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Two people died in a crash with a tractor trailer on Route 58 West in Suffolk, Virginia on Dec. 1.

The Virginia State Police stated that the driver and passenger were driving on Route 58 West when a tractor trailer did not stop at a stop sign. The car slammed into the tractor trailer, and the two car occupants had to be cut out of the vehicle by first responders.

One of the occupants died at the scene and the other died on the way to the hospital.

The tractor trailer driver was not hurt.

Our View

While our tractor trailer attorneys in Virginia do not know why the tractor trailer driver did not stop when he was supposed to, this often can be caused by driver fatigue or driver distraction.

This is the major reason that the federal government requires truck drivers to record when they drive, stop, sleep and how many hours they drive. The paper logs that have been used in the past by all truckers were referred to as ‘comic books,’ which indicates that they are often not accurate.

To prevent drivers from driving too much and falling asleep, trucks are now being equipped with electronic onboard recorders or EOBRs. This device is connected to the truck’s engine and records when the truck is being driven and for how long.

We hope that more trucking companies install these electronic devices and that they are made standard on all trucks soon. Such actions could prevent tractor trailer crashes with serious personal injuries and death.

Tractor trailer crashes are often fatal, such as in this $3.5 million wrongful death truck crash we settled. We hope that all truck drivers will see this crash as a warning to never drive while distracted or tired.

 

 

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