How Truck Weigh Station Violations Lead to Serious Trucking Accidents

Most of us have seen signs for truck weigh stations on the highway, but we aren’t really aware of what they are and how they affect us. In theory, weigh stations prevent dangerous overloaded commercial vehicles from sharing the highway with other motor vehicles. While a trained eye might be able to guess a truck is overweight by how the driver is maneuvering it and its breaking distance, you can’t know for sure. That is where weigh stations come in.

What Are Truck Weigh Stations and Why Are They Needed?

Weigh stations are strategic checkpoints where commercial vehicles exceeding 10,000 pounds must stop for weight verification. You’ll typically find them near state borders and major transportation hubs. Inside the station’s scale house, Department of Transportation inspectors monitor trucks as they drive onto specialized scales – either permanent installations built into the ground or portable units placed on the road surface. […]

Understanding Trucking Hazmat Signs

If you have ever driven behind a truck carrying hazardous materials, you have probably wondered what all the colorful stickers mean and what they are for. These stickers are called hazardous material (hazmat) placards. They notify anyone around the hazmat-carrying truck of the dangers of its contents and guide first responders on how to address the materials in case of an emergency safely. If you have been involved in an accident with a truck carrying hazardous cargo, you need experienced truck attorneys. At Munley Law, our trucking accident attorneys investigate your case and get you the care and compensation you deserve.

Decoding Hazmat Placards: A Visual Guide to Truck Safety

All hazmat placards have six main components, which we will discuss in further detail below:

• Hazard class number
• UN/NA number
• Compatibility group letters
• Colors
• Text
• Graphics

The Nine Hazard Classes

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has nine established hazard classes of hazardous materials. […]

What Is the No Zone of a Truck?

In the age of Amazon Prime and endless online shopping, more trucks are on our nation’s roads than ever. With more large trucks on the road come more safety concerns, particularly for those in passenger vehicles. In recent years, fatality data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows concerning trends in truck-involved accidents, particularly in large truck “no-zone” areas—blind spots.

If you have been in an accident with a truck because you were in one of their blind spots, you still may be entitled to compensation. Contact Munley Law to speak with one of our attorneys today.

Understanding Truck No Zones: The Invisible Danger Zones

The “no zone” of a truck is the area directly around a semi-truck where there are blind spots, meaning the truck driver has no or limited visibility. If any passenger vehicle is in a truck’s no zones, […]

What Is a Bobtailing Truck?

A bobtail truck is a semi-truck driving without its trailer attached – a sight you may have encountered on highways and roads. While these trucks might appear more manageable and safer without trailers, this configuration introduces unique hazards. Semi-trucks are specifically engineered to haul heavy loads, and when operating without a trailer, their weight distribution and handling characteristics change significantly, creating unexpected dangers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports that bobtail trucks account for approximately 5% of annual truck accidents. Despite their smaller profile, these vehicles can still cause devastating injuries in collisions, which is why accident victims often require the expertise of a truck accident law expert.

If you have been injured by a bobtailing truck, you need a skilled truck accident lawyer.

Bobtail Trucks in Commercial Transportation

The term bobtail truck refers to a truck, […]

Truck Accident Statistics You Need to Know

Since they’re large and often pack a lot of weight, truck crashes can be especially serious and result in devastating injuries.  Some of the factors that contribute to truck accidents include:

• Poor truck braking capability results in taking 20-40% longer to stop and even more on wet or slippery roads
• Truck driver fatigue
• Weight of the trucks

In today’s consumer-driven market, manufacturers and businesses are under increased pressure to reduce delivery times. For this, the trucking industry has cemented itself as the most reliable delivery method of goods across the United States. With an estimated worth of nearly $800 billion, trucking is responsible for most overland freight in the U.S.

In this article, our truck accident lawyer provides an overview of the most important truck accident statistics in 2024.

Truck Accidents Cause Roughly 130,000 Injuries Each Year

A variety of factors – […]