How Do Truck Drivers Show They are Following FMCSA Rules?

Large commercial trucks pose a very serious threat to other drivers on the road. If a large commercial truck collides with a smaller passenger vehicle it is likely that those held within the smaller passenger vehicle will experience substantial injuries if not death. The risk for catastrophic injuries and death is just much higher for occupants of smaller cars when they are hit by larger commercial trucks due to the immense size and weight of these trucks.

One of the risk factors that is heavily linked to truck drivers is the propensity to drive while drowsy. Driving drowsy puts many of the limitations on drivers that inebriation on alcohol does. Drowsy drivers have a harder time paying attention and concentrating, they don’t react as fast to changing traffic patterns or hazards, they can fall asleep behind the wheel, and distractions are much more pronounced. There are several reasons why truck drivers are so prone to drowsy driving including:

• Companies prioritizing their money over the safety of their drivers and others on the road by urging truck drivers to drive with little rest so they can deliver more goods quicker.
• Truck drivers not wanting to take breaks so they can make more deliveries.
• The variability of delivery schedules doesn’t allow truck drivers to establish regular sleep patterns.

Because the government recognizes that these practices happen and how devastating the aftermath of these accidents can be, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has put forth guidelines that dictate how many hours commercial truck drivers are permitted to drive along with how many rests they need to take. These guidelines are expected to be followed by truck drivers and supported by trucking companies to protect other drivers on the road, those working on road construction crews, and pedestrians that are on or nearby the road.

What Do Truck Drivers Have to Do To Prove They are Following FMCSA Rules?

Florida large truck accidents have the potential to be life-changing for the victims involved. And when it comes to filing a Florida personal injury claim after being in a commercial truck accident, working with an experienced Florida personal injury lawyer is a must. These cases can be very complicated as there may be multiple parties who will need to be sued for you to get a fair settlement.

After a large truck accident, if it can be proven that the truck driver ignored the FMCSA rules and was driving drowsy, this will strengthen your Orlando personal injury claim and can potentially lead to more money in your settlement. Because truck drivers must log how many hours they are on the road driving every day as well as the details of their rest schedule, these logs can go a long way to helping you with your claim. Any truck driver that has shown they did not follow the FMCSA guidelines properly can be denied their ability to continue to work as a truck driver for a defined amount of time in addition to facing civil suits from injured victims.

Do You Need to Speak With a Florida Traffic Accident Injury Lawyer?

The Tampa personal injury lawyers at Fulgencio Law will fight so that you obtain as much compensation as possible from your Florida large truck accident experience. Call the Florida personal injury attorneys at Fulgencio Law today at (813) 463-0123 to schedule your free consultation.