With all of the trucking crashes that have made local (and national) news lately, we thought we’d bring you a quick update on some of the trucking legislation our attorneys are working hard to pass.
Partner Joe Camerlengo and Associate Stefano Portigliatti are working at a national level with the American Association for Justice Interstate Trucking Litigation Group Legislative Committee to get side underride and rear override protections mandatory on tractor trailers and commercial vehicles operating in the United States. These safety measures are mandatory in Europe, South America and even Canada.
Side underride occurs when a passenger car drives under the trailer of a commercial vehicle. These situations are almost always fatal. A recent study by a prominent trucking advocate organization found that side underride protection would have likely prevented 475 out of every 500 side underride fatalities. Rear override occurs when the higher bumper of the tractor trailer or commercial vehicle rides up over the cars bumper and then the semi rides over some or all of the passenger compartment of the car. Again, lowering the bumpers in order to prevent this scenario is mandatory in Europe and other parts of the world. It is time for these trailer companies to place safety over profits and to stop telling USA citizens that their lives are worth less than our foreign counterparts, and our attorneys are working hard to make that a reality.
