Non-fault accident that resulted in a fatality

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by metallifreak10, Aug 22, 2019.

  1. metallifreak10

    metallifreak10 Light Load Member

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    So, this happened about 2 years and 8 months ago or so. A drunk driver (BAC .23) crossed into my lane on a two-lane road and hit the drive tires, I was uninjured, only rattled. This almost caused me to get out of Truck Driving altogether, but when you have a baby on the way, you don’t really have a choice. Took me about 6 months to start driving the speed limit again, and I still slow down when a car is approaching from the opposite lane.

    Anyways, my question is regards to potential employers and the likelihood of them hiring me with that on my PSP? I have to start looking for a job since my job of 8 years or so lost the contract I was working on and I don’t plan to relocate 2 hours to another account. I get laid off in September. It’s 3 years in December when that accident falls off the PSP. Am I best to just take unemployment for 3 months and apply in December to companies?

    I’m worried because back when this happened, my company’s safety department admitted if I came off the street and applied with them with an accident that resulted in a fatality, regardless of fault, they’d probably pass over me. I didn’t plan on leaving anyway, but it made me think that it was best to stay a minimum of 3 more years before even thinking about going elsewhere. Now I don’t have a choice.

    And I think the PSP and the DOT reportable accident system is ridiculous. Another driver at my company got rear ended by a drunk guy at a red light doing 60, and miraculously that guy lived. Granted, he was pretty messed up. But it’s on his PSP as an accident with an injury.
     
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2019
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  3. NavigatorWife

    NavigatorWife Road Train Member

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    I would make sure that the accident doesn't have to be reported since it was a fatality, you wouldn't want to not report it and then be found out later that there was an incident. I don't even know for sure if the 3yrs fall-off is a golden standard in real life since papertrails always follow you.
     
  4. starmac

    starmac Road Train Member

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    It is not that it falls off or goes away, it actually never does, but 3 years is all most insurance companies want to look at.
     
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  5. Concorde

    Concorde Road Train Member

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    Accidents stay on your PSP for 5 years...violations 3 years.
     
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  6. starmac

    starmac Road Train Member

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    Until some laws changed in just the last few years, the state of alaska would not give out our driving record, we had to go get it ourselves, we had a choice of a lifetime record, or a 3 year insurance record, and heyt is what I always got for the insurance company. I would have to take a dump truck down to haul a lifetime record out. lol
     
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  7. metallifreak10

    metallifreak10 Light Load Member

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    So, I would just like to add that I do understand that it never completely falls off, but most companies only go three years back. I know my company does, and the company I was just thinking about applying to asked “last three years”.

    So, maybe best to wait until December to apply so it’s not an issue at all?
     
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  8. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

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    Might as well.

    The CSA vs company, PSP as a hidden weaponized system against drivers who have had accidents, injury etc becomes unemployable etc. It's a form of shadow enforcement within the industry. I can sit and write a tome against such a system.

    A friend of mine had a accident in which the person in the other vehicle died crossing the yellow line. He was looking at a potental being prosecuted for vehicular manslaugher or some other seriously bad charges pending trial on the civil defense as well.

    When the last person in the accident died and passed on from complications, the state said to him, the friend that there is nothing more. You are free to go on with your life. The civil suit from the opposing family pretty much self destructed when they realized this person has no income beyond state minimum protected income from garnishment etc. You cannot get blood from a stone.

    He is no longer a trucker. The CDL has no value to him, has not for decades. And has done very well raising a family in his world. But a part of him understands what truckers do because he did it for a while.

    It's tough to have a accident in which people or yourself is bad hurt or killed. and am not going to go over that here. The people who have had that happen to them already have plenty of going over on their own.

    One time in Ohio on US23 I think it was 2 miles south of StoneyRidge (Toledo) one summer evening I was going through the junction in the left lane northbound with my number one ahead of me. He warned me to get out of my lane immediately there was no time to say anything else as I was presented with a 70's era convertable multi ton buick lesabre with 6 or 7 people laughing and drinking in my own left lane pending a head on with me and my flat bed load of steel beams. I had just enough time to swing out of that lane and horse the trailer a bit hard to make sure they did not hit it. They took no evasive action whatsover.

    I tell you this. As angry I am, even today (*about 1994 era to now) how stupid those kids were I should either be dead or in a Ohio prison system for life via killing them in my own lane or the beams kill me etc who knows. Certainly kill other people in that turning junction as well. I have gotten to where I can walk away from this particular incident, no harm no foul etc.

    Not necessarily. Maybe it would have been better just to let the last few seconds run out of the hour glass and let that 60+ mph car slam into my 40 ton 45 mph tractor trailer and scatter that steel all over the highway killing and mashing god knows how many.

    No. That wont serve any purpose. However I do not know if the drunken kids ever got caught and punished by teh state for it or had a accident beyond my area eastbound. Who knows. That is why I let it go. I have no trouble telling this story because you can be trucking, everything in order, making good money and in 10 seconds lose it all.

    Not too many people are suited to that kind of living in a industry like that. Even fewer find a way to get over the situation and move on with life. If you have been able to do it then I salute you.

    You will get back out there when the time is right. And no PSP telling you cannot.

    That should be I think somehow brought out into the harsh light of reality in trucking school or company orientations to teach new truckers this is what is used against them should they apply in the future to anyone. That would provide a big incentive to be even more safe.

    Or... scrap the entire current database system and just roll robot trucks. Be kinda hard to not purchase a tractor that was involved in a accident killing humans perhaps //sarcasm.
     
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  9. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    Yeah op, it is frustrating to read these things, having a couple drivers involved with fatalities, it is never easy.

    However, don't take this wrong but with the thousands of carriers out there and a lot of them don't look at psp or dac, why should you sit around feeling bad?

    Go out there and apply to every company you find.

    There is no excuse not to.
     
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  10. Opendeckin

    Opendeckin Medium Load Member

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    Why do you think they fed you that line of BS. Non fault accidents won't have any affect on your getting hired elsewhere unless there's a pile of them in your record.
     
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  11. snowwy

    snowwy Road Train Member

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    For those of us that don't have any accidents listed. We'll never know if it will effect future employment or not. Because we don't know how it's worded on the report.

    It's what CSA wanted.

    A few years back. JB Hunt ( I think that's who it was ) driver lost his career. All he was doing was driving down the highway. When a overhead bridge under construction crashed down on him. NON fault but it WAS his fault.

    All he did. Was be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

    That's the CSA way of screwing us.

    Imagine that.
     
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