Missouri Truck Accident Attorney Applauds Federal Ban on Cell Phone Use for Commercial Drivers
Missouri Truck Accident Attorney Applauds Federal Ban on Cell Phone Use for Commercial Drivers
St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) January 10, 2012
A new federal law banning truckers from using cell phones while driving is an important step toward reducing the high numbers of distracted driving-related truck crashes nationwide, Missouri truck accident attorney Zane T. Cagle said this week.
According to a recent article in the St. Louis Dispatch, the ban prohibits interstate truck drivers from making or answering cell phone calls while behind the wheel. The law went into effect Jan. 3.
“Federal transportation officials got it right with this new cell phone law,” said Cagle, whose St. Louis personal injury firm, The Cagle Law Firm, represents those who are injured or lose loved ones in truck accidents and other collisions involving large commercial motor vehicles.
“Thousands of people are injured needlessly on roadways each year due to distracted drivers, and that number is increasing,” he said.
The latest statistics from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration show that 3,765 people died in large truck accidents in 2010, an 8.7 percent increase. Tens of thousands suffer from serious injuries each year.
Cagle said distracted driving stemming from cell phone use is increasingly a contributing factor in all types of motor vehicle accidents, including those involving tractor-trailers. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that 5,500 people were killed and 450,000 more were hurt in distracted driving crashes in 2009.
“Even reaching for a cell phone can take a truck driver’s attention from the road for a second, and that’s all that it takes for an accident to occur,” said the attorney, who represents injured clients in eastern Missouri and southern Illinois.
In addition, tractor-trailer accidents often cause some of the worst injuries, he added.
“A passenger car is no match for an 80,000-pound tractor-trailer, even if it’s outfitted with all of the best safety features,” said Cagle. “The laws of physics dictate that the heavier vehicle will almost always win.”
The occupants of passenger vehicles comprised the majority of fatalities in truck crashes in 2010, with 2,790 deaths. More than 350 deaths occurred among non-occupants of cars, such as pedestrians and bicyclists.
While Cagle applauds the ban for truckers, he also said the federal law has limitations.
“Although the law will impact millions of truck drivers, it doesn’t ban other drivers from using cell phones behind the wheel,” he explained. “States have made positive steps to address distracted driving through hands-free requirements. But a National Safety Council study found no difference in the accident risks created by hands-free and hand-held devices.”
Cagle suggested that victims of serious crashes with 18-wheelers and other large trucks contact a Missouri personal injury attorney as soon as possible following the wreck.
“An experienced attorney with familiarity in personal injury laws can examine the circumstances of the accident and work with – or fight against – insurance and truck companies who try to deflect blame for the truck accident,” he said.
In some cases, families may be eligible for compensation that can help with the high cost of medical bills and other expenses accrued from the crash, according to Cagle.
“Money obviously cannot replace what was lost in a catastrophic or deadly accident,” Cagle said. “However, when truck companies or other corporations bear responsibility for an accident, victims often have a higher chance of recovery than in other types of crashes. A good lawyer can develop a strategy to maximize the chances of a favorable outcome.”
About The Cagle Law Firm
The Cagle Law Firm is a St. Louis personal injury law firm with an AV-rating by the distinguished Martindale-Hubbell legal directory. The firm serves clients in catastrophic injury cases in St. Louis and the greater St. Louis metropolitan area, including the eastern Missouri and southern Illinois communities of Ballwin, Belleville, Chesterfield, Collinsville, East St. Louis, Edwardsville, Kirkwood, Mehlville, Oakville, University City, Arnold, Columbia, Florissant, O’Fallon, St. Charles, St. Peters and Wildwood. The firm’s practice areas include car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, construction accidents, railroad accidents, birth injuries, premises liability, wrongful death, defective products, workers’ compensation, chemical inhalation and dangerous drugs. To learn more about The Cagle Law Firm, call (800) 635-3302 or use its online contact form.
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