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People

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Regulations in place to prevent fatigue-related truck accidents

On Behalf of | Jan 20, 2018 | Truck Accidents

Most employed people in Louisiana are only allowed to work so many hours at a time or in a given week. This is certainly true for truck drivers. Regulations have been put in place to help prevent fatigue-related truck accidents. Unfortunately, some find that drivers involved in collisions have failed to comply with these regulations.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has set hours of service regulations. These specify for how long a driver can be behind a wheel at any given time; how long of a break he or she must take between driving shifts; and how many days in a row he or she can be out on the road. The regulations vary, depending on the type of truck one is operating and what kind of cargo one is hauling.

Carriers are responsible for ensuring their drivers abide by these regulations. They are required to keep log books of a driver’s time on the road. After an accident, these logs are some of the first things looked at in order to determine if a driver had been on the road longer than he or she was supposed to be.

When truck accidents occur, victims often suffer catastrophic — if not fatal — injuries. For the victims and/or their family members, the results can be devastating in more ways than one. Those who have been injured or lost a loved in an accident caused by a fatigued truck driver may have the ability to pursue damages through legal means. An experienced attorney can review one’s case and — if deemed appropriate — file and litigate any applicable claims in a Louisiana civil court in an effort to seek fair and full compensation.

Source: fmcsa.dot.gov, “Hours of Service“, Accessed on Jan. 19, 2018