Truck spills always seem to make the evening news, especially when they involve a “unique” item.

Recently, a tractor-trailer spilled a load of boxed cake mix on I-79. Another spilled a load of corn onto the Virginia highway next door. While these types of accidents create a mess and delay traffic during the cleaning, they don’t have a lasting impact. That can’t be said for all truck spills.

As reported by FreightWaves, a trucking company and driver have been slapped with a $1.6 million fine after a crash on I-77 at the Skitter Creek Bridge. That accident spilled detergent chemicals into Paint Creek, killing several species of fish. That is just one of many accidents involving dangerous truck spills that harm the surrounding environment.

Cargo doesn’t just ride along for the trip. The way it’s loaded, secured, and distributed affects stopping distance, steering, rollover risk, and crash severity. When cargo shifts or falls from a tractor-trailer, the consequences can be devastating.

After you’ve been involved in a truck accident, one of the first questions investigators ask is simple but decisive: Who was responsible for loading the cargo correctly?

The answer is rarely one-size-fits-all.

Responsibility can fall on drivers, trucking companies, shippers, loaders, and sometimes multiple parties at once. Understanding what the law says about who’s responsible for those duties helps explain why cargo cases often involve complex liability disputes.

Whenever a car breaks down on the road, it slows down traffic. Drivers can’t resist the urge to reduce their speed to see what is going on. Unless a driver plans on pulling over to help, there is no need to slow down. A call to a tow service can quickly remove the car from the road and transport it to a mechanic’s garage.

Things get more complicated when a semi-truck breaks down.

When a big rig breaks down, it requires a specialized tow truck to remove it from the highway. There might also be an issue with offloading cargo onto a second truck. Either one of those scenarios could bring traffic to a grinding halt.

How often do large trucks break down on the highway?

It’s recommended that interstate truckers should expect repairs every 50,000 to 100,000 miles. If they skip those repairs, it can lead to a serious truck accident.

The Charleston truck accident attorneys at DiPiero Simmons McGinley & Bastress, PLLC, have helped many clients who have been victims of a collision with a truck. When mechanical failure is a contributing factor in an accident, the truck driver, the trucking company, and the fleet mechanic could all be held liable.

The nation’s supply chain depends heavily on truck drivers. From delivering groceries to restocking warehouses, commercial trucks move goods day and night. But truckers don’t just drive randomly around the clock.

Their schedules often follow patterns influenced by delivery deadlines, regulations, traffic conditions, and even personal preference. Knowing when truckers are most active on the road can help us stay informed of road safety trends, traffic congestion, the timing of commercial deliveries, and even reduce the likelihood of truck accidents.

Work zones are some of the most hazardous areas on highways and roads, with constantly changing traffic patterns, narrowed lanes, and construction equipment adding to the risks.

The consequences can be severe when large commercial trucks (or big rigs) are involved in these areas.

Understanding how frequently work zone-related truck accidents happen and why is essential in improving road safety.

Trucking is a vital industry that ensures goods move across the country efficiently. However, the heavy weight and size of trucks pose significant risks on the road.

To mitigate risks in truck accidents, truckers and trucking companies must carry specific amounts of coverage on their insurance policies. These financial requirements are to protect other drivers, pedestrians, and businesses from injuries and losses due to accidents involving commercial vehicles.

You were recently involved in a collision with a tractor-trailer in Charleston, WV and suffered serious injuries that are likely to change the trajectory of your life, or a close family member died from their involvement in a trucking crash in Kanawha County. You have significant losses, and you’re wondering who can be held liable for a truck accident like yours or your family member’s.

Liability is often a difficult issue to sort out after any motor vehicle collision, but when an 18-wheeler or another truck is involved, it can be even more so. Let us explain.

You were involved in a trucking accident here in Charleston or elsewhere in West Virginia. As someone who may have been in a crash before, you may think you know the basics of what to do after one, including calling 911 to make a police report, seeking medical attention, taking pictures, and writing down information about witnesses and the other motorists involved. While those same steps apply in trucking accident cases, there are other things you need to do.

Truck driving is a demanding profession that often requires long hours on the road, leading to questions about how much sleep truck drivers need to stay alert and safe.

Lack of quality sleep can lead drivers to distracted driving, speeding, and failure to follow traffic rules or Hours of Service regulations.

In this post, we’ll take a look at the recommended amount of sleep for truck drivers, factors that may impact their sleep quality, and strategies for improving rest while on the road.

When you’re driving, you expect to encounter distracted or impatient drivers and people driving too fast or too slow, but you rarely expect to see tire pieces coming at you down the road or a large truck suddenly swerving sporadically because of a tire failure. Unfortunately, tire failure happens due to a number of reasons, and the results can be quite damaging.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 622 total motor vehicle fatalities in 2021 due to tire-related issues. In a 2012 Crash Causation Survey, the NHTSA found that 9% of tire-related accidents occurred with tires that already had problems before the crash.