Morris County, New Jersey – However, horrific truck accidents can and do happen regularly in New Jersey and truck accident injury lawyer, Todd J. Leonard is concerned about the recent increase. In one particular crash earlier this year, a tanker trailer was heading northbound on the ramp from Interchange 2, and it merged into the right lane on the New Jersey Turnpike. According to a police account of what happened, a van in the right lane rear-ended a truck, ran off the road, overturned, and landed in a ravine. The two individuals in the van were pronounced dead at the scene.

“Accidents like this are investigated by the police to determine what happened to cause it in the first place. This process often takes some time,” explained attorney Todd J. Leonard, of the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm.

In instances where a truck accident has occurred and undergone investigation, the results are noted, and the trucking industry works to make safety improvements.

In the highly publicized 2014 tractor-trailer crash on the New Jersey Turnpike, in which the truck driver crashed into a limousine bus, comedian James McNair was killed, and actor/comedian Tracy Morgan was gravely injured. It was later determined, per the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report, the accident was caused by driver fatigue, as the truck driver had not slept in 28 hours. Morgan was in a coma for two weeks, and also sustained a broken nose, leg, and several broken ribs.

Since the cause of the crash was due to driver fatigue, it triggered a nationwide call to address how deadly driver fatigue is. Yet, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has not mentioned driver fatigue in its new safety strategy, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) stated that it would not research such data. “Most importantly, the entire trucking industry needs to immediately address this ongoing deadly issue,” Leonard said.

“It’s obvious that truckers driving while drowsy is a major national problem,” added Leonard. “And not just to themselves, but to everyone else on the road with them.” The number of deaths in the wake of truck accidents is rising, according to the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration. (NHTSA). The number of people killed in such crashes jumped 10 percent during the first six months of 2022. This was on the heels of a 13 percent increase in 2021 over 2020.

“It’s vitally important for you and your family when traveling in New Jersey, or in any other state, to be alert and aware of all the traffic around you, including large trucks. They cannot stop on a dime, and the damage they leave in their wake after a collision is severe. Drive with safety in mind,” Leonard added.

“If you were in a truck crash and seriously injured, or a family member died, contact us at the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm immediately for legal advice and to discuss how to file a personal injury lawsuit,” said firm founding partner, Todd Leonard, Esq.