If you have been injured or have lost a loved one in a truck accident, come to Accident Attorneys for help from our team of Lancaster truck accident attorneys. We have represented countless accident victims and surviving family members in personal injury and wrongful death claims, and recovered more than $1 billion for our deserving clients.
We offer a free, no-risk case evaluation. Call (661) 945-4357 or email us now to start discovering your legal options!
Commercial truck drivers work in an environment that can sometimes encourage dangerous driving behavior. To meet strict deadlines a driver may engage in negligent actions such as driving longer than allowed or through hazardous conditions. Although not every accident involves these conditions, our attorneys will investigate all options in order to discover the true cause of a collision.
Trucking accidents generally occur due to a combination of factors including:
Fatigue typically happens because of long shifts and monotonous journeys on the road. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has set forth regulations which limit the number of hours driven on the road in order to lessen the chances of accidents, injuries, and fatalities involving massive commercial trucks. In addition, trucking companies and their drivers are required to keep track of logs to record hours worked.
Federal hours of service rules include the following:
Truck drivers are not the only party who can incur liability for an accident. In certain cases, the trucking company can share responsibility or be entirely at fault for damages due to an accident. For example, if a company knowingly hired a driver with a history of alcohol abuse and that driver causes an accident, the employer may be held liable. A trucking company can also fail to maintain their fleet. If the breaks fail, or the hydraulic system is compromised on a vehicle and an accident occurs, the company may again be held responsible.
Commercial trucks are massive machines that can carry tens of thousands of pounds of cargo. Because crash risks increase the heavier a truck or tractor-trailer becomes, state and federal regulators enforce a number of rules when it comes to cargo, including cargo securement regulations and strict weight limits. Under current regulations, commercial trucks and tractor trailers cannot exceed 80,000 pounds. That gross weight limit includes both vehicle weight and the weight of any cargo on board. For single unit trucks, including box trucks, the federal weight limit is 57,000 pounds.
Another common cause of accidents involving commercial vehicle occurs when a driver becomes too tired or sleepy to properly operate their vehicle. Drivers are often given a heavy workload and pushed to meet strict deadlines. Under these circumstances, a driver may take dangerous and often negligent actions in order to meet demand. The FMCSA has taken actions to prevent this type of behavior by restricting a number of hours a truck driver can work. While not every accident will involve driver fatigue, an investigation into the driver, logbooks, and computer data may help to show if a driver violated an hours-of-service (HOS) regulation.
Key factors in a truck accident investigation include:
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) enforces hundreds of rules governing every aspect of the commercial trucking industry. In regards to maintenance, FMCSA regulations cover the subject of inspection, repair, and maintenance of commercial vehicles, including inspection reports and qualifications of inspectors.
It is mandatory for truckers to perform their own inspection prior to driving the vehicle to ensure that the truck is in safe operating condition. If any defects are discovered, the driver must report and perform any necessary repairs before getting back on the road. If the vehicle is found to have an unsafe condition while on the road, the trucker must go to the nearest place to get the proper repairs.
Trucking companies can be held legally liable when accidents are caused by their failure to maintain equipment. If you need a truck accident attorney for lack of inspection or maintenance, contact our dedicated attorneys for a consultation!
We encourage you to contact a Lancaster semi truck accident lawyer from our firm for a FREE case evaluation today: (661) 945-4357.
When you come to Accident Attorneys for help with your personal injury, workplace injury, or wrongful death claim, you can be confident in our ability to get the results you deserve. You can benefit from working with Antelope Valley personal injury lawyers who are marked by:
We have recovered more than $1 billion for our clients.
Our two lawyers bring 75+ years’ combined experience.
We can meet with you at your home or the hospital.
You’ll work one-on-one with your attorney, not a clerk or paralegal.
Our awards include Super Lawyers® and National Trial Lawyers: Top 100.