The Alfred Firm recently reached a confidential wrongful death settlement in an incredibly tragic case involving an 18-wheeler that was traveling the wrong way on the Highway in Victoria, Texas. The fiery crash claimed the lives of two people.
When an 18-wheeler leaves its lane, it typically means catastrophic consequences for any vehicle that happens to be driving in its path. Lane change collisions are virtually always caused by either driver distraction, fatigue, or inattention.
In 2015, large trucks (trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds) were involved in 414,958 crashes that resulted in 116,000 injuries and 4,067 fatalities (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 2016). A large percentage of these injuries and deaths are attributable to collisions caused by the truck’s failure to maintain its lane of travel.
What are Lane Departure Warning Systems?
Lane Departure Warning Systems (LDW) are in-vehicle electronic safety systems that monitor the truck’s position within the roadway and audibly warns the driver if the truck begins to drift outside of its current lane. The system accomplishes this by detecting both solid and dashed lines that are painted in the roadway and monitoring the location of the truck relative to the lines. For example, if the truck is drifting to the right and into another lane of traffic, the LDW system would automatically emit a loud warning that sounds like a rumble strip from the right-side stereo speakers. This warning should alert the driver that the truck is about to depart its lane and allow the driver an opportunity to correct its path before colliding into a vehicle in the next lane, or even worse, drifting into oncoming traffic.
How Lane Departure Warning Systems Enhance 18 Wheeler Safety
A particularly beneficial feature of some of the LDW systems is the ability to transmit lane departure data remotely. These systems are able to log and track instances where a driver has drifted outside of his (or her) lane and either generate a report or relay the data to fleet operation personnel in real time. This would provide an immediate warning to fleet operators if their drivers are having difficulty staying in their lanes, which is often the first indicator of driver drowsiness, inattention, or other potential problems. This results in an opportunity for fleet safety managers to initiate contact with drivers prior to a crash and potentially save lives.
Lane Departure Warning System Data in Litigation
Whenever The Alfred Firm files a lawsuit on behalf of someone who is injured in a crash involving an 18 wheeler, the LDW system data is one of the first things that we request from the defendant trucking company through discovery. This data not only allows us to determine if the driver of the 18 wheeler left its lane at the time of the crash, but it also provides information on whether the driver was swerving or drifting in the moments leading up to impact. This could indicate that the driver was distracted, fatigued, or otherwise negligent.
Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the trucking companies to leverage the available technology in order to ensure the safety of not only its trucks, but everyone else on the roadways. The Alfred Firm regularly holds trucking companies accountable for the negligence of its drivers.
About Attorney Johnny Alfred III
Johnny Alfred III is a trial lawyer who focuses his practice on workplace injuries, refinery explosions, construction accidents, catastrophic personal injuries, 18 wheeler crashes, auto collisions, real property matters, and patent/intellectual property litigation. As both an attorney and an engineer, Johnny leverages his practical engineering experience and deep understanding of complex technical issues to help his clients obtain maximum results.
