A Honda Odyssey collided with a discarded homemade utility trailer killing a man and woman, and leaving their two young children orphans. The children were treated for minor injuries and released from the hospital.
The accident occurred on a South Carolina highway after the trailer was abandoned in the middle lane of the highway. Another driver noticed the trailer and called police. Moments later, the couple collided with the trailer. The impact forced their van into the path of a semi-tractor trailer, and that collision pushed the Odyssey onto the shoulder of the road hitting the vehicle and driver who had pulled over to call the police. The “Good Samaritan” was not injured. Police are still searching for the driver of the vehicle that was towing the homemade trailer.
This was a senseless death and one that could have been easily prevented with some basic trailer towing regulations and laws. Homemade trailers are a growing trend. Think about how many times you find yourself driving behind a lawn service truck and trailer, or a snow removal service truck. Most of these were made by purchasing some wood and mesh and metal frames at the local Home Depot or Lowe’s. They are simply a wood flatbed with mesh, metal sides. Many people building and attaching these trailers do not consider the safety aspect, they have no idea if it will fail, and they are not regulated. Put it together in an hour or two and you’re ready to open business.
One man, Ron Melancon, has almost single-handedly alerted America to the major problems with homemade utility trailers and the need for stricter safety laws. He has chronicled his determined campaign for all to see on www.dangeroustrailers.org. Mr. Melancon has spent countless hours researching trailers and uncovered that they are not required to be inspected, and trailers less than 3,000 pounds fall below Federal guidelines. Only those over 3,000 pounds require that reflectors be placed at the "extreme rear of the trailer." Upon learning these facts, he campaigned to make a change, but several large trailer companies lobbied for a watered down version of the new regulation. So Mr. Melancon decided to keep a log on his website of all accidents involving defective utility trailers. He will not give up until the overwhelming evidence make is enough for change.
Mark Bello has thirty-three years experience as a trial lawyer and twelve years as an underwriter and situational analyst in the lawsuit funding industry. He is the owner and founder of Lawsuit Financial Corporation which helps provide legal finance cash flow solutions and consulting when necessities of life litigation funding is needed by plaintiffs involved in pending, personal injury litigation. Bello is a Justice Pac member of the American Association for Justice, Sustaining and Justice Pac member of the Michigan Association for Justice, Business Associate of the Florida, Tennessee, and Colorado Associations for Justice, a member of the American Bar Association as well as their ABA Advisory Committee, the State Bar of Michigan and the Injury Board.
@thumbnail.jpg "Mark M. Bello")
Experienced attorney, lawsuit funding expert, certified civil mediator, and award-winning author of the Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series. The series features super-trial lawyer Zachary Blake handling "ripped from the headlines" legal and political issues of the day. The series currently consists of Betrayal of Faith, Betrayal of Justice, Betrayal in Blue, Betrayal in Black, and Betrayal High, with a sixth Zachary Blake novel due out later this year. To learn more about these topical social justice legal thrillers. please visit markmbello.com. Mark is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, a sustaining member of the Michigan Association for Justice, and a member of the American Association for Justice.
3 Comments
Ron Melancon
We are grateful for yet another person to take the time and address this growing concern.
What you need to know is our cause has been addressing this for 9 years and NHTSA has chosen not to even address. Would they let us build a "Homemade Child Safety Seat" Can you Build a "Homemade Child Baby's Crib" yet they let anybody build a "Homemade Trailer" with no standards.
Even the Commercial Utility Trailer companies know this and they can also produce a trailer with no National Standards or Testing!!
Every Hitch....Evey Bumper Hitch in the United States has not been Certified to a Breaking standard!!!!
Even Australia knows this...look at this quote....
Our efforts has drawn the attention of legislators in Austrailia.and we quote "United States of America through the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) with respect to coupling requirements and manufacturers are not obliged to certify couplings. This approach is consistent with the US government’s principle of not getting involved in pre-market approval of vehicles or components."
Not good enough is it Ron. Your government forgets it is the people that vote them in not Acme Trailers or Ford motor company.
In 1996 the Federal Office of Road Safety reported
that between one and five Australian road fatalities
per year are caused by trailers separating from towing
Complacency Can Kill!
All couplings can accidentally uncouple. And your Country does nothing except fight you"
They have developed a testing standard see this video...NOBODY IN THE UNITED STATES HAS DONE THIS TO ANY HITCH ON THE MARKET PLACE!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QZ5ZPHpdYk
AND THIS..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74hmsJ-9nMQ
Did you know that that 7 states have no safety chain law..
Did you know that at least 5 states have NO REGISTRATION FOR TRAILERS...AND WHEN THEY COME LOOSE AND YOU DON'T STOP NOBODY KNOWS WHO KILLED THEM
5 FAMILIES DON'T HAVE CLOSURE...
See this..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM1I-tDixzo
our video you tube is MELANCON64
A girl 5 years old was just hit by a LOOSE TRAILER IN TEXAS....
http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/Girl_Injured_When_Trailer_Breaks_Free_Hits_Passenger_Car_117593218.html?storySection=comments
Ron Melancon
This was just reported in England....
http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/local-news/hailsham_trailer_crash_driver_ignored_warning_signs_1_2481215
Over 70% of all trailers in the United States have at least one or more SAFETY VIOLATIONS...
This is yet another example of what the Virginia State Police, Sgt Thomas Molnar, Delegate Pollard, Delegate Cox, State Senator Webb, NHTSA, Carry On Trailers, Holmes Trailers, Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance, Erie Insurance, Farmers Insurance, Gieco Insurance, State Farm Insurance, Travelers Insurance and even the media that has chosen to look the other way.
Very clear...we have the same issue in the United States and Canada...
and we quote...:::::
The court heard how the trailer’s safety pin had two fixings, including a spring-loaded locking device which was not working properly when the crash took place.
The secondary safety pin was not present and the third breaking cable, in the event that those two features failed, in the crown’s case, was not properly fixed and had simply “dropped away.”
In Arizona the police even let an officer get killed by a Loose Runaway Trailer" and very few people are outraged.
Over 70% of all "Passenger Cars That Tow Trailers" in the United States have the same issue....MISSING PIN,,,BROKEN SPRING...MISSING SAFETY CHAINS..AND DEFECTIVE HITCHES...AND ALL THEY DO IS TRY AND STOP US.
We are ready to help!! We know what needs to be done...who needs to be next?
Ron Melancon
It was a HOMEMADE TRAILER that killed a cop!!!! She the survivor is joining our cause...and the Governor of Arizona called our home and would support legislation.
We need help!!!!! Please....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV6SqNwUc6I
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