Source: https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/category/legal-developments/page/2/
Timestamp: 2018-12-17 20:06:26
Document Index: 185138738

Matched Legal Cases: ['§391', '§391', '§391', '§391', '§391', '§391', '§391', '§391', '§391', '§391', '§391', '§380', '§380']

Legal Developments Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Truck and Bus Accident Lawyer
Archive for category: Legal Developments
You are here: Home / Legal Developments
The report focused on crash accountability in the FMCSA’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (“CSA”) Program. CSA safety is analyzed through the Safety Measurement System (“SMS”), which quantifies the safety performance of motor carriers through State-reported crash and inspection data.
After reviewing 10,892 PARs, the FMCSA concluded that PARs are useful for determining fault in fatal crashes. However, the study determined that PARs are not useful for determining a motor carrier’s future crash risk.
March 12, 2015 /by Bryan M. Roberts
https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png 0 0 Bryan M. Roberts https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png Bryan M. Roberts2015-03-12 09:46:402015-03-12 09:46:40FMCSA Releases Crash Accountability Study
Trucking companies now have access to technologies which can dramatically improve the safety of their operation, safe on fuel costs, and provide accurate feedback concerning the conduct of their drivers. For example, products like “Smartdrive” utilize a multi-camera computer interface to simultaneously capture video footage of the driver’s actions within the cab of the truck and a driver’s-eye view of the path of travel, and combine it with other computer feeds from the truck itself to produce a real-time record of what is happening with any given truck. Though such systems, a trucking company’s safety director or fleet manager can track the location of a truck, the g-forces applied on the truck by the driver’s actions, engine and vehicle data (such as vehicle speed, engine RPMs, hard braking events, etc.), active safety system data (such as following distance, lane departures, etc.), and other similar data.
As a trucking lawyer at Stark & Stark, my question to the industry is why aren’t systems such as “Smartdrive” in broader use? Perhaps the answer lies in the impact the data from these systems can have in litigation. They have the unique ability to show exactly what was or wasn’t done by the truck driver. They can allow for a completely accurate reconstruction of a crash – one which eliminates the ability of a driver’s selective memory to create opportunities for the company to defend its wrongful actions.
However, the fact that trucking companies (and the public at large) should be focusing on, is that data from these systems can also be used to improve everyone’s safety. Companies which employ these systems and utilize technology have the ability to improve driver training and to identify dangerous drivers. As such, these systems can be used by the trucking industry to help stop crashes before they happen!
More information on “Smartdrive” can be found here.
March 3, 2015 /by Stark & Stark
https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png 0 0 Stark & Stark https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png Stark & Stark2015-03-03 08:52:372015-03-03 08:52:37Technology Can Improve Trucking Safety
As Many As 500 New York Applicants Passed CDL Examination As a Result of Cheating Scheme
Recently, three individuals pled guilty to charges arising out of a scheme to help applicants cheat on the written portion of their commercial driver’s license (“CDL”) examination. An investigation by the U.S. Transportation Department’s Office of Inspector General, in conjunction with other federal and state law enforcement agencies, revealed fraudulent CDL test-taking activities at five New York State Department of Motor Vehicles test centers in the New York City area.
According to reports, the scheme involved the use of pencils encoded with test answers, the use of Bluetooth headsets to communicate test answers and the use of an external test-taker positioned nearby to take the exams.
As a result of the scheme, as many as 500 unqualified CDL applicants passed the examination and, presumably, are now on our roadways.
February 18, 2015 /by Bryan M. Roberts
https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png 0 0 Bryan M. Roberts https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png Bryan M. Roberts2015-02-18 09:02:502015-02-18 09:02:50As Many As 500 New York Applicants Passed CDL Examination As a Result of Cheating Scheme
Under the 2013 hours of service rule changes, truck drivers must take a 34-hour “restart” period once every seven days. The 34-hour rest period must include two consecutive overnights between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.
The “Collins Amendment” seeks to remove the requirement that the 34-hour rest period include two overnights. In addition, the “Collins Amendment” would allow drivers to take more than one “restart” in a seven day period.
As a result of the passage of the spending bill, with the “Collins Amendment” attached, the “two overnights” rule and the “restart” rule are suspended. The suspension will last until the FMCSA finishes a study on the rules or until the spending bill expires on September 30, 2015, whichever date is later. For now, we can all thank Sen. Collins for endangering the lives of innocent truckers who are forced to work longer hours and innocent motorists who are forced to share the roadways with fatigued truckers.
February 4, 2015 /by Bryan M. Roberts
https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png 0 0 Bryan M. Roberts https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png Bryan M. Roberts2015-02-04 17:01:312015-02-04 17:01:31Passage of 2015 Spending Bill Results in Suspension of Key Hours of Service Rules
Documentation Which Should Exist in Every Driver Qualification File
The trucking industry is heavily regulated. Unfortunately, those very regulations, which exist to insure the safety of the motoring public (that’s you, me and everyone else on the road), are frequently ignored by trucking companies, large and small, often with devastating results. When a person is injured in a crash with a tractor trailer, the qualifications of the driver to operate the vehicle, and the steps taken by the motor carrier to qualify him/her, should be a primary area of inquiry by any trucking attorney. And the best evidence of this is frequently found in the driver qualification file.
Motor Carriers are obligated to explore the background and training of any person hired to operate their trucks. And, they are required to maintain a record of the results for duration of the driver’s tenure of employment. This is known in the industry as a “driver qualification file”. Given that these documents are required by law, and are spelled out in great detail by the regulations the trucking industry is acutely familiar with, one would presume that every company would have a complete file for each driver, right? Unfortunately, in my experience, this rarely proves true. I am frequently astonished by the important documentation which is missing from driver’s files, and this often serves as a marker for the care and attention a trucking company takes toward cultivating competent drivers.
The following documents should exist in every driver’s qualification file:
Driver-specific application for employment (§391.21);
An original motor vehicle record requested within 30 days of hire (§391.23);
Documentation proving the driver’s qualifications to operate [this may be in the form of a road test (company road, (§391.31(g)), or a road test certificate conducted by another motor carrier within the past 3 years (§391.33(a)(2)), or a photocopy of a CDL accepted in lieu of road test (unless the person is hired to operate doubles, triples, or tankers)]
Results of the background investigation on the driver (§391.23 & §391.53 ) including:
For drivers hired before October 30, 2004: Employment verifications sent to all former employers for the 3 years prior to the application date or a record of a good faith effort;
For drivers hired on or after October 30, 2004: Safety Performance History data from all former DOT-regulated employers for the 3 year period preceding the application or a record of a good faith effort.
If applicable, copies of any driver rebuttals to the Safety Performance History data and responses to the rebuttals from the former DOT-regulated employers.
The driver’s medical certificate (§391.43(g) (or equivalent)
A waiver of a physical disqualification, if applicable (§391.49(j)
The driver’s annual motor vehicle record (§391.25);
A record of the driver’s annual review of his/her driving record (§391.25);
A list of the driver’s moving violations on an annual basis (§391.27).
Combination vehicle training certificate, if applicable (§380.401);
Entry-level driver training certificate, if applicable (§380.509(b)).
In certain situations, additional or differing documentation may be required and/or may exist.
January 15, 2015 /by Stark & Stark
https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png 0 0 Stark & Stark https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png Stark & Stark2015-01-15 10:07:472015-01-15 10:07:47Documentation Which Should Exist in Every Driver Qualification File
In a recent poll conducted by Lake Research Partners, 80% of those surveyed oppose longer work weeks for truck drivers and would feel less safe if truck drivers are allowed to drive 82 hours, as opposed to 70. The American public has good reason for concern as fatigued driving is one of the leading causes of fatal and catastrophic truck crashes.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”) studies have revealed that 65% of truck drivers often or sometimes feel drowsy while driving and nearly 50% of truckers admit that they have actually fallen asleep while driving within the last year. It is estimated that the current hours-of-service rules will prevent approximately 1,400 truck crashes each year, which will save 19 lives, avoid 560 injuries and save hundreds of millions of dollars from fewer crashes and improved driver health.
As a Personal Injury attorney in New Jersey, I have seen many people suffer from injuries due to a truck accident. We need to make the roads a safer place. The proposed legislation ignores the voice of her constituents and the American public and makes the roadways significantly less safe for all of us. If you have been injured by a trucking accident in New Jersey, contact Stark & Stark for a free consultation.
December 29, 2014 /by Bryan M. Roberts
https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png 0 0 Bryan M. Roberts https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png Bryan M. Roberts2014-12-29 09:13:052014-12-29 09:13:05Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) Introduces Legislation to Make our Roads Less Safe
Data reflecting a motor carrier’s safety history is presently available to the general public by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The FMCSA generates a carrier’s score through this data, compiled in its “Safety Measurement System” (SMS), which incorporates the results of roadside inspections and other safety-based violations – also known as “Compliance, Safety, Accountability” (CSA) data. Amongst other things, a motor carrier’s rating is influenced by unsafe driving practices (evidenced by moving violation history), hours of service violations, vehicle maintenance/condition violations, and other issues which pose significant risks to the motoring public. Access to these data points provides the public with a snapshot of a company’s safety record, thus arming industry watchdog groups and persons/companies seeking to hire a motor carrier with highly valuable information. This, in turn, applies social & industry pressure to improve the trucking industry’s overall compliance with important safety measures. By improving one’s ability to identify target disreputable and unsafe motor carriers, access to SMS data serves to reduce the risk presented to everyone using the public highways. (An overview of the SMS system can be found here: https://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/about/basics.aspx )
Access to a carrier’s CSA data through SMS can provide an important and often vital resource to those seeking to improve public safety, hire reputable motor carriers, and to obtain justice. The data is reliable. It is generated by the government based upon each carrier’s actual violation history. All good things. So why is the “Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance” (CVSA), a trucking industry group, now seeking to hide CSA data from public view? That’s right. Stephen Keppler, CVSA’s Executive Director, has presented U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary, Anthony Foxx, with a written request seeking removal of CSA carrier data from public view. According to the letter, the CVSA’s “stakeholders” are concerned that “inconsistent enforcement” practices between jurisdictions may affect the “accuracy” of a carrier’s safety rating. This position is ridiculous. A carrier’s score is based upon actual violation data. If a carrier wishes to improve its rating, it need only improve its compliance.
As a trucking lawyer in Lawrenceville, New Jersey and safety advocate, I sincerely hope that Mr. Foxx and the FMCSA see through Mr. Keppler’s ruse and reject this blatant effort to hide this important safety information from the public.
December 19, 2014 /by Stark & Stark
https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png 0 0 Stark & Stark https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png Stark & Stark2014-12-19 10:18:402014-12-19 10:18:40Trucking Industry Group Asks FMCSA to Remove Carrier Safety Rating Data from Public View – What Are They Afraid Of?
As you may have previously read on this blog, or seen elsewhere in the news, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is currently considering new regulations that would raise the federal minimum insurance requirements for trucks and buses. Approximately 4,000 people die in truck crashes each year. Studies have revealed that a fatal truck crash often costs over $4.3 million, but truckers are only required to maintain insurance policies of $750,000. This insurance requirement was set over 30 years ago and has never been adjusted. “Outdated insurance requirements allow trucking companies to skirt responsibility and leave injured motorists and taxpayers to pay the difference,” explained American Associate of Justice President Lisa Blue Baron.
Earlier this year, the FMCSA conducted its own study on the adequacy of the current minimum insurance requirements. In its report to Congress, the FMCSA concluded that the costs of injuries and fatalities arising from crashes far exceed the minimum insurance levels interstate operators are required to carry.
Last week, in an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule making (ANPRM), the FMCSA has presented 26 questions for comment, including inquiries related to adequate compensation for victims and the impacts of increasing the minimum levels of insurance. The initial comment period will end on February 26, 2015. In hopes, the FMCSA will issue a proposed rule increasing the minimum insurance levels in the near future.
December 8, 2014 /by Bryan M. Roberts
https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png 0 0 Bryan M. Roberts https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png Bryan M. Roberts2014-12-08 12:59:142014-12-08 12:59:14Increasing Federal Minimum Insurance Requirements for Trucks and Buses Takes Another Step Forward
REDCO Transport, Ltd. Shut Down by FMCSA
Texas-based Trucking Operation, REDCO Transport, Ltd. shut down by the FMCSA. Company determined to present an “Imminent Hazard to Public Safety”.
The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) flexed its muscles on Tuesday, September 24, 2013, and ordered REDCO Transport, Ltd., a trucking company which operates a fleet of approximately 112 trucks, to be shut down.
September 26, 2013 /by Stark & Stark
https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png 0 0 Stark & Stark https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png Stark & Stark2013-09-26 09:25:482013-09-26 09:25:48REDCO Transport, Ltd. Shut Down by FMCSA
Proposed Change to Driver Vehicle Inspection Report Regulations
On August 2, 2013, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne S. Ferro announced a proposed change in the regulations relating to Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (“DVIRs”). Currently, commercial motor vehicle drivers are required to conduct pre and post trip inspections of their vehicle and document their findings on a DVIR. Under the proposed change, DVIRs would be required only if defects or deficiencies were discovered by or reported to the driver during the day’s operations. Driver’s would still be required to conduct pre and post trip inspections.
In support of the change, Ms. Ferro argues that a defect-only reporting system “would reduce a significant paperwork burden facing truck drivers and save the industry billions without compromising safety.”
I question whether or not safety would be compromised. Having to fill out a DVIR, whether or not defects exist, reminds the truck driver that a pre and post trip inspection must be completed and reminds the truck driver what needs to be inspected. Although truck drivers are required to conduct inspections and possess the knowledge of what needs to be inspected, taking the time to fill out paperwork reinforces the inspection routine. Perhaps a low-cost paperless system, through the use of a simple, handheld electronic device, would be a reasonable compromise. Such a system could reduce the burden and costs of paperwork while still providing the truck driver with the necessary inspection reminders.
September 7, 2013 /by Bryan M. Roberts
https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png 0 0 Bryan M. Roberts https://www.truckandbusaccidentlawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/stark-logo-300x88.png Bryan M. Roberts2013-09-07 09:00:302013-09-07 09:00:30Proposed Change to Driver Vehicle Inspection Report Regulations