Winter Weather Leads to Major Truck Wreck in North Carolina

Crashes Caused by Trucks

2/1/2010
Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton
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Winter Weather Leads to Major Truck Wreck in North Carolina

truck, wreck, accident, injury, attorney

The winter storm which gripped much of the southeast this weekend created some rather treacherous road conditions. As a result, major accidents and injuries occurred. One of the most harrowing examples was a tractor trailer dangling from I-77 nearly plunging into Lake Norman after the driver slid off the highway, according to wmfnews.com.

"As you can see, it's a solid sheet of ice out here," said truck driver Lenney Moore, who was only a little behind the accident when it happened.

Car and truck drivers need to extremely vigilant if they're on the road when a bad winter snow storm hits. Snow can lead to ice which lead to slipper roadways and potentially black ice . This is when patches of ice develop which are virtually transparent and a car or truck can drive over it, spin out of control, and cause a serious wreck.

Being cautious is the key to preventing such an incident, especially in North Carolina (NC) where many drivers aren't used to a major snow storm. In some parts of NC, the average snow fall per year is a single inch.

Truckers need to be especially cautious considering federal regulations are in place outlining what to do when operating a commercial truck in winter weather.

Section 392.14 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety laws states:

"Extreme caution in the operation of a commercial motor vehicle shall be exercised when hazardous conditions, such as those caused by snow, ice, sleek, fog, mist, rain, dust, or smoke, adversely affect visibility or traction. Speed should be reduced when such conditions exist. If conditions become sufficiently dangerous, the operation of the commercial motor vehicle shall be discontinued and shall not be resumed until the commercial motor vehicle can be safely operated. Whenever compliance with the foregoing provisions of this rule increases hazard to passengers, the commercial motor vehicle may be operated to the nearest point at which the safety of passengers is assured."

Ideally, when a winter snow storm hits, just stay home and wait it out, but if you have to travel always remember to slow down (drive at least 10mph below the speed limit), apply your brakes early and often to avoid a sliding, and do not take your eyes off the road.

Labels: attorney black ice car Cooper injury snow truck weather winter wreck

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury law and have experience handling truck accident cases. Check out our truck accident case results and download our free consumer guide on what to do if you get into a wreck with a commercial truck. We serve every area of North Carolina, including the Outer Banks, Nags Head and the western mountains, as well as all the cities and counties in between. In South Carolina, we cover the state from Myrtle Beach and Charleston to Orangeburg, Columbia, Florence, Rock Hill, Darlington, Aiken, Anderson, Greenville and Spartanburg.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2010 and have been listed in the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009. The firm has been recognized as one of the Best Injury Law Firms in North Carolina for personal injury plaintiffs since 2010 by U.S. News & World Report. Additionally, and our firm has the highest rating of AV from national lawyer ranking organization Martindale-Hubbell. That means we have a reputation for demonstrating preeminent legal skill.

While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer free initial confidential injury case consultations. So call us toll free at (800) 752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a voicemail so we can return your call promptly.

Elizabeth City, NC Personal Injury Attorneys
North Carolina (NC) Personal Injury Lawyers
Specializing in North Carolina Wrongful Death & Injury Law

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Winter Weather Leads to Major Truck Wreck in North Carolina

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