It’s a known and observable thing that drivers who spend long periods behind the wheel suffer from driver fatigue. Fatigue causes drivers to make errors in judgment that can cause accidents. Fatigue also causes drivers to doze off behind the wheel for brief periods of time. Fortunately, most dozing drivers snap back to wakefulness before any real harm is done. But occasionally, a doze will lead to a serious or even fatal truck accident. Our Deer Park, TX truck wreck lawyers have seen far too many of these types of devastating crashes. But a claim against a trucking company is small consolation for an innocent life.
Driver fatigue is an especial problem for long haul truckers. They spend long hours behind the wheel day in and day out. Even the bawdiest banter on a CB radio can’t always deflect the dangers of that accumulated fatigue and keep the driver alert.
A poll of long haul truckers found that:
* Within the 30 days preceding the survey,
* 20% of drivers
* Admitted to dozing off
* At least once behind the wheel.
Federal officials recognize the dangers of a fatal truck accident caused by driver fatigue. The government has issued regulations limiting the number of hours that long haul truckers may drive in a single day. The regulations prescribe scheduled rest breaks in an effort to limits effects of driver fatigue. Truckers are also supposed to keep accurate logbooks noting their hours driven, rest breaks taken, and other information showing their compliance with the rules.
But long haul truckers are often subject to unreasonable delivery goals from the companies that employ them. They may also have motivation to skip rest breaks and drive extra hours because of company incentive rewards. If they skip scheduled breaks, or drive extra hours, they may keep inaccurate logs to avoid getting caught.
But if driver fatigue caused a fatal truck accident, and you need to prove the driver’s fault, our skillful Deer Park, TX truck wreck lawyers might be able to help. These days, with modern technology, there are many ways to track long haul truckers’ hours and their progress along our roads. An inventive truck accident attorney can investigate your case and put his knowledge to work for you. His examination of your accident’s circumstances might turn up just the proof you need to show how driver fatigue helped caused your accident. And in driver fatigue cases, fault might well lie with the trucking company as well. Making your claim against a trucking company as well as a truck driver increases your chances of obtaining a just amount of financial compensation for your accident losses.