Hazmat Truck Accident in Arizona Injures 4 People

A tractor-trailer hauling hazardous material and a pick-up truck collided on the northbound lane of Arizona 77 on July 19^th resulting in sulfuric acid spilling onto the highway.  The Arizona Department of Public Safety routed traffic around the accident while hazmat crews cleaned up the spill.  Sulfuric acid can be very corrosive.

At Munley, Munley and Cartwright, we are truck / tractor trailer accident and injury lawyers and we know that almost 3,700 persons in cars and other passenger vehicles die annually in collisions with heavy trucks.  If you or a loved one has been injured in a commercial trucking accident, you need the experienced lawyers of Munley, Munley & Cartwright to protect your rights. Large trucking companies have their own investigators and attorneys fighting for them, you need someone on your side.   

Four people were injured in the wreck and were airlifted by responding emergency crews to a hospital for treatment of their non-life threatening injuries.  No one has been charged in connection with the tractor-trailer crash, and officials have not yet said what caused the crash or who was at fault.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a hazmat trucking accident, you need the experienced lawyers of Munley, Munley & Cartwright to protect your rights.  Contact us online today for a free consultation or call us toll free at 1-800-318-LAW1.

Tractor-trailer Accident

EPA Wants to Regulate “Fracking” at Marcellus Shale

Previously exempt from government regulation, the drilling process called hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” may now be monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Fracking is a drilling technique used in the Marcellus Shale region using millions of gallons of water filled with toxic chemicals.

While the oil and gas industry stands by the safety of the process that has been used for years throughout the country, the EPA is undertaking a $1.9 million study to re-evaluate the process and to protect the publics’ groundwater from pollution and depletion.

The regulation of fracking would repeal the 2005 exemption under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

If you are a property owner whose well has been contaminated or whose property has been damaged by well drilling, you may have a claim for damages against a drilling rig operator or the gas exploration company. The Marcellus Shale gas accident lawyers at Munley, Munley & Cartwright can advise you on your options. The attorneys at Munley, Munley & Cartwright represent victims who have been injured through no fault of their own. Contact us at 1-800-318-LAW1 or submit a free online claim evaluation.

Pennsylvania DEP Launches the Marcellus Shale Examiner

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has launched the “Marcellus Shale Examiner,” a weekly e-newsletter to chronicle the latest news on Marcellus Shale activities.  The DEP states, “In the past three years, Pennsylvania has become the epicenter of natural gas exploration with dozens of companies seeking to capitalize on the abundant natural resources in the Marcellus Shale formation. The consequences of this rapidly growing industry affect us all.”

The DEP will use the Examiner to follow the work related to drilling in Pennsylvania the policy makers will be focusing on in the coming months.  The policies will range from enacting a severance tax so large drilling firms pay their fair share, to writing laws that could affect landowners’ rights when it comes to drilling on or under their property.

If you are a property owner whose property has been harmed by natural gas exploration, talk to an attorney who is experienced in Marcellus Gas drilling issues.  The attorneys at Munley, Munley & Cartwright represent victims who have been injured through no fault of their own, including those who have suffered personal injury and those who have been harmed through the loss of enjoyment of their property. Contact us at 1-800-318-LAW1 or submit a free online claim evaluation.

Sign up to receive the Marcellus Shale Examiner.

Sleepy Truck Driver Suspected Cause of Tractor-Trailer Collision in Maryland

A tractor-trailer and box truck collided early Tuesday morning during the rush hour commute in Baltimore, Maryland, forcing the closure of lanes and tying up traffic for hours.  Both drivers were taken to the hospital for treatment, where one remained in serious condition.

At Munley, Munley and Cartwright, we are truck / tractor trailer accident and injury lawyers and we know that every 16 minutes a person is killed or injured in a truck accident.  If you or a loved one has been injured in a commercial trucking accident, you need the experienced lawyers of Munley, Munley & Cartwright to protect your rights. Large trucking companies have their own investigators and attorneys fighting for them, you need someone on your side.   

Authorities said the driver of the box truck fell asleep at the wheel and hit the rear end of a flat bed trailer being pulled by the tractor-trailer. 

No other injuries were reported.

Tired truckers are of such concern that in April of 2003, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) instituted new hours of service regulations to curb truckers’ problems with fatigue.  When commercial drivers become fatigued from excessive daily and weekly work hours, they substantially increase the risk of crashes that result in death or serious injuries. Yet despite this serious risk to public safety, legislation is frequently introduced to Congress that requests longer hours of service for the trucking industry.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a commercial trucking accident, you need the experienced lawyers of Munley, Munley & Cartwright to protect your rights.  Contact us online today for a free consultation or call us toll free at 1-800-318-LAW1.

Pittsburgh Council Passes Resolution Demanding PA Enact One-Year Moratorium on Marcellus Shale Drilling

Pittsburgh City Council passed a resolution this week demanding Pennsylvania impose a one-year moratorium on Marcellus Shale drilling while it considers tighter regulations for the drilling industry.  The move is an attempt to prevent drilling from occurring in the city.  Negotiations are underway for drilling access to properties in Lawrenceville.

State Sen. Jim Ferlo, D-Highland Park, has introduced a bill that would require a moratorium on new drilling. Ferlo wants to ban natural gas drilling on state forest lands and private property for one year while a commission considers the ramifications.

If you are a property owner whose property has been harmed by natural gas exploration, talk to an attorney who is experienced in Marcellus Gas drilling issues.  The attorneys at Munley, Munley & Cartwright represent victims who have been injured through no fault of their own, including those who have suffered personal injury and those who have been harmed through the loss of enjoyment of their property. Contact us at 1-800-318-LAW1 or submit a free online claim evaluation.

Marcellus Shale Hydraulic Fracturing Information to be Disclosed

Range Resources, a Fort Worth, Texas company who operates the Marcellus Shale gas well, has announced that they will voluntarily submit to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) additional information about additives used in the process of hydraulic fracturing of natural gas wells in Pennsylvania operated by Range Resources.

By providing this information, the company hopes to improve their image and ensure the citizens that they are running a safe operation.  The company’s chairman and CEO said, “Range is concerned about what Pennsylvanians think about our industry.” 

Citing the extraordinary potential of responsibly developing natural gas from the Marcellus Shale, the CEO further stated that full disclosure will “allow people to better understand that the Marcellus Shale is a valuable resource that can be pursued responsibly and for the benefit of all of the citizens of Pennsylvania.”

If you or a loved one has been harmed by Marcellus Shale drilling, talk to an attorney who is experienced in Marcellus Gas drilling issues. The attorneys at Munley, Munley & Cartwright represent victims who have been injured through no fault of their own, including those who have suffered personal injury and those who have been harmed through the loss of enjoyment of their property. Contact us at 1-800-318-LAW1 or submit a free online claim evaluation.

Voluntary Disclosure

$5 Million Awarded in Utility Truck Accident Fatality

Pacific Gas & Electric of San Jose will pay $5 million to the mother who filed a lawsuit after her daughter died when one of PG&E’s utility trucks crashed into a group of cars stopped on an Interstate 280 off-ramp.  Her daughter and boyfriend both died in the 2006 wreck.

At Munley, Munley and Cartwright, we are truck / tractor trailer accident and injury lawyers and we know that every 16 minutes a person is killed or injured in a truck accident.  Even so, trucking industry lobbyists continue to call for the weakening of truck safety rules and regulations to reap a higher profit. If you have been harmed in a truck accident, contact us online today for a free consultation or call us toll free at 1-800-318-LAW1.

The truck driver is a diabetic and he claimed his blood-sugar level fell causing him to black out. He pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Wrongful Death

Marcellus Shale Well Boosts Company’s Natural Gas Production

With the help of the Marcellus Shale natural gas wells, Range Resources boosted their 2^nd quarter natural gas production by close to 10 percent.  The company based in Fort Worth, Texas, produced an average of 472 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, largely driven by production from the Marcellus shale region.

Range Resources focuses their drilling on “unconventional resource plays targeting shales, coal bed methane and tight oil and gas reservoirs.”  The company began drilling in the Marcellus Shale region, which covers parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia and Virginia, in 2004, and by mid-2009, Range Resources completed their  50^thhorizontal well in the Marcellus Shale.  To date, there are 146 wells drilled in the region.

Range Resources estimates that the Marcellus wells are as good as, and potentially better, than the production in the North Texas Barnett Shale.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by Marcellus Shale drilling, talk to an attorney who is experienced in Marcellus Gas drilling issues. The attorneys at Munley, Munley & Cartwright represent victims who have been injured through no fault of their own, including those who have suffered personal injury and those who have been harmed through the loss of enjoyment of their property. Contact us at 1-800-318-LAW1 or submit a free online claim evaluation.

Hearings to Focus on Marcellus Shale Drilling Moratorium

The Delaware River Basin Commission will hold public hearings in northeast Pennsylvania to determine whether or not to strengthen its moratorium on drilling for natural gas in the river basin.  The debate centers on landowners that say they should be able to lease the mineral rights to their land, versus the environmentalists that say the process of drilling for natural gas could pollute groundwater.

The vast Marcellus Shale formation and its lucrative natural gas deposits underlie much of the covered region of the Delaware River basin areas of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.  The agency has legal authority over water quality and quantity issues in the basin.

The drilling moratorium is in effect until the commission adopts gas drilling regulations.

If you are a property owner whose property has been harmed by natural gas exploration, talk to an attorney who is experienced in Marcellus Gas drilling issues.  The attorneys at Munley, Munley & Cartwright represent victims who have been injured through no fault of their own, including those who have suffered personal injury and those who have been harmed through the loss of enjoyment of their property. Contact us at 1-800-318-LAW1 or submit a free online claim evaluation.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Drops Cargo Insurance Requirement

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) eliminated the requirement for most for-hire motor common carriers of property and freight forwarders to maintain cargo insurance in prescribed minimum amounts.  In addition, the carriers do not need to file evidence of this insurance with FMCSA.

At Munley, Munley and Cartwright, we are truck / tractor trailer accident and we accept tractor-trailer / truck cases nationwide. Did you know that every 16 minutes a person is killed or injured in a truck accident? Even so, trucking industry lobbyists continue to call for the weakening of truck safety rules and regulations to reap a higher profit. If you have been harmed in a truck accident, contact us online today for a free consultation or call us toll free at 1-800-318-LAW1.

Household goods motor carriers and household goods freight forwarders will continue to be subject to this cargo insurance requirement.

The regulation goes into effect March 21, 2011.

FMCSA Cargo Insurance Regulation