Everyone knows that getting behind the wheel of an automobile while impaired by drugs or alcohol is both very dangerous and very illegal. However, not everyone knows that driving while extremely tired can be just as dangerous as driving while drunk or high since extreme fatigue can affect your reaction time, judgement, and general awareness in the same ways alcohol and drugs can.
Taking legal action over fatigued truck drivers in Blue Bell accidents can often work differently from suing over other types of truck wrecks. If you want to get a good result from this unique kind of civil claim, hiring and working closely with a respected truck wreck lawyer is a crucial step to take as early as possible in the legal process.
When Does Being Tired Count as Negligence?
In addition to obeying traffic laws and avoiding distractions behind the wheel, drivers in Pennsylvania also have a duty of care requiring them to be in reasonably good physical condition to the extent that they can operate a motor vehicle safely and skillfully. Someone who drives while extremely tired is breaching their duty. If such a breach directly leads to an otherwise preventable collision, it qualifies as legally actionable negligence, even if no specific traffic laws were broken.
Trucking companies have a duty of care as well to ensure their trucks are only driven by qualified drivers and comply with federal laws governing commercial truck operation. Federal law sets strict limits on how many hours truck drivers can work each week specifically to prevent fatigued truck drivers from causing accidents in Blue Bell. If a trucking company forces a driver to violate those laws, that company may also be legally liable for a crash the tired driver causes.
Getting Paid Fairly and Quickly
Through a successful lawsuit or settlement proposal, you can get compensation after a truck accident caused by a fatigued driver in Blue Bell for both economic and non-economic forms of harm that you can trace directly back to that incident. This can include but isn’t strictly limited to things like:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma
- Loss of life’s pleasures
- Medical bills, including expected costs of future or long-term care
- Lost income from work and ability to work and earn a living in the future
- Costs related to personal property damage, including things like car repairs or replacement and short-term rental car fees
You need to finish constructing your case and formally file suit within two years of when the wreck first happened, or else the statute of limitations for personal injury claims may prevent you from ever suing over that incident.
Contact a Blue Bell Attorney for Help with a Fatigued Truck Driver Accident Claim
Overtired truck drivers aren’t always solely to blame for their physical condition, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t responsible for the wrecks they cause through their extreme fatigue. If you’ve been hurt by a fatigued truck driver in a Blue Bell accident, you know how devastating this sort of incident can be.
Representation from a winning truck accident lawyer will go a long way toward boosting your chances of case success and getting you the compensation you need. Learn more by calling Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers today.
