Trial Lawyers say, 28,000 Truckers Violate Safety Rules • Truckers need to RAISE INSURANCE LIMITS

NATIONWIDE - A new analysis of government data reveals that more than 28,000 motor carrier companies that operate 200,000 trucks have violated federal safety regulations. According to the FMCSA, more than 4,000 people die every year in collisions with trucks and 80,000 more are seriously injured. Also, though trucks make up less than four percent of all passenger vehicles on U.S. roads, they are involved in 12 percent of all motor vehicles fatalities.

The trial bar association, the American Association for Justice (AAJ), said it found commuters are sharing roads with trucks that have incurred thousands of safety violations, such as defective brakes, bald tires, loads that dangerously exceed weight limits and drivers with little or no training or drug and alcohol dependencies.

AAJ also maintains that the minimum insurance requirements for commercial trucks are "completely inadequate to compensate those who have been seriously injured in a collision involving multiple vehicles or multiple injured individuals." In 1980, Congress set the minimum level of insurance to $750,000; when adjusted for inflation, $750,000 is just $292,000 in 1980 dollars, according to the analysis.

While large trucking companies may carry more than the required level of coverage, smaller companies often carry just the bare minimum. An analysis of the U.S. trucking industry found that 87 percent of the companies in violation of safety standards are small companies that have fleets of 10 trucks or less. If you have been injured in an accident with a truck, CALL the TRIPP LAW FIRM for an immediate telephone consultation. The initial consultation is FREE and 100% confidential. We are available 24 hours a day at (888) 392-LAWS (5297).

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