A commercial truck driver travels hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles during an average work week, which means their average workday involves them spending several hours in a row performing a very physically and mentally demanding task. To reduce the risk of exhausted truckers causing catastrophic traffic accidents, federal regulators have put strict limitations on how many hours these drivers can work and when they need to take breaks during or between shifts.
Unfortunately, individual truck drivers sometimes fail to get appropriate rest during their time off work—and even worse, trucking companies sometimes force their drivers to stay on the road too long in an effort to save time and money on routes. Whatever the specific cause, fatigued truck drivers in York accidents can often be held liable for harm stemming from the wrecks they caused, and getting paid what you deserve after an incident like this will likely require help from one of our experienced truck crash lawyers.
Who’s Legally Liable for a Truck Driver’s Fatigue?
There are various reasons why a truck driver might get behind the wheel of their rig while dangerously fatigued, from overtly irresponsible behavior like abuse of alcohol or drugs to simply not getting a good night’s sleep by no fault of their own. However, when it comes to filing suit over a truck accident in York caused by a fatigued driver, what’s important isn’t why they were tired, but rather whether they caused the wreck to happen specifically because they were tired—or more specifically, because they committed a traffic offense or drove carelessly due to their fatigue.
Alternatively, a trucking company may hold some or even most of the legal liability for a fatigued driver being on the road if that driver was only tired because they were forced to violate federal driving time laws in order to keep their job. Even outside of this situation, trucking companies can often be held vicariously liable for negligence by one of their drivers. It’s usually wise to name multiple people as defendants in this sort of civil claim.
Building an Evidence-Based Claim After a Truck Wreck
It’s one thing to know personally that a fatigued truck driver is responsible for an accident in York that left you injured, and another thing to successfully hold that trucker and their employer legally liable for your crash-related injuries. You need extensive evidence from various sources in order to establish a trucker was, in fact, dangerously tired and that their fatigue directly caused you to suffer an otherwise avoidable injury, including things like:
- Eyewitness testimony
- Surveillance and dashboard camera footage
- Photos and videos of the crash scene and of all vehicle damage
- Data from a truck’s onboard data recorder or black box
- Copies of driving records indicating when and for how long a truck driver was on the road
You also need comprehensive medical records proving your injuries are as severe as you claim they are, which our skilled attorneys can help collect and make effective use of.
A York Attorney Can Help Sue Over a Fatigued Truck Driver Accident
If a truck driver was forced by their employer to drive while overly fatigued, you deserve compensation for the harm you suffered in a wreck caused by that fatigue. Unfortunately, getting paid what you need for losses stemming from this sort of incident can be much harder in practice than you might expect, especially if you try to do it alone.
Assistance from winning legal representation is almost always essential to taking effective legal action against fatigued truck drivers in York accidents. Call us today to learn more.
