The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration cites 3 companies for fatal trucking accident

A novice truck driver in West Virginia was thrown from an overloaded dump truck he was driving and was run over by its rear wheels when the truck hit a berm.

"The accident occurred because the truck was not properly maintained and had numerous safety defects," MSHA said. "The truck was missing a seat belt, the door latches were missing, and a critical transmission component was broken."

"Additionally, the victim was not properly trained and sufficient management oversight was not provided to assure safety defects were corrected prior to placing the truck into service."

The report listed 12 separate mechanical problems with the truck and noted the driver had just 16 of the minimum 24 hours of training required by federal regulations. The agency also estimated the truck's loaded weight at 73,560 pounds, well above its rated capacity.

MSHA issued numerous citations to three different trucking companies.  All the citations covered mechanical problems and the driver's lack of training.

Losing a loved one in an accident is a devastating experiences. The attorneys of SMSH have extensive experience dealing with traumatic, catastrophic injuries and wrongful death cases.  Please contact SMSH Partner Jonathan Harris for a free consultation about your trucking accident case.