Under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR), truck carrier companies are required to meet certain requirements to ensure the health and wellbeing of their drivers – and other drivers on the road. Unfortunately, as people around the country become more accustomed to online shopping and nearly instantaneous package delivery, trucking carrier companies have become more relentless in their demands on truck drivers.
Truck accidents are by far the most destructive form of motor vehicle accident, and in the aftermath of a truck collision, you could be dealing with catastrophic, life-altering injuries. If that’s the case, taking action against the carrier company may be your best bet for appropriate compensation, provided you can prove they violated trucking regulations. At Martin Jean & Jackson, we can help you seek the compensation you need by holding the carrier company accountable for negligence.
The Most Common Violations of Trucking Regulations
Of course, from the perspective of an automobile driver, it can be difficult to tell exactly what caused your truck accident, and it may even be traumatizing to constantly relive the accident that led to your injury. However, with the help of a qualified personal injury attorney, you may be able to investigate the case and determine whether trucking violations were behind your accident.
Some of the most common trucking regulation violations include:
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Drug screening is both an integral part of the hiring process and an ongoing part of the safety checks. If the company consistently failed to notice that a driver was committing a DUI or DWI, that could make them liable for any injuries you sustain after an accident.
- Improper hiring or licensing of drivers. All truck drivers are required to carry a current CDL, or Commercial Driver’s License. If the company has failed to properly check this requirement or ensure uniform driver training across the board, they can be held accountable for that oversight.
- Pushing drivers to meet unrealistic hours. Hours of service violations are some of the most common causes of serious truck accidents. By pushing drivers to meet extreme deadlines and avoiding the FMCSR mandate to only drive for 14 hours at a time, trucking companies can and should be held responsible for truck driver fatigue. When a company wants to hide hours of service violations, it’s usually a simple matter of requesting the logbooks and confirming if the logged hours actually match with known truck stops.
- Failing to properly maintain the vehicle. Trucking companies have a responsibility to ensure that their vehicles are completely safe to drive, and that means ongoing maintenance and post-ride checks. If there was a failed maintenance check or incorrect repair along the way, this could have directly caused an accident, and either the driver or the company could be held liable.
Do you suspect that any of the trucking regulation violations above may have compounded your injuries in an accident? Our Oklahoma truck accident lawyers at Martin Jean & Jackson can help you figure out what happened and fight for the full measure of justice you deserve. We’ve spent more than 100 years of collective experience assisting accident victims and building a strong track record of success. From investigating the case to arguing in court, our skilled team can provide the comprehensive legal service you need.
Contact us at today for a free consultation!
