Attorney Michael Leizerman on CNBC: Truck companies wiping safety records clean after crashes
A “chameleon carrier,” a truck company that closes and opens up under a new name after it breaks safety laws, is what killed Leizerman’s client
CNBC is airing a compelling series about truck safety. The series will hopefully resonate with the public on what’s often really occurring behind the wheels of commercial trucks. And Truck Accident Attorneys Roundtable co-founder Mike Leizerman has been a key expert source for CNBC on the series.
Michael shared his story about a professional truck driver and father of four he represented named Kelly Linhard. Kelly was stopped on the side of the road to do a routine truck inspection in September 2008. Moments later, he was struck and killed another trucker, Daniel Clarey, who veered out of his lane.
In a deposition, Clarey admitted to being under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the terrible crash and to a previous criminal record for methamphetamine and marijuana. Clarey worked for a “chameleon carrier” trucking company. That is, a truck company that re-registers with the U.S. Department of Transportation under a new name to avoid liability or problems with their safety ratings after it has broken laws, caused wrecks, hurt and even killed people.
You can watch the show here:
The driver who hit Kelly was behind the wheel because the truck company who hired him was playing a game – changing its name but nothing else. Clarey’s employer, Forrest Rangeloff, said he opened a new trucking company because he could not get a satisfactory safety rating, which is something the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration gives to companies to show they’re in compliance with regulations. And Rangeloff was able to open two more commercial transportation companies after that!
According to the Government Accountability Office, what Rangeloff was doing with his trucking companies are not an isolated incident. The office found 1,136 new applicants in just 2010 that it suspected were chameleon carriers, according to their most recent report on the issue.
This is a critically important safety issue because there are precisely the companies and drivers who are causing a much higher percentage of the preventable truck accidents out there today. These are exactly the companies that are killing and injuring the most people.
We hope stories like this create awareness to help us and the affiliated Roundtable attorney members to accomplish our goal of making our roads safer for our families.
Meanwhile, take a look at our pledge to donate a portion of every settlement or verdict to truck safety.
