Factors That Are Often Deemed Responsible For Truck Accidents

We all have experienced that fearsome moment when a large truck goes barreling by on the road, sometimes in less than desirable weather conditions. That is one of the moments that can make even the most experience drivers tense jittery and sweaty. This fear is justified in more than one way considering the humongous size of trucks and trailers, and the power these vehicles have.

These vehicles are capable of causing perilous situations upon colliding with some other vehicle on the road. This is the reason why the department of transportation has set out rules to exercise control over trucking companies in a way that ensures the safety of others on the road. This government body regulates the commercial vehicles including trucks.

There are hours of service specifically mentioned in the law which states that a truck weighing more than 10,000 pounds can be driven during given hours only. Even during those hours, no driver can operate one such vehicle beyond 14 hours of consistent driving to theoretically ensure a well rested driver.

This duration must be followed by 10 hours of off-duty. The driving history of off-duty and on-duty hours must be maintained in the log books.

Ensuring compliance with these rules is essential because fatigue is often deemed a big reason behind truck accidents. If the driver is proven to be a factor behind the mishap, the trucking company may have to pay the victim compensation for their truck related injuries according to the law.

Not just the hours, many other protocols are also associated with lawsuits, such as whether the truck was undergoing regular maintenance, and what material it was carrying. All these factors are analyzed during the lawsuit by victim’s attorney.

These law cases are often complicated because most of the times, it is not just the negligence of either party that causes such unfortunate situations to occur, but ensuring that there was compliance with the DOT requirements comes into play. Proving the trucking company is liable may be a challenging affair.

That is when a truck accident law firm comes in. These firms work on the behalf of victims and their family and devise a strategy aimed at obtaining their clients compensation from the trucking company.

Lawyers obtain the necessary documents such as log books of the driving history to find out the faulty areas that could be used against the wrongdoers. They know how to approach the matter and attack the lawsuit from a variety of angles to ensure that every path for compensation is fully examined.