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Available 24/7
(972) 854-7900
Any time a person gets behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, they have a duty to drive with the utmost care and alertness. Truck drivers who work for commercial carriers have an even greater responsibility to conduct themselves in way that keeps everyone else on the road safe.
Unfortunately, too often truckers do not get the rest they need or take their required breaks, leading to drowsy driving that results in wrecks with passenger vehicles, often causing devastating injuries. If you were hurt in a crash caused by an exhausted trucker, reach out to a Frisco truck driver fatigue accident lawyer as soon as possible. The experienced tractor-trailer collision attorneys at our firm could help you seek compensation for your losses.
Driving while overtired is similar to driving while intoxicated. When a person is too tired but gets behind the wheel anyway, they are unable to pay as close attention to their surroundings and generally have much slower reflexes to the changing traffic conditions around them. This presents a great danger for truck drivers, as they are tasked with operating large vehicles that can be difficult to maneuver while even of the soundest mind.
Driving a tractor-trailer while overtired creates a huge risk of the potential for an accident to occur. Because of this, anytime a truck driver is not well-rested, they are not supposed to get behind the wheel. If someone suffers injuries in crash caused by a sleep-deprived truck driver, a determined Frisco attorney could hold the trucker or the trucking company liable for all of the victim’s damages.
The leading cause of driver fatigue is truck drivers intentionally driving too long to make deliveries that are expected to be made by a certain time, or to make sure that they arrive at the time promised to their customers. Trucking companies often put this pressure on their drivers to meet customer delivery expectations that are unrealistic and unmanageable.
A truck driver may also push themselves over their hours in order to make more money. Many truckers get paid based on how many hours they drive, and do not get paid to take breaks or to sleep. This system creates a culture of drivers who are simply unsafe behind the wheel due to extreme exhaustion and lack of rest, putting everyone else on the road at risk.
Some of the most common accidents caused by truck driver exhaustion include:
These types of wrecks tend to be more severe than others due to the high-speed of the truck, the size of the vehicle, and often a drowsy truck driver’s failure to slow down, or in some cases, even brake at all.
The trucking industry has various rules and regulations that are meant to keep truckers and others on the roadways safe, including restrictions on how long a truck operator is allowed to drive at a time. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, property-carrying drivers may driver for up to 11 hours max within a 14-hour window after 10 hours of being off duty. Though, during such a period, truck drivers are required to take at least a 30-minute break before driving for eight consecutive hours. Truckers must also adhere to the 60/70-hour limit established by the FMCSA, which means they must stop driving after 60/70 hours on duty in a 7–8-day window.
If a truck driver failed to follow any of the federal rules listed above and caused a crash due to exhaustion, a skilled lawyer in Frisco could collect the evidence necessary to prove their negligence in court and seek full financial recovery for the injured party.
Collisions with heavy commercial vehicles are some of the most dangerous types of motor vehicle wrecks and often result in catastrophic injuries or even fatalities. That is why truckers have strict rules and regulations they are supposed to follow to minimize the risk of accidents. Sadly, whether due to pressure from their employers or due to their own carelessness, many truck drivers operate their vehicles while sleep deprived or fatigued.
If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a collision caused by a drowsy trucker, you have the right to hold them accountable for the full-extent of your losses. Call a Frisco truck driver fatigue accident lawyer now to learn how.
McCraw Law Group
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