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An 80,000-pound truck does more than just move cargo: It can also be a deadly weapon. This is why the commercial trucking industry is so highly regulated. Violation of a law or regulation can be used to establish negligence on the part of a trucking company or truck driver after an accident.
If you have been injured or someone you love has been injured or killed in a car-truck accident, contact the Missouri tractor-trailer collision lawyers and Illinois truck accident lawyers at Zevan & Davidson by calling 314-588-7200 or filling out our online contact form.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which oversees the operation of commercial vehicles in the United States, is responsible for reducing the incidence of trucking deaths and injuries. The agency enforces safety-related laws and regulations meant to prevent fatalities on the nation's highways, covering such matters as the number of hours a truck driver may be on the road, maintenance schedules and drug and alcohol testing.
Hours–of–service rules: These rules, applying to trucks weighing 10,001 pounds or more, limit the number of hours a commercial driver may be behind the wheel. Every driver is required to keep a daily log of the time he or she has worked:
- After 10 consecutive hours off duty, a truck driver may not drive for more than 11 hours.
- A driver may not operate a truck beyond the 14th hour after coming on duty after 10 consecutive hours off duty.
- A truck driver may not be required or allowed to drive for more than 60 total hours in seven consecutive days.
- A truck driver may be required or allowed to drive for more than 70 total hours in eight consecutive days.
Maintenance schedules: Tractor-trailers must be regularly and systematically inspected, repaired and maintained to ensure safety and compliance with federal rules, and records of this maintenance must be kept. Every truck drivers is also required to prepare a daily report that covers:
- Brakes
- Parking brake
- Steering mechanism
- Lighting devices and reflectors
- Tires
- Horn
- Windshield wipers
- Rear-view mirrors
- Coupling devices
- Wheels and rims
- Emergency equipment
Drug and alcohol testing: Use of alcohol or drugs has been found to play a major role in fatal car-truck accidents. For this reason, drivers may not operate a vehicle while using alcohol — specifically, with a blood-alcohol content of 0.04 percent or more or within four hours of having used alcohol.
Federal regulations require truck drivers to submit to alcohol testing:
- After an accident in which the truck driver's performance could have contributed to the accident and in any fatal accident
- When a trained supervisor or company official has a reasonable suspicion of alcohol misuse
- Randomly before, during or after the performance of safety-sensitive duties
- When returning to duty after rules for alcohol use have been violated
The time allowed by law in which you may file a truck accident lawsuit is limited. If you wait to contact an attorney, you may end up being barred by the statute of limitations from proceeding.
Zevan & Davidson is a trial law firm with a track record of successful results in high-stakes catastrophic personal injury cases in Missouri and Illinois. Our lawyers have recovered millions of dollars for our clients in a wide range of legal matters, including medical malpractice, tractor-trailer collisions, farming accidents and other wrongful death cases.
Get immediate help. Contact the St. Louis truck accident lawyers at Zevan & Davidson today to schedule a free consultation by calling 314-588-7200 or filling out our online contact form.
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1 North Taylor Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63108 |
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