Did Driver Fatigue Cause a Truck Accident?
When an 18-wheeler is in an accident with a car or SUV of any size, the collision is likely to cause serious injury to the car driver and passengers. If the truck driver is under pressure to deliver cargo at a certain time, driver fatigue can add to the seriousness of the accident.
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At Snyder & Wenner in Phoenix, Arizona, we devote the time necessary to every client we represent. A truck accident case requires careful investigation to determine the causes of the accident — driver fatigue, cargo problems, maintenance issues, speeding, other problems.
Regulations are in place to prevent driver fatigue.
By law, truck drivers are required to keep a log of their meal breaks, rest stops, arrival times, total driving time and so on. Most drivers do this responsibly. Most also keep a watchful eye on cargo stability, the surrounding traffic, road signs and road conditions. Most of the time, accidents do not occur.
When truck accidents do occur, one common cause is unrealistic scheduling. Responsible driver schedules should take delay factors into account, such as dangerous weather and high traffic areas. When a trucking company's profits depend on how quickly its drivers can deliver cargo, owners or managers may impose stressful or difficult time expectations on their drivers.
Although there are legally mandated safety protocols, drivers may feel pressured to speed, skip sleep, or ignore maintenance issues as they try to meet their deadlines. Many drivers are paid according to how many miles or hours they drive, which is an incentive to push the limits of driving time.
The driving limits are clear.
Truck drivers cannot drive for more than 11 hours (or work for more than 14 hours if the job requires loading or unloading cargo) after being off-duty for 10 hours.
A driver may not drive at all if that driver has worked for 60 hours in the previous seven days, or 70 hours in the previous eight days, unless the driver has taken at least 34 consecutive hours off.
Contact us to discuss your truck accident.
If a loved one was seriously injured or killed in a truck accident, our personal injury lawyers have the resources and the ability to determine the cause and to fight for the compensation you need and deserve.
