NTSB Says Trucker Using Cell Phone before Crash that Killed 11 People

By Peter DePaolis
Attorney

In March 2010, a tractor-trailer crashed into a van in Kentucky and killed 11 passengers inside the van. The tractor-trailer driver also lost his life in the accident. Last week, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a report finding that the tractor-trailer driver was using his cell phone at the time of the deadly crash.

The NTSB report said that the 45-year-old truck driver used his cell phone 69 times for calls and text messages in the 24 hours before the fatal crash. He used his phone to make four phone calls in the minutes before the collision as well as at the time his truck veered off the highway, according to the report.

In the wake of its report, the NTSB wants to ban commercial truck drivers from using cell phones while driving. An NTSB spokesperson said cell phone use by commercial truck drivers only increases the risk of auto crashes. The risk is lethal when the cell phone user is driving a truck that weighs 40 tons at high speeds, added the spokesperson.

Hopefully, you or a loved one will never experience an accident like this one, but do you know what to do after a car accident? Reach out to our office today for a consultation.

Koonz, McKenney, Johnson & DePaolis L.L.P.

Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia Injury Attorneys

Approved by attorney Roger Johnson

About the Author
Peter DePaolis joined the firm in 1980 and has since represented a large number of individuals involved in automobile collisions, truck accidents, bus crashes, defective products, and medical malpractice cases. A significant portion of Mr. DePaolis’ practice is devoted to working on behalf of people suffering from asbestosis, mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related cancers. He has led his firm’s fight against the asbestos industry and has recovered over $30 million in damages for asbestos victims and their families.