Injured in a Semi-Truck collision
You keep a lookout on the highways, there is always a semi-truck in front or behind you. Semi-Truck drivers work long hours to deliver goods to stores, warehouses, and to our homes. While drivers are dedicated to making as many shipments as possible on time, they also must prevent driving excessive hours without proper rest. If you are in a collision with a semi-truck contact The Law Firm of David C. Chavez, now; an experience Law Firm with a successful history of representing tragically injured clients through the fault of semi-truck drivers at 505-865-9696.
Hours of Services Regulations
Fatigued driving can lead to serious truck crashes, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has taken steps to prevent excess driving in semi-trucks. The agency enacted and enforces hours of service restrictions, which limit how long a truck driver can be on the road and require certain rest breaks.
Even though these restrictions exist to curb fatigued driving crashes, these accidents still happen for the following reasons and more:
- A trucking company allows drivers to violate the hours of service restrictions to complete more deliveries, to increase profits
- Drivers might exceed allowed hours on the road to get home faster to finish a shift without having to stop and rest first
- Drivers might become drowsy when they are within hours of service limits and they might decide not to pull over and rest because they are not in violation of the law
Despite safety laws being in place with penalties for violations, truck drivers continue to operate semi-trucks for too long at once, which can cause serious crashes and injuries to others.
The Effects of Excess Driving
Driving too long on monotonous highways can easily result in drowsy driving. Even if a truck driver might not realize they are tired, fatigue can still have many effects on their driving abilities. These include:
- Lack of Focus
- Confusion
- Delayed reaction times
- Nodding off or falling asleep
Drowsy driving is often likened to drunk driving since the impairments can be similar. Many truck drivers overestimate their abilities to push through and continue driving well beyond when they should rest.
Holding Drivers and Companies Liable
When a truck driver violates hours of service regulations and causes your injuries, At The Law Firm of David C. Chavez, we will examine records to evaluate the cause of the collision to determine if excessive driving was an issue in the collision. Even if there was no record of a violation, we can use other evidence to show that drowsy driving and/or distracted driving led to the crash. If a truck driver caused your accident, the trucking company that employs the driver can be liable for your losses. We can file the appropriate insurance claims to seek recovery for your:
- Medical bills
- Lost income and future earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Wrongful death
- And any other damages you or a loved one is entitled to by law
