As I noted last year in reference to a serious truck crash near Munfordville, Kentucky, multiple fatalities make the job of a truck accident attorney even harder to bear. This week, however, I am heartened by news that that particular crash may yield some benefit.
Following its new report on that crash, the National Transportation Safety Board has proposed banning all cellphone use by truckers while driving — including texting and hands-free talking. The NTSB, which has no authority to set rules, made its recommendation to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and states.
While driver fatigue and inadequate highway median cables were factors in the March 2010 accident, NTSB investigators found that cellphone use was among the main factors. In the 24 hours leading up to the early morning crash, the driver had used his cellphone 69 times. He made four calls just minutes before his big rig plowed through the median and hit the church van head-on. He died, as did nine of the 11 people in the van.
