Trucking Violations: Accidents Waiting to Happen

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Trucking Violations Can Cause Serious Accidents

Accidents involving semi-trucks are among the deadliest on our roadways. The trucking industry and truck drivers are both heavily regulated, and these regulations are put in place to help keep our highways safer for everyone who travels on them. When the trucking industry fails to adhere to its safety regulations, it can result in dangerous and often deadly accidents. If you or someone you care about has suffered injuries in a truck accident, you need skilled legal counsel.

Driving Hours

Truck drivers face stringent restrictions related to how many hours they can spend behind the wheel of their rigs. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) promulgates these regulations, and non-compliance carries significant fines and penalties. These regulations cover a variety of important time constraints:

  • Truck drivers are limited to 14 hours of driving within any period of duty.

  • This 14 hours must include the time that the truck driver spends on breaks and on stopping for gas.

  • Truck drivers may only drive for 11 uninterrupted hours, and those 11 hours must include one 30-minute break for every 8 hours of driving.

  • Truck drivers may not put in more than 60 hours of driving in any one-week period, and truck drivers may not restart the clock on a new week until they have been off duty for at least 34 hours.

Truckers are carefully regulated because fatigued truck drivers are dangerous truck drivers. If a truck driver is determined to have knowingly and willfully been in violation of federal regulations, serious penalties can apply.

The Trucking Industry

The trucking industry is fast-paced and ever-growing. As our nation’s demand for consumer goods continues to increase, so too must the trucking industry continue to expand. Some trucking companies are not above cutting corners to bolster business and profits. For instance, trucking companies sometimes push their drivers to put in excess hours, but there are also other kinds of dangerous violations in which trucking companies can engage:

  • Failure to implement regularly scheduled truck maintenance

  • Failure to implement mandated equipment checks

  • Failure to hire well-qualified truck drivers and truck mechanics

  • Failure to ensure that trucks are properly and safely loaded

The trucking industry plays a significant role in our nation’s economy, but it must also take on the critical responsibility of helping to keep our highways safe for all who travel on them. This responsibility includes carefully adhering to each and every safety restriction, regulation, and guideline.

If You Have Been Injured in a Truck Accident, Consult with an Experienced Central Texas Personal Injury Attorney Today

If a truck accident has left you or someone you love injured – or worse – attorney Brett Pritchard at the Law Office of Brett H. Pritchard in Central Texas is here to help. Mr. Pritchard cares about you and your claim, and he is dedicated to aggressively advocating for the compensation to which you are entitled. For more information, please contact us online or call us at (254) 781-4222 today.

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