on level ground when dealing with a trucking company. Trucking companies are highly skilled at truck accident investigations and claims. In any significant trucking accident, the Truck company will send out accident investigators that are on call will be dispatched to the scene of the crash as soon as the trucking company learns there has been an accident. This very action has already put you behind the proverbial eight ball.

The truth is simple, while you are attending to medical care, therapy or even funeral arrangement; the trucking company has already began a defense of the potential lawsuit. You need to level the playing ground and the only way our society allows us to do this is to seek legal counsel. However, don’t be fooled that anyone can litigate against a trucking company. You need to make sure you have a local attorney who has a team of investigators ready to immediately take up your fight.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeremy Thurman

New Information On Will Rogers Tractor-trailer Crash Emerging

Jeremy Thurman — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 14:09:35 GMT

According to newsok.com, new details are starting to emerge about the catastrophic crash that took place on the Will Rogers Turnpike NE of Tulsa yesterday. Oklahoma highway patrolmen are stating that:

Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers can’t remember a worse wreck than the one that killed nine people Friday on the Will Rogers Turnpike, a spokesman said.

Even more interesting is the fact that the semi driver was 76 years old. I fully recognize that this is pure speculation on my part but one of the first thing a trucking attorney must do is analyze areas in which a Federal regulations may have been broken by the Trucking Company. As a Trucking Lawyer one of the issues we look into is whether any violations of 49 CFR Part 391.41 were broken. This rule states the following in regard to CDL "Driver Physical Requirements"

Examples of physical requirements:

Has no loss of a foot, a leg, a hand, or an arm.

Has no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of diabetes requiring insulin for control. (injection only)

Has no clinical diagnosis of any disqualifying heart disease.

Has no clinical diagnosis of epilepsy.

Has 20/40 vision or better with corrective lenses.

Has the ability to recognize the colors (red, green and amber) of traffic signals.

Has hearing to perceive a forced whisper.

Has no history of drug use.

Has no clinical diagnosis of alcoholism.

Obviously, we don’t know whether the gentleman driving this vehicle suffered from any of these conditions. However, these are areas that will be investigated by the appropriate officials as more details emerge about this catastrophic collision.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeremy Thurman