Truck drivers are often operating their vehicles while drowsy as their work shifts call for long hours on the open road. As we recently reported on our Truck Accident Lawyers Blog, the driver of a fuel tanker was killed in an accident with a tractor-trailer. Police are investigating the accident and questioning whether or not the driver was asleep at the wheel.
Our truck accident attorneys understand the risks that drowsy drivers pose to the safety of all motorists on our roadways. Drivers of passenger vehicles are more at risk in these types of accidents as they’re the ones who are more commonly seriously injured or killed in the event of an accident with a large truck.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports more than 3,000 motorists were killed, and 64,000 were injured, in accidents involving these large commercial trucks in 2008. Less than one-fourth of the injury or fatality victims were in the tractor-trailers at the time of the accident.
In an effort to reduce the risk of an accident with a drowsy truck driver, the National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB) requests that the American Trucking Associations advise companies to equip their commercial vehicles with automated and tamperproof on-board recording devices, which track driving hours and compliance with hours-of-service rules. The government is also moving to make such recorders mandatory for most over-the-road trucks.
According to an article in Automotive Discovery, a driver alertness warning and lane departure warning system is now available to truck drivers through the SafeTraK3. This device can help to warn truck drivers about the unintentional departure from their lane. It also has the ability to detect erratic driving in any one lane. Experts agree that fatigue and drowsiness are two of the biggest risk factors for commercial trucking accidents. Systems like the SafeTraK3 could be installed in all large trucks, and eventually in passenger cars, to help reduce the risks of a drowsy driving accident.
The AAA Foundation offers these safety tips to help drivers stay awake at the wheel to “Drive Alert…Arrive Alive”:
-Make sure you get enough sleep the night before. If you’ve got a trip planned that involves a significant amount of driving, be sure to prepare yourself for the trip by getting enough sleep in the days leading up to the trip.
-Avoid driving when you’re sleepy. If you feel the effects of drowsiness at the wheel, you should pull over, take a break or get a hotel room to catch up on your rest.
-Schedule a break. It is recommended that you drive no longer than 2 hours, or every 100 miles, before stopping and taking a break.
-Travel with a passenger. When you’re traveling with another passenger, be sure to take turns driving as the other passenger catches up on rest. This will cut your personal driving time in half.
Make sure you listen to your biological clock while operating a motor vehicle. Nighttime is a very risky time for drivers as sleep can be seemingly irresistible. This urge most commonly occurs between midnight and 6 a.m. This is the time when drivers are most likely to be involved in a sleep-related accident. The second most common time for the occurrence of a drowsy driving accident is during the “afternoon lull” or between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
If you are involved in a trucking accident, contact our accident lawyers for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights.
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A car accident is not just physical damage – It can also be a large financial and legal burden, especially if you do not have knowledgeable legal help in your time of need. Whether car accidents were your fault or not, it is a good idea to be in touch with someone who can help you through tough and often confusing times after a car accident. A car accident lawyer helps you lay down the legal playground after a car accident by informing your rights and responsibilities and providing information on car accident laws and accident claims. Some conditions around the car mishap require that an attorney be involved, just because of the complexity of dealing with this issue.
If you have been injured in your car in a car accident, especially if there is a permanent injury that has resulted in lost income or loss of time at work in school, an attorney can help by filing a claim against the party responsible for the injuries. More on this website
The lawyer’s help should also be sought after a car accident if:
Injuries have been caused due to a car accident, especially for a serious injury such as broken bones or any other injuries, hospitalization will be required.
Death as a result of a car accident.
The official police report does not accurately represent the car accident and its circumstances – especially if the report puts you in error.
Car accidents occur in a construction area.
Car accidents included obstacles or pedestrians.
Your liability insurance will not cover the loss completely.
You do not have any insurance.
Your insurance company brings it to a lawyer. If this happens, immediate legal assistance should be provided. This is an emergency.
The only reason to contact an attorney after a car accident is not to hurt. Whereas a car accident such as a fender bender does not result in much loss, perhaps a lawyer is not required. The help of an accident lawyer is necessary to navigate the dangerous waters of insurance claims for a more complicated accident with greater damage, police report, and liability. To help with your case, it is important that you do not wait to seek help from a car accident lawyer to file a claim. Waiting too long to start legal action can prevent you from receiving compensation. The time limits to file differ from the state to the state, and you can limit the amount of money you can recover, or eliminate it completely if you don’t file within the statute of limitations.
When you meet an attorney, be prepared. Take any necessary documents and insurance information. Also take the name of any witness, any photographic evidence taken in the scene, and a copy of the official police report. Take any information that can help you with your claim. Be sure to prepare your documents before meeting your lawyer. This can be a very difficult time for you and your family. It is important to know when to ask for help, and especially when seeking help from a trained professional, such as a lawyer for a car accident. Find help from a trusted source.
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The federal government requires trucking companies to purchase sizable insurance policies to protect against accidents that occur. You may hold the misguided belief that the trucking insurance compensation process is quick and relatively free of surprises so all you have to do is file a claim and wait for that inevitable, and generous, compensatory check.
This is an unlikely scenario. All insurance companies are in the business of taking in premiums and paying out as little as absolutely necessary in claims. Since insurance policies for 18-wheelers involve huge sums of money, much greater than your personal car insurance coverage, the insurance company’s only mission is to keep from paying you fairly and increase its high profits. So it comes as no surprise that insurance companies deny every claim possible, whenever possible and for as long as possible. They do this by habit. Without the right attorney on your side, collecting a fair settlement from an insurance company is anything but foolproof.
While the Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code grants the right for anyone who has been injured in an 18 wheeler accident, or the family of one who was killed to be compensated for the harm done, to seek compensation, the law doesn’t say reimbursement is automatically granted when a victim claims an injury or loss. This is the dirty little secret that insurance companies don’t want you to know until you find out the hard way by having to deal with an out-of-hand denial by an insurer. More on Truck accident Law here @ https://caraccidentattorneysa.com/truck-accident-lawyers-san-antonio/
You, as plaintiff, must first prove the liability of the party responsible for the accident and the injuries you suffered from that accident. Furthermore, in any liability case, the plaintiff holds the burden of proof. You must clearly show that the money you’re asking for fairly reflects the loss you’ve experienced from those damages and injuries. The insurance company and the lawyers who represent them do everything possible to deny a plaintiff’s claim or argue that the level of restitution you seek is excessive and unreasonable.
Insurance adjusters are often just as dangerous to an accident victim as the defense lawyers who represent their companies. Their goal is to help their employer, not you, plain and simple. They are interested solely in saving their companies money by denying your claim or underestimating the cost of the accident. An adjuster may act like your best friend and constantly assures you that all of your needs are met. Insurance adjusters are very clever. They know you probably have a good relationship with your car insurance agent. So they imitate your “good neighbor” auto agent and ease you into a false sense of security. Often they might innocently try and record you saying something that is later twisted into sounding like your admitting liability and destroy your chance to receive fair, or any, compensation. The trucking company’s insurance adjuster gets paid to deny or hinder your claim. Remember, insurance companies are in business for themselves, not you. Some unscrupulous adjusters even convince uninformed personal injury victims, often deceptively, to sign away the legal right to sue in exchange for a small settlement that never comes close to compensating the victim’s injuries or other losses from an 18 wheeler accident
Corporate insurance adjusters and defense lawyers love nothing more than to find a victim who tries to represent him or herself. They know how easy it is to lead a novice around by the nose. The behavior of insurance adjusters alone should be proof enough of why you need an aggressive 18 wheeler accident lawyer who knows how to combat the tactics of the insurance companies and win your fair settlement. Only the history of success of an experienced San Antonio 18-wheeler attorney with our firm will combat unscrupulous insurance adjusters and frighten their insurance company employers into a fair settlement or beat them in court if they don’t.
Insurance companies are even prepared to fight injury claims before the accidents even occur. They have experienced attorneys on staff or permanent retainers. They’re just waiting to take on personal injury claims. They specialize in cases like yours and know every trick to tilt the case in favor of their insurance company employers. Insurance defense lawyers race to the scene of an accident as soon as it happens and begins investigating to build a case against you while you are still deciding whether or not you even need to hire a lawyer. If you have been injured in an accident involving an 18-wheeler, you mustn’t hesitate in finding a Texas 18 wheeler accident law firm to help you. You only get one bite at the apple, and once it’s lost, there are no do-overs. Click on this link @ https://no1-lawyer.com/truck-accident-lawyers-in-el-paso/
With so much at stake, chances are you cannot trust the truck driver to tell the truth if he or she causes an expensive accident. If truck drivers are found to be liable for an accident, not only will they be fired, it could become very difficult for them to land a new job after costing his or her previous employer enormous damages due to his or her negligence. Sometimes trucking companies will make the driver the “fall guy” and fire him outright. Then they cover themselves of true responsibility or their negligence that caused the accident.
If this isn’t the driver’s first wreck behind the wheel of an 18 wheeler, it’s possible to lose either his state trucking driver’s license or his DOT certification, which means the (former) truck driver has to find a new line of work. With the high unemployment rates in the United States, the temptation for that driver to lie, cheat or behave dishonestly to save their job is too great since that driver now risks losing the paycheck that supports his or her family.
After suffering an injury in an 18 wheeler accident in which the driver of the truck claimed that our client was driving with his lights off at night, our investigators quickly examined the scene. They discovered a security camera outside a convenience store that was pointed directly its parking lot and the accident scene behind it. The video clearly showed our client’s headlights shining brightly. We proved that the truck driver boldly lied. Witnesses and defendants can lie and or callously misrepresent critical facts in trucking accident cases. The lawyers with our firm know how to uncover the lies, and counter them with the truth to stop witness misrepresentations. Over the past 20 years, we have conducted hundreds of 18-wheeler accident investigations to get to the bottom of the case and won for our clients’ fair and just compensation by shining the light on the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Find more information by clicking on this link @ https://www.carabinshaw.com/el-paso-18-wheeler-accidents.html
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