Having even one or two alcoholic drinks can significantly impair your motor skills and reaction time, both of which are vital to safely operating a motor vehicle. What not everyone knows is that, in many cases, being extremely tired can impair you just as much as alcohol or drugs can, which means drowsy driving can be as dangerous as drunk driving—especially if the vehicle you’re operating is a massive tractor-trailer.
Fatigued truck drivers in Allentown accidents can often be held civilly liable for any and all negative effects a wreck has on anyone else involved, and so can their employers in many situations. If you want the best chance of getting the best possible result from a case like this, you need support from a truck accident lawyer with years of experience winning cases much like yours.
When Is a Truck Driver Fatigued in a Legal Sense?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets the following time limits on how long truck drivers can work under different circumstances:
- No more than 14 consecutive hours on duty, after an off-duty period of at least 10 hours
- No more than 11 hours actually spent behind the wheel during a maximum 14-hour shift
- No more than eight consecutive hours behind the wheel without at least one 30-minute break
- No more than 60 total hours on duty within a consecutive seven-day period, reset by an off-duty period of at least 34 hours
- No more than 70 total hours on duty within a consecutive eight-day period, reset by an off-duty period of at least 34 hours
Generally, you can presume a trucker is dangerously fatigued if they’re on the road in violation of any of those rules. Of course, truck drivers involved in Allentown accidents can also be overly tired because of their own negligent conduct—for example, because they stayed up late at a bar the night before a shift despite being given an appropriate amount of time off.
Proving a Truck Driver Violated FMCSA Regulations
Regardless of exactly why they’re tired, anyone who gets behind the wheel of a semi-truck while they’re fatigued to the point that they can’t drive safely is violating the duty of care they have to act lawfully and responsibly behind the wheel. If you can prove that such a breach of duty was the main cause of a traffic collision, the person who committed that breach is negligent in the eyes of the Pennsylvania civil court system—and, because of that, financially liable to pay for damages caused by that crash.
Unfortunately, a lot of truck drivers and trucking companies that violate FMCSA rules are aware that what they’re doing is illegal and try to hide what they’ve done by altering driver logbooks and destroying other evidence that could prove them at fault for a crash. Getting around obstruction like this is one of many things a skilled lawyer can provide vital help with when suing a fatigued truck driver over a wreck in Allentown.
An Allentown Attorney Can Help Hold Fatigued Truck Drivers Liable for Accidents
Being too tired behind the wheel makes you much more likely to end up causing a crash compared to a well-rested driver, no matter how careful and skillful you are normally. Unfortunately, it’s far from uncommon for long-haul truckers to drive drowsy like this and end up causing life-altering wrecks through their irresponsible actions.
If you want to take effective legal action against a fatigued truck driver in an Allentown accident, you’ve got help available from seasoned and respected attorneys. Call Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers today to learn more.
