Was Your Truck Accident Caused By A Tired Driver? Know These 2 Things

18 February 2021
 Categories: Law, Blog


When it comes to trucking companies, there are plenty of regulations to make sure that the truck drivers and the vehicles around them are safe during all the hours the trucks are on the road. However, mistakes can still be made where rules are violated, especially when it comes to drivers that are tired because they are working too many hours during the week. If you were involved in an accident with a truck, it is important to know the following things about drivers that are overly fatigued.

Truck Drivers Must Log Their Hours

One thing that you may not realize about truck drivers is that they must log all of the hours that they are driving behind the wheel of their truck. This is due to several regulations that limit the number of hours they can drive, making it illegal to be pushed too hard. Limits are set in place for how many hours a driver can be on the road in a day before having a break, and how many hours they can drive over a specific amount of days.

While you may think the log is all you need when involved in a lawsuit with a fatigued driver, the truth is that not all truck drivers are completely honest. It is possible that the log may be fabricated by the truck driver, especially after they are involved in an accident. Thankfully, this is where your lawyer can step in to help verify if the logs are accurate or not. 

Time Restrictions Are To Ensure Alertness

The purpose of having time restrictions on drivers is to ensure that they are alert while on the road to provide the safest truck driving experience possible. After all, they are driving a huge vehicle on the road that has the capability of severely injuring someone if they are involved in an accident. The unfortunate thing about these time restrictions is that trucking companies can push drivers to work more hours than they are legally allowed to. 

In situations where a truck driver is working more than the allowed hours, it means that the trucking company can ultimately be responsible for the driver's actions. Truck drivers may have been pressured to meet deadlines within certain time frames or to make a certain amount of deliveries. This means that if you are injured in a trucking accident, you need to go after the trucking company's insurance policy to seek the compensation you deserve. 

For more information, contact a local truck accident attorney.


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