Here are five things worth knowing today: 1. A report in The Legal Examiner breaks down the prevalence, cost of insurance, and number of fatalities in truck accidents. According to the report, there were 342,000 reported accidents involving large trucks in 2013. Of those accidents there were an estimated 95,000 injuries and 3,964 fatalities. The Legal Examiner says that the minimum insurance coverage required by federal law is $750,000 unless a company carries hazardous waste, then it’s $5 million. Legal Examiner has more.2. Southern Indiana officials are on the fence about whether to restore an iron bridge dating back to the 1880s that partially collapsed when a semitrailer tried to cross it in December. According to WLFI News, the bridge’s future will depend on the county’s settlement with the trucking firm’s insurance company. According to the report, engineers estimated it will cost nearly $1 million to restore the bridge in a way that preserves its historic features.3. According to a Business Day Live report, Volkswagen’s heavy-truck division is exploring options for growth that could include acquisitions and an initial public offering. According to the report, the U.S. and China are regions for possible expansion, and the strategy would challenge Daimler and Volvo, as well as smaller rivals in emerging markets. Business Day has more.4. Greenville Online reports that wet roads have cost the state’s Dept. of Transportation millions in claims and lawsuits. Over the past 20 years, dozens of lawsuits and claims have been filed against the DOT on behalf of those killed or injured in hydroplaning accidents, according to the report. A study by Clemson University recommends the state take pro-active steps to address the causes of the claims and lawsuits, including standing water on roads. Greenville Online has more.5. The driver of a dump truck coming off the Change Islands ferry claims a “careless mistake almost cost him his life,” Canada’s VOCM reports. The driver said he had to jump from his vehicle as it went into the water because only one rope was securing the vessel when there should have been two or three, according to the report. VOCM has more.
