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Toyota Recall: Unanswered Questions

Brett Emison — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:55:57 GMT

Toyota announced in September that it would recall 3.8 million vehicles in the United States for problem that caused thousands of it vehicles to suddenly accelerate out of control. The recall involved some of Toyota's most popular models, including the Camry, Prius and the Tacoma and Tundra pickup trucks.

Toyota said it was still working with officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to find a remedy to fix the problem and said owners could be notified about the recall as early as next week.

Toyota has continually said its sudden acceleration problem was related to floor mat incompatibility only. However, safety regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA") sharply criticized Toyota for misleading the public about Toyota's sudden acceleration defect.

Toyota has known about the sudden acceleration issue since at least 2004. More than five years ago, the Center for Auto Safety reported that Toyota's sudden acceleration problem may be caused by an electronic throttle control in Toyota vehicles. However, Toyota has repeatedly refused to even consider the possibility.

Why hasn't Toyota done a full investigation of its electronic throttle control system? If the unintended acceleration problem is cause only by floor mats, why are customers without floor mats in their vehicle experiencing the same problem?

Toyota is on track to place more than 7 million vehicles on the road this year. Toyota has ignored this problem for far too long and needs to fix it before its too late.

You can learn more about the Toyota sudden acceleration defect by reading these previous reports of Toyota's sudden acceleration problem:

Toyota Denied Sudden Acceleration Problem For More Than 5 Years

"Inaccurate and Misleading" Statements On Toyota Sudden Acceleration Problem

Toyota Sudden Acceleration: Case Is Not Closed

Safety Group Responds To Toyota On Sudden Acceleration Defect

Toyota Has More Troubles Than Just Sudden Acceleration

You can learn more about Toyota's dangerous sudden acceleration defect at our auto safety blog or by visiting our web site.

Learn more and become a fan of Langdon & Emison on Facebook.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Toyota Posts Profit in 2Q

Brett Emison — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:20:24 GMT

The Wall Street Journal has reported that Toyota made nearly $250 million in profit for the fiscal second quarter ended September 30.

TOKYO— Toyota Motor Corp. posted a surprise quarterly profit on Thursday and became the latest Japanese auto maker to offer an improved outlook for the rest of the year, as cost-cutting and government car-buying incentives look to lift its prospects after nine months of losses.

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The maker of the Corolla, the Prius hybrid and the upscale Lexus brand reported a net profit of 21.84 billion yen ($241.1 million) in the fiscal second quarter ended Sept. 30. . . .

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The auto maker also released an improved forecast for the fiscal year ending in March, citing such factors as better-than-expected progress in cost-cutting measures and stronger sales on the back of government steps to spur demand for fuel-efficient cars.

Toyota's profitable quarter comes despite increased scrutiny from federal regulators, the media and Toyota's own customers over concerns that Toyota and Lexus vehicles suffer a dangerous safety defect that allows Toyota vehicles to suddenly or unexpectedly accelerate out of control. Toyota was publicly criticized by federal regulators this week over Toyota's misleading statements about the sudden acceleration issue.

Toyota has consistently blamed the sudden acceleration issue on incompatible floor mats, and has issued a recall of 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles because of the problem. However, federal regulators with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA") have not yet closed their investigation and Toyota has not been cleared of a safety defect. In 2004, NHTSA questioned whether Toyota's electronic throttle controls may be to blame for the sudden acceleration problem.

You can learn more about the Toyota sudden acceleration defect by reading these previous reports of Toyota's sudden acceleration problem:

Toyota Denied Sudden Acceleration Problem For More Than 5 Years

"Inaccurate and Misleading" Statements On Toyota Sudden Acceleration Problem

Toyota Sudden Acceleration: Case Is Not Closed

Safety Group Responds To Toyota On Sudden Acceleration Defect

Toyota Has More Troubles Than Just Sudden Acceleration

You can learn more about Toyota's dangerous sudden acceleration defect at our auto safety blog or by visiting our web site.

Learn more and become a fan of Langdon & Emison on Facebook.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Toyota Denied Sudden Acceleration Problem For More Than 5 Years

Brett Emison — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:01 GMT

It appears that Toyota has denied its sudden acceleration problem for more than 5 years. Toyota's recall for floor mat problems is not the end of the story and the company needs to do more to protect its customers and the motoring public.

In March 2004, the Center For Auto Safety reported about sudden acceleration problems in 2002-03 Toyota Camrys and Solaras and the 2002-03 Lexus ES 300.

WASHINGTON -- A relatively new technology, the electronic throttle, is a leading suspect in a wave of claims that some vehicles unexpectedly accelerate out of control. Government investigators are looking at 2002-03 Toyota Camrys and Solaras and Lexus ES 300s to determine if they are defective. More than a million cars are in service. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has begun a preliminary investigation of the latest claims. It is gathering about 37 complaints of sudden acceleration by owners of the Toyota and Lexus cars. The complaints include 30 reports of crashes. They involved injuries to five people; one of them was seriously hurt.

According to AutoSafety.org, by the year 2000, there had been more than 22,600 reported complaints of sudden acceleration.

More than five years ago, Toyota and NHTSA identified the electronic throttle as the most likely source of the sudden acceleration defect. However, Toyota continued -- and continues today -- to dismiss concerns about its throttle control system and has looked only at the floor mat issue.

Four years later -- in June 2008 -- the Detroit Free Press and the Motor Authority reported that Toyota had dismissed additional customer complaints that the popular Toyota Tacoma pickup truck had been experiencing the same sudden acceleration issue as other Toyota and Lexus vehicles.

Now, Toyota's Tacoma pickup is receiving complaints in the U.S. because of the same unintended acceleration defect.

A total of 432 customers have reported unintended or sudden acceleration [problems] in their vehicles, resulting in 51 crashes and 12 injuries. Toyota has responded by stating that its Tacoma is not defective and that many reports were "inspired by publicity," reports the Detroit Free Press.

In 2008 -- like in 2004 -- Toyota refused to take the sudden acceleration issue seriously. Instead of fixing the known problem in its vehicles, Toyota publicly accused its own customers of trying to cash in on Toyota's negative publicity.

By October 2009, Toyota was forced to finally acknowledge sudden acceleration problems in the following vehicles:

2007-2010 Toyota Camry
2005-2010 Toyota Avalon
2004-2009 Toyota Prius
2005-2010 Toyota Tacoma
2007-2010 Toyota Tundra
2007-2010 Lexus ES350
2006-2010 Lexus IS250
2006-2010 Lexus IS 350

In October 2009, Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda, was forced to publicly apologize for the tragic death of an American family who were killed when their Toyota vehicle suddenly accelerated out of control. This tragedy was recorded by 911 as the passengers desperately tried to slow or stop their out of control Toyota vehicle.

As the Detroit Free Press reported:

TOKYO — Toyota’s president said it was “extremely regrettable” an American family died in a crash in which a floor mat in one of the Japanese automaker’s vehicles is suspected as the cause.

"Four precious lives have been lost," Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda said Friday. "I offer my deepest condolences."

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That crash killed California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor, 45 — who was driving a Lexus, a Toyota luxury model — and three family members on State Route 125 outside San Diego.

The vehicle was traveling at more than 120 mph when it launched off an embankment, rolled several times and burst into flames.

Despite more than 5 years of documented sudden acceleration problems in Toyota and Lexus vehicles and the tragic death of a family of four caught on tape, Toyota still has refused to accept any responsibility or acknowledge any defect:

Toyoda said the company was still deciding what action it would take and did not acknowledge any vehicle problem during his appearance at the Japan National Press Club.

He apologized for any worries customers may have.

“I feel sorry that people who are driving Toyota and Lexus cars believing in their safety are now feeling uncertainties,” he said.

Toyota has ignored customer reports of the sudden acceleration problem for more than 5 years. Despite this growing safety concern, Toyota announced today, November 6, 2009, a third-quarter profit of nearly $250 million. In the last 90 days -- while its cars were running out of control -- Toyota made a profit of nearly $3 miller per day. Toyota also increased its sales projection to more than 7 million vehicles for this year.

Langdon & Emison is aware of more than 2100 reported instances of Toyota sudden acceleration. Instead of listening to its customers and fixing the extremely dangerous sudden acceleration problem -- a problem Toyota has known about for more than 5 years -- Toyota is raking in money and placing even more dangerous cars and trucks on American roads. Toyota needs to take these complaints seriously and fix the millions of dangerous vehicles on our streets and highways.

You can learn more by reading these previous reports on Toyota's sudden acceleration problem:

"Inaccurate and Misleading" Statements On Toyota Sudden Acceleration Problem

Toyota Sudden Acceleration: Case Is Not Closed

Safety Group Responds To Toyota On Sudden Acceleration Defect

Toyota Has More Troubles Than Just Sudden Acceleration

You can learn more about Toyota's dangerous sudden acceleration defect at our auto safety blog or by visiting our web site.

Learn more and become a fan of Langdon & Emison on Facebook.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

"Inaccurate and Misleading" Statements on Toyota Sudden Acceleration Problem

Brett Emison — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:39:12 GMT

The Los Angeles Times has reported that federal safety regulators have sharply criticized Toyota for claiming safety officials had found "no defect" regarding Toyota's sudden acceleration problem.

Toyota and Lexus vehicles have come under scrutiny as hundreds of customers have complained to the company and to federal safety regulators that Toyota and Lexus vehicles will suddenly accelerate out of control. In many instances, the drivers are left with little or no control and are unable to slow or stop the vehicle.

Federal safety regulators have sharply rebuked Toyota Motor Corp. for issuing "inaccurate and misleading" statements asserting that no defect exists in the 3.8 million vehicles it recalled after a Lexus sedan accelerated out of control in San Diego County, killing four people.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a statement Wednesday that the recalled Toyota and Lexus vehicles do have an "underlying defect" that involves the design of the accelerator pedal and the driver's foot well.

Toyota has attempted to persuade owners of its vehicles that the sudden acceleration defect was limited to the gas pedal's interaction with the floor mat and was unrelated to other factors, such as Toyotoa's electronic throttle control system. Toyota also posted a video statement to dispute news reports that unintended acceleration may be related to these other factors.

Toyota's "inaccurate and misleading" comments prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA") to issue a sharp rebuke.

"Safety is the No. 1 priority for NHTSA and this is why officials are working with Toyota to find the right way to fix this very dangerous problem," the statement said. "This matter is not closed until Toyota has effectively addressed the defect by providing a suitable vehicle-based solution."

The statement is an unusual public upbraiding of an automaker by the regulatory agency, according to auto safety experts, and threatens to dent Toyota's credibility just as it seeks to assure customers that its vehicles are safe.

NHTSA's public rebuke of Toyota and Lexus did not surprise John Claybrook, a former head of NHTSA. "The agency never says there is no defect . . . . New information can come to light that there is a defect," Claybrook said.

Safety expert, Sean Kane, head of Safety Research and Strategies confirmed that "Toyota was trying to say it has a clean bill of health from NHTSA, when it does not."

In NHTSA's investigations, the safety regulators found that Toyota's brakes would lose most of their power and effectiveness when the throttle is fully opened -- an event called "brake fade". Additionally, NHTSA found that the Toyota and Lexus push button ignition systems could add risk in sudden acceleration events.

Toyota has continued to focus solely on the floor mats alone and has refused to make a full system evaluation -- including an examination of the electronic throttle control system. Toyota's refusal to look at all possible causes of its unintended acceleration problem is troubling. Toyota and Lexus owe it to their customers -- and other members of the driving public -- to ensure that this deadly safety problem is fixed -- and fixed quickly. Toyota's refusal to look at all possible causes has unreasonably delayed finding a solution. Too many have died already.

You can learn more about the Toyota and Lexus sudden acceleration problem at our auto safety blog or by visiting our web site.

Learn more and become a fan of Langdon & Emison on Facebook.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Auto and Vehicle Recall Update: New Recalls from NHTSA

Brett Emison — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:40:03 GMT

The Office of Defects Investigation recently sent notices of the following safety defect recalls:

Chrysler and Dodge Recall: 2009-10 Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger recalled for a front wheel spindle nut defect. These vehicles may have been built without a front wheel spindle nut.

GM, Chevrolet, Pontiac and Saturn Recall: 2006-07 Chevy Cobalt, Pontiac G5 and Saturn Ion recalled for a fuel pump module defect. The plastic supply or return port on the modular reservoir assembly may crack. If either of these ports develops a crack, fuel will leak from the area. If the crack becomes large enough, fuel may be observed dripping onto the ground and vehicle performance may be affected.

Mazda Recall: 1995-97, 2001-03 Mazda B-series pickup trucks recalled because a speed control deactivation switch overheats. A component of the cruise control deactivation switch may deteriorate over time and develop a leak. This occurrence could cause the switch to overheat, smoke or burn which could result in an underhood fire.

If you own any of these vehicles, you should contact your dealer to schedule the required repair immediately.

Learn more about vehilce safet defects at our auto defect blog or by visiting our web site.

Learn more and become a fan of Langdon & Emison on Facebook.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Toyota Sudden Acceleration: Case Is Not Closed

Brett Emison — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:04:38 GMT

The New York Times and ABC News are reporting that the matter of the Toyota sudden acceleration problem is not yet resolved. In fact, according to the New York Times, Toyota's recent press release was not intended to suggest that Toyota had been cleared of a safety defect.

Toyota said on Tuesday that a press release it issued on Monday was not intended to give the impression that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had cleared 3.8 million of its vehicles of having an unintended acceleration defect.

Indeed, the federal agency said it was still investigating the exact cause of the acceleration problem.

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[Toyota's] wording is subtle, but it could give the impression that the safety agency had found no safety defect beyond errant floor mats. Some news articles certainly interpreted the release that way and reported that the mats were the only problem. But Karen Aldana, a spokeswoman for N.H.T.S.A., said the agency was still exploring other issues, including the design of the gas pedal and the vehicle’s floor pan.

“It goes beyond the floor mats,” Ms. Aldana said.

Toyota’s release comes as ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” and “Nightline” were preparing to air an investigation tonight into the acceleration problem, including owners who insist that floor mats were not the problem. (Here’s an ABC/Consumer Reports video on what to do if your car experiences unintended acceleration.)

According to the Times -- the bottom line is this: unsecured floor mats can jam the accelerator, but there may be further problems unrelated to the floor mats. NHTSA is still investigating.

ABC News performed its own investigation:

In a statement this afternoon, the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Safety Administration said, "This matter is not closed until Toyota has effectively addressed the vehicle defect by providing a suitable remedy."

ABC reported statistics from safety expert, Sean Kane, that in the last 10 years, more than 2,000 Toyota owners have reported their cars surged out of control at high speeds.

The Detroit Free Press has also reported on Toyota's auto defect. The Free Press reported that federal safety regulators received more than 300 complaints from Toyota owners about the sudden acceleration problem. Not all of the owners believe the floor mats were the problem. Grover and Barbara Walton experienced sudden acceleration in their Toyota Prius without any interference from the floor mat.

It all started when, after slowing down through a small coastal town, Walton said he hit the resume-acceleration button on his cruise control.

"All of a sudden, we were flying and I hadn't touched the pedal," said Grover, a retired property manager.

He said he hit the brakes, which slowed the car. But when Walton released the brake pedal, he said his Prius surged again.

"Before my husband could safely get the car off the road, he had ridden the brakes so hard to avoid an accident that flames were coming from behind both front wheels where the brakes had caught fire," Barbara Walton said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA") has continued to emphasize that its decisions do not consitute a finding that a safety defect does not exist.

"Removal of the mats is simply an interim measure," said NHTSA spokeswoman Karen Aldana. "NHTSA will be discussing with Toyota what the appropriate vehicle remedy or remedies will be."

All auto defects are troubling, but Toyota's sudden acceleration problem is a particulary frightening safety defect. According to reports, this defect can strike without warning -- catching even the most careful driver off guard. With the engine racing out of control, it can be very difficult -- or even impossible -- to stop the vehicle. The excessive braking required to slow the vehicle in this dangerous situation can lead to "brake fade", which results in decreased brake effectiveness and can quickly lead to complete brake failure. Drivers could easily be caught in a situation where the engine is racing at full speed and their brakes are complete useless.

You can learn more about the Toyota and Lexus sudden acceleration problem at two recent blog posts:

Safety Group Responds to Toyota On Sudden Acceleration Defect

Toyota Has More Troubles Than Just Sudden Acceleration

You can also visit our auto product defect blog or visit our web site to learn more.

Learn more and become a fan of Langdon & Emison on Facebook.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Iowa Semi Truck Accident Causes Serious Injury

Brett Emison — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:22:30 GMT

Fox 44 News has reported that one person was seriously injured in a Hinton, Iowa tractor trailer crash.

(HINTON, IA) A car versus semi accident in Hinton sends one person to the hospital. Emergency crews responded the call around 5 PM Tuesday night. A car, driven by Jonathon Learing of Le Mars, pulled out onto Highway 75 at the intersection by the Cenex station. The southbound semi, driven by James Pottebaum of Hospers, struck the car on the driver's side - completely smashing it. Learing was life-flighted to Mercy with life-threatening injuries. Pottebaum walked away unharmed. Law enforcement say Highway 75 is extremely busy during rush hour.

Big rig truck drivers must be extra cautious because of the enormous size, weight and force of their vehicles. Eighteen wheeler accidents account for a disproportionate number of crashes, injuries and deaths.

Learn more about trucking accidents at our web site or become a fan of Langdon & Emison on Facebook.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Safety Group Responds to Toyota on Sudden Acceleration Defect

Brett Emison — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:49:09 GMT

Safety Research and Strategies has responded to Toyota's letter to its customers regarding its documented sudden acceleration problem:

Showing admirable restraint, Toyota waited a whole five days before trumpeting the closing of Defect Petition 09-001 as proof positive “that no defect exists in vehicles in which the driver’s floor mat is compatible with the vehicle and properly secured.”

In a letter to its customers, Toyota referred to NHTSA’s “extensive technical review of the issue, including interviews with consumers who had complained of unwanted acceleration, NHTSA concluded that …the only defect trend related to vehicle speed control in the subject vehicles involved the potential for accelerator pedals to become trapped near the floor by out-of-position or inappropriate floor mat installations.”

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Some of this is actually true. The agency has not found a vehicle-based defect that is causing unwanted acceleration. It doesn’t mean there isn’t one – it just means that the agency hasn’t found it. By any standard, the agency investigations are far from the thorough and can be accurately described as cursory by anyone with a passing understanding of defect investigation.

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In other words NHTSA:

Talked to owners who complained;

Drove the petitioners vehicle and didn’t experience SUA;

Asked Toyota what, if any, problems existed (none of course);

Found that the throttle control system may have had a problem but couldn’t find a cause;

Had limited information to work with;

Faced with limited resources and other more easily solvable safety issues, dropped any further investigation.

The most thorough of the government investigations appears to be the agency’s Vehicle Research & Test Center analysis of a 2007 Lexus ES350. This investigation, cited by Toyota above as evidence of the lack of a defect, suggests otherwise. Here’s what else the report stated:

“To comprehend the statistical significance of the probability for this event to occur, a survey was sent to a sample size of 1986 registered owners of a 2007 Lexus ES-350 requesting information regarding episodes of unintended acceleration. NHTSA received 600 responses for an overall response rate of 30.2%. Fifty-nine owners stated they experienced unintended acceleration. Thirty-five of those responding also reported that their vehicles were equipped with rubber Lexus all-weather floor mats and several commented that the incident occurred when the accelerator had become trapped in a groove in the floor mat. Interviews with owners revealed that many had unsecured rubber floor mats in place at the time of the unintended acceleration event, which included in some cases unsecured rubber floor mats placed over existing Lexus carpeted mats.”

The report is silent on several key issues, including owners who did not comment that the accelerator pedal was trapped in the groove of an all weather floor mat. And what of the remaining 24 who didn’t have all weather floor mats?

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If this is all due to errant floor mats, we have some questions:

Why do Toyota/Lexus models experience SUA absent all weather floor mats?

What changed in the floor mat design in 2002, when the complaint rates significantly increase?

How can a floor mat entrap a pedal during highway driving, when the operator has been driving steadily and does not depress the accelerator?

If Toyota/Lexus vehicle have floor mats so badly designed that they have killed at least 16 individuals and injured at least 243 injuries in SUA events, why is Toyota just getting around to fixing it now?

Why is Toyota claiming that floor mats are the cause of SUA incidents in vehicles not part of the floor mat recall? If they are causing SUA, shouldn’t they be recalled too?

ABC News has documented Toyota's and Lexus's sudden acceleration defect claims. You can learn more about Toyota's auto defect problems at this recent post.

Learn more about Langdon & Emison and become a fan on Facebook.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Warren Buffett Buys Burlington Northern Sante Fe ("BNSF") Railroad

Brett Emison — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:24:48 GMT

CNN has reported that Warren Buffett's company, Berkshire Hathaway, will buy railroad corporation Burlington Northern Sante Fe ("BNSF") for $44 billion.

Berkshire (BRKA, Fortune 500), which already has major stake in Burlington Northern, said it would acquire the remaining 77.4% of the company in a cash-and-stock offer worth $100 per share.

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The deal, which would rank as the largest acquisition in Berkshire Hathaway's history, would also include $10 billion of Burlington Northern debt.

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Matthew Rose, Burlington Northern's chairman and CEO, said the sale of the Fort Worth, Texas-based firm was a "strategic fit" for both the company's customers and employees, during a conference call with investors Tuesday.

No management changes are expected at Burlington Northern as a result of the deal, which is expected to close sometime in early 2010.

Burlington Northern has been under scrutiny recently since a Minnesota Court found that BNSF had attempted to cover up its role in four railroad crossing deaths:

The Court found that BNSF destroyed some evidence, fabricated other evidence, interfered with the investigation and purposefully lied and advanced misleading facts in order to conceal the truth.

The railroad's conduct in destorying evidence and attempting to cover up its role in killing these four young people underscores the dangers of railroad crossing accidents. In the last decade, there have been more than 30,000 railroad crossing accidents that killed more than 3600 people. Half of these collisions occurred at train crossings with active warning devices (including lights, crossing gates or bells). However, as BNSF's conduct shows, how many of these devices were working properly? How many other malfunctions have been covered up by BNSF or other railroad companies?

You can learn more about railroad accidents and railroad safety at our train safety blog or by visiting our train accident web site.

Learn more about Langdon & Emison and become a fan on Facebook.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Deadly Semi Truck Crashes in Pennsylvania and Tennessee

Brett Emison — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:26:28 GMT

There were deadly tractor trailer crashes yesterday in Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

WFMZ-TV news reported that the Pennsylvania tractor trailer accident involved a chain reaction collision.

The driver of a minivan was killed in a chain reaction crash on Interstate 78 in Upper Tulpehocken Township, Berks County Monday afternoon, according to State Police. they say a van, driven by 37 year old Darren Whipple, crashed his minivan into the back of a tractor trailer around 4:30 as it was slowing to enter a construction zone. The impact pushed the tractor trailer into a truck carrying an oversized load. Whipple was taken to Reading Hospital, but State Police say he died a short time later. The driver of the tractor trailer was taken to Reading Hospital, but police had no information on the extent of injuries.

VolunteerTV.com has reported that on a Tennessee tractor trailer accident involving a pedestrian:

LOUDON COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) - The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating this morning after an overnight accident involving a tractor trailer.

Officials say the accident happened around 2:00 Monday morning near mile marker 81 on Interstate 75.

Reports from the scene indicate the tractor trailer hit a pedestrian.

Officials say one person was transported to the hospital. The person's name and condition are not being released at this time.

My prayers go out to the families of those injured or killed in these collisions. Any loss of life or injury is a terrible tragedy. Drivers and pedestrians need to be aware of semi truck dangers. All drivers -- but particularly tractor trailer drivers -- must be extra vigilent when it comes to safety. Big rig trucks simply cannot maneuver, slow down, stop or swerve as quickly as other vehicles and, therefore, truckers must be extra cautious and other motorists need to be cautious around them.

Learn more about tractor trailer accidents and safety at our trucking safety blog or by visiting our web site.

Learn more about Langdon & Emison and become a fan on Facebook.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison