Carrollton Driver Fatigue Accident Lawyer
Tired Truck Drivers are one of the common causes of tractor trailer accidents on the highways and interstates of Georgia and Alabama. The majority of truckers on our roads behave responsibly and drive well within the hours of service limits established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Yet, more than 30,000 people still die on our highways every year in America.
In a study, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found that driver fatigue is an important cause of commercial trucking accidents. There is current legislation and ongoing court battles attempting to establish new maximum hours on the road for truckers. There is no doubt that trucker fatigue (and passenger car driver fatigue) is something that needs to be addressed.
Remarkably, it has been determined that commercial driver fatigue is a factor in at least 40% of all trucking accidents. It is estimated that nearly half the commercial truck drivers on our roads have fallen asleep while operating their tractor trailer trucks. If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident with a tired truck driver, contact an Atlanta tired truck driver accident lawyer.
Causes of Truck Driver Fatigue
There is no doubt that being an over the road trucker is taxing on the body. Truckers are required to stay on the road for long periods because their pay and job security is based upon how fast a load can be delivered and picked up. Like the rest of us, they have mouths to feed and families to support. For some truck drivers, the thought of a large paycheck is enticing. Therefore, they may lie about their stop times in order to maximize their drive time on the road.
Even for truckers that follow the federally mandated hours of service regulations, rest periods can be less than restful. The fact that big rig drivers have erratic schedules and are under constant stress to deliver their goods on time makes any sleep they get less than ideal. This leads to drowsy driving.
Hire an Atlanta Tired Truck Driver Accident Attorney
It is often not discovered that truck driver fatigue contributed to a tractor trailer crash until after a personal injury attorney is hired. You have to realize that trucking companies have “feet on the ground” moments after the truck accident occurred. What are those “feet” doing? They are investigating that crash from the trucking company’s perspective. This is code for getting rid of the bad stuff. With the help of an experienced tired truck driver accident lawyer, you can preserve the truck involved in your accident in close to the same manner it was at the scene of the accident.
