By the end of 2017, trucking companies will be required to electronically track their drivers’ hours so there will be no more fictional logbook entries. The days of falsified data regarding how many hours truckers drive each day and each week should theoretically be over. The federal law is intended to make significant improvements in regard to truckers driving without enough sleep and without enough break time. A truck accident lawyer is very familiar with the consequences of fatigued truckers operating huge vehicles at high speeds. This lawyer has represented clients dealing with the serious results that can occur.
A truck accident lawyer knows better than to place full blame on the semi driver who causes an accident. Many of these drivers, particularly those working for small companies, are under enormous pressure to make deliveries and pickups on time, even when circumstances beyond their control cause problems. In addition, small trucking companies are trying hard to compete with bigger corporations and may accept any loads they can get, even if they technically can’t hire enough drivers to handle the workload legally. That leaves their current drivers racing against the clock and driving more hours than they are legally allowed to. These factors increase the risk of an accident.
A lawyer such as Duane E. Thomas works to get a fair settlement for a person who was injured during an accident caused by a fatigued trucker driver. This settlement is nearly always made by the trucking company’s insurer. There may be delays if the company or the insurer try to figure out ways to avoid paying the compensation demanded. For example, the employer may state that the driver had been fudging the logbook and driving too many hours. The law firm may need to conduct its own investigation to verify pressure from the employer to do so. Some trucking companies have been known to threaten their drivers with termination if those drivers do not perform as expected, even if doing so is legally impossible. Someone dealing with this type of situation may visit the website Northfloridaautoaccidentlawyer.com to schedule a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer.
