Truck Driver Fatigue

Many estimates put truck driver fatigue at the top of the list for the most common causes of dangerous truck accidents, as hours on the road seem to make truckers drift to sleep behind the wheel. In fact, the recent truck accident case that injured popular comedian Tracy Morgan and took the life of another was linked to trucker exhaustion. As it should be entirely preventable to keep a truck driver from getting on the road while fatigued, accidents stemming from this type of neglect are completely inexcusable.

At Rourke & Blumenthal, our Columbus truck accident lawyers are driven to succeed on behalf of our clients. We know that you need support and legal guidance now more than ever before, and we do everything in our power to take you to a more comfortable place after having been harmed in a devastating truck accident.

Drowsiness Is as Dangerous as Drunkenness

Recent studies show that exhaustion can be just as debilitating to a driver as intoxication. While driving while tired is a dangerous habit for the average motorist, it is absolutely treacherous when a trucker controlling a multi-ton vehicle behaves in such a way.

Truckers driving while exhausted may fail to:

• Judge distances correctly
• React to stopped traffic
• Handle the steering wheel
• Check mirrors and blind spots

Any sort of mistake a commercial truck driver commits puts everyone around the massive trailer in danger. The unpredictability of the outcome is only magnified if the trucker is exhausted or, worse, sleeping.

Regulated Truck Driver Hours

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates how many hours of service a truck driver may be on the job for each week. It also determines how many hours a trucker needs to have off between shifts. To this end, the FMSCA does its part to prevent trucker exhaustion from causing truck accidents. If a collision is caused by a truck driver who is fatigued, it may be critical evidence to show that they or their parent company had ignored FMSCA regulations. This alone may be a cornerstone in your case for pursuing fair compensation.

Getting You on Your Feet Again

At our law firm, we put our clients’ priorities above our own. In doing so, we can help ensure that they are treated fairly and accordingly. Whatever you need to recover healthily from your accident, we can effectively pursue it.

Some of the things we want your compensation to cover include:

• Initial medical bills
• Vehicle repair or replacement
• Ongoing rehabilitation treatment
• Lost wages