Car accidents are bad enough. Accidents involving big rigs can be a hundred times worse, in terms of the number of other vehicles involved, the frequency of deaths and the severity of injuries.
Causes of Truck Accidents
This includes all causes of typical accidents, as drivers Rausch, the brakes failed and reckless driving, as well as others, such as:
· Overloaded Truck
· Maxi-lorries
· Driver Fatigue
· DriversInexperience
If a big rig driver is engaged in similar illegal behavior as some motorists, the consequences can be far worse. Picture the scene as a big rig driver collided with a car, because:
· Acceleration
· The failure to yield right of way
· Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Driver Regulation
In the early 1980s, the growing number of 18-wheel, led to the formation of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The laws were thenadopted to improve big-rig driver responsibility. These drivers were required to meet minimum national standards, before a Commercial Driver's License (CDL could get).
Each state was required to use a uniform testing standards for licensing commercial drivers. And special details are required for some vehicles:
· Double or triple tractor trailer
· Semi trucks loaded with hazardous materials
· Tankers
· Combinations of tank andHazardous Substances
Trucking Industry Regulations
Interstate traffic is regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR). In addition, each state has its own set of regulations and laws.
The FMCSR apply to questions such as:
Be Safe · --
· Use of alcohol and drugs
· Driver Qualifications
· Emergency equipment
• The truck driver's logbook
Truck driver logs and inspections
All vehicles --Drivers must obtain a log, recording their driving times and rest periods, among others.
Systematically checked before every journey, the driver of his truck and this is regulated by FMCSR 392.7. The driver must:
· Review previous inspection reports
· Double-check that everything is marked for repair has been repaired, in fact,
· Check the general condition of his truck in search of flat tires, suspension problems etc.
Check ·under the truck for any signs of oil, coolant or fuel leaks
· Examine the area around the truck for what the danger that their movement, such as could, for example, objects on the ground or represent low-hanging wires
Driver fatigue
Also in accordance with the FMCSR, in an attempt to reduce accidents caused by sleepy drivers or slow to react, is permitted driving hours. For example, truck drivers:
· May-drive for 11 hours when they have just 10consecutive hours off
· May not drive after it on the street for 60 hours in a 7-day period
· Should take at least 34 consecutive hours, before they can start another cycle
But because the pressure on profit margins are, the drivers sometimes rely more hours by car, as these rules allow.
Loading the truck --
Unbalanced stress or obesity, or loads, while the shift of the truck's in motion another cause of accidentsbecause it can cause the driver to lose control.
The driver is responsible for its cargo. Unless sealed, his appearance must have been, it must:
· Know what it is
· Know what it weighs
· Make sure it is loaded correctly
· Check it out before it begins its journey
An overloaded big rig takes longer to stop up. It also gathers more speed on downhill sections, classes, more use of the brakes, which may overheat. A one-sided burden puts too much emphasis on some of the tiresand axes that can break.
Get legal help
If you have been injured in a semi-truck accident, it would be wise to consult an experienced attorney truck accident, because the relevant law is complex.
Time is the essence
Relevant evidence may in time, like for example log of the truck driver who disappeared legally be destroyed after 6 months if no agent receives a subpoena or court order soon after theTruck Accident.
These log books can you provide evidence:
· Maintenance and repairs
· The driver's schedule
· Failure of the driver that led to the accident
Even memories fade, people move away, become ill, even die. All this makes contact with witnesses, gathering evidence and difficult
Insurance reservations
Because road accidents can be very expensive for trucking companies, they tend to wear a lotInsurance. And accidents are expensive for the insurance. Thus, both the carrier and their insurance will solve things as quickly as possible, including directly to the accident site.
Never sign a document presented to you by an insurance representative, without first consulting a lawyer. You could sign away your right to reasonable compensation.
They invest their money note that insurance. Thatmeans that the less they can pay as compensation for their clients, and the longer they any such payments delay, the more income they can while invested their money. The interests of an insurance company selling directly to how an accident victim.