Blog Topic

Truck Driver fatigue
March 04, 2010

While we are on the subjects of truck drivers, I'd like to touch on one of the hottest topics regarding trucking accidents right now: truck driver fatigue. Truckers are often pushed to drive beyond physical as well as legal limits. They are forced by employers or those who hired them to push forward instead of letting them stop for much needed rest. Big-rig or eighteen wheeler drivers, in order to get paid, will often ignore hours-in-service regulations. In doing so, they risk catastrophic injury to themselves and others on the roadway.

In an effort to combat dangerous sleep deprivation, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) strictly regulates the amount of time truck drivers spend their workday driving, or "on-duty." Drivers are limited to 60 hours of compensated work in a seven-day period, or 70 hours in an eight-day period.

Under the current rules, truck drivers can be driving on the road for 11 hours each shift, up to 70 hours per week. Even then, that's a lot of hours to be behind the wheel of a truck.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a truck driver for any reason at all, but especially if you think he was fatigued or impaired due to alcohol or drugs, please give us a call at 1-800-738-4046 and tell us about it. We'll be glad to set up a free initial consultation.

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Trucker texting
February 16, 2010

Trucker texting

Recently, the federal government formally banned truckers and bus drivers from sending text messages from behind the wheel. I'm sure everybody knows that texting and driving don't mix, but when you add a big rig or large bus into the combination, what was just a bad scenario becomes imminently more dangerous. According to US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, this is just one step the government is taking to eliminate the threat of distracted driving. These changes coincide with a new study, conducted by Virginia Tech's Transportation Institute, that found when truckers text they are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash or a close call.

Now let's think about that for a minute: 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash or a close call? If you spend any amount of time on the highway, I'm sure you've been in close proximity to an 18 wheeler. We need drivers paying close attention to their driving, not to their cell and smart phones.

While this ban is a step in the right direction, it can't go back in time and prevent accidents that have already been caused by trucker driver recklessness, which would include texting. If you or a loved one has been injured by the negligence of truck drivers, especially on the highways and roads in the Dallas and North Texas areas (I-30, I-20 and I-35), please give us a call at 1-800-738-4046. If we decide an initial consultation is necessary it will be totally free of charge and I, personally, will come to you to talk about your legal options.

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