The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets out strict regulations that all commercial truck drivers and trucking companies must follow. Such regulations address a wide variety of subjects, from requirements for a commercial driver’s license to random alcohol and drug testing to health evaluations for drivers. If a driver or company violates any of these rules and causes an accident and injuries, that party will likely be held liable for any losses suffered by accident victims. The experienced truck accident attorneys at Shane Smith Law help truck accident victims in Fayette County recover from negligent parties.
Hours of Service Violations
Hours of service regulations are a set of rules intended to prevent fatigued driving by truck drivers. If a driver tries to push his limits and drive for too many hours at a time, he risks losing concentration or falling asleep behind the wheel. Such fatigued driving can lead to devastating accidents and injuries for other motorists.
To try to prevent such accident, hours of service regulations state the following in regard to commercial truck drivers:
Limited to 11 hours of driving in a single day
Limited to 70 hours of driving in a week
Required to take 34 hours of rest after every 70-hour workweek
Required to take at least one 30-minute rest break after the first eight hours of a driving shift
Unfortunately, many truck drivers fail to comply with these regulations in an attempt to fit in as many deliveries as possible and earn more money. Additionally, some trucking companies have been known to encourage drivers to violate hours of service rules in order to complete more orders. This can lead to accidents and any victims have the right to recover from negligent drivers or companies.
Contact a Fayette County truck accident attorney for a free consultation
If you have suffered injury and you believe that fatigued truck driving may have played a role, the experienced truck accident lawyers at Shane Smith Law know how to investigate your accident to prove that a driver was negligent