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Fatal truck accident last year involved high-risk motor carrier
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FMCSA reportedly failed to investigate or take action quickly enough
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Senator from Illinois demands audit of FMCSA
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One of the duties that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (the FMCSA) is tasked with is conducting investigations into motor carriers that have a high rate of truck accidents. Recently, however, the FMCSA has come under fire for allegedly failing to take sufficient action to investigate the high-risk motor carrier at the center of a fatal truck accident that took place in 2014. Reports indicate that the trucking company had received numerous violations and been flagged by the FMCSA for enforcement action as early as 2011. Despite this fact, however, no further investigation or actions were taken against that particular motor carrier.
Last year’s fatal accident involved an Illinois toll worker who was in the process of helping a driver whose truck had broken down on the side of the road. The truck driver for the high-risk motor carrier was reportedly fatigued at that time and struck emergency vehicles that were on the scene along Interstate 88. As a result of that collision, the toll worker suffered fatal injuries and a state trooper was also injured.
The truck driver subsequently received a three-year prison sentence after it was discovered that the driver had failed to follow regulations governing service hour requirements. In the wake of the deadly incident, a U.S. Senator hailing from Illinois began calling for an audit to be conducted into the FMCSA’s apparent failure to take action against the high-risk motor carrier.
Sen. Dick Durbin has stated that the government owes a duty to the slain toll worker’s family and the injured Illinois trooper to fully investigate why the high-risk motor carrier was allowed to continue putting trucks on the road.
Now, the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General is set to conduct the audit into the alleged failure of the FMCSA to appropriately investigate and regulate high-risk motor carriers. The National Transportation Safety Board has also accused the FMCSA of a failure to promptly identify or take action regarding safety issues of motor carriers that were involved in truck accidents within five days of accidents. Sen. Durbin has said that he wants to see the Inspector General’s office advise the FMCSA on appropriate steps to take to identify warning signs earlier in the process to keep similar
tragedies as last year’s fatal truck accident from occurring again.
Although it is hoped that this audit will result in high-risk motor carriers being identified and disciplined appropriately, that doesn’t help Illinois and Missouri residents who may have been injured by high-risk motor carriers causing a truck accident. You can take action by dialing 1-888-586-7041 to schedule a free meeting with us. We can help you learn your options for pursuing financial restitution in a civil court of law. This can help you recover financially as you also seek to recover physically and emotionally. Truck carriers that engage in repeated safety violations can and should be held accountable for such infractions, and no innocent victim should have to suffer financial hurt on top of physical and emotional pain.
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Sources:http://www.gobytrucknews.com/oig-to-audit-fmcsa-investigations/123 and https://www.oig.dot.gov/library-item/32464