Fatigued Truck Drivers in Oklahoma City Accidents
Driver fatigue contributes to many Oklahoma City truck accidents due to long hours, tight schedules, and regulatory violations. We examine logbooks, company practices, and federal compliance records when investigating these preventable crashes.
Truck drivers often work many hours under difficult conditions, so it is common for them to become fatigued. When this happens, they have a duty to get off the road.
Unfortunately, truckers sometimes succumb to the pressure to make a delivery on time and keep driving even when they should rest. The Law Firm for Truck Safety represents people injured by fatigued truck drivers in Oklahoma City truck accidents. An attorney can help you protect your rights and guide you through pursuing the compensation you deserve.
Regulations for Driver Work Hours
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)The U.S. federal agency that regulates the trucking industry. has set hours of service rules for truck drivers. These rules determine how many hours a day a trucker can be on duty, how many of those hours they can spend driving and the total number of hours they can drive in any seven or eight-day period.
Drivers must use electronic logging devices (ELD) to keep track of their hours and driving time. These devices keep a digital record of the truck’s engine activity and movement, preventing a trucker from falsifying their driving hours.
After an Oklahoma City truck accident, our legal team secures the truck driver's ELD data to evaluate compliance with federal rest requirements. Fatigue can impair drivers even when they follow regulations, particularly when dealing with illness, unusual stress, or adverse conditions. We conduct comprehensive investigations of all available evidence to determine if driver fatigue was a factor and whether the driver should have recognized their impaired condition.
Responsibility for Fatigued Driver Accidents
Truck drivers have a legal duty to use the utmost care when operating their vehicles. This means that they should not be driving when they are not feeling alert and well. Drivers must adhere to the hours of work regulations and stop driving if they get drowsy. Failing to do so makes them potentially liable if they injure someone in a crash.
The transportation company that hired or contracted the driver could also be responsible. If the driver is an employee, the transportation company could be held liable for its actions. If the driver is an independent contractor, the transportation company could be liable if it imposed a delivery schedule that was impossible for the driver to meet without violating hours of work rules or postponing necessary rest.
Whenever a truck driver or transportation company prioritizes profits over safety, innocent people get hurt. When a fatigued driver has caused your injuries, our Oklahoma City legal team will relentlessly hold these negligent parties accountable and secure the maximum compensation you deserve.
Bringing a Legal Claim for Compensation
Truck crashes often cause severe injuries to the occupants of the other vehicles involved. When you suffer injuries because of another party’s negligence, you are entitled to pursue a legal claim for compensation. A truck driver is negligent if they choose to drive while drowsy or violate the hours of work rules.
You are entitled to compensation for any expenses related to the injury, including those you will have to pay in the future. The negligent parties also owe you restitution for the impact the accident has on your quality of life.
Trucking companies will use various tactics to avoid paying you what your claim is worth. Our Oklahoma City attorneys can help ensure that the parties responsible for your accident take your claim seriously and negotiate accordingly. Oklahoma Statute § 12-95(A)(3) allows you two years from the accident to file a lawsuit, but the wisest decision is to contact a legal professional immediately.
Talk to an Oklahoma City Attorney about a Fatigued Truck Driver Accident
Fatigued truck drivers in Oklahoma City can cause severe injury to innocent people. It is important to hold these drivers accountable for their negligent conduct.
At the Law Firm for Truck Safety, we've built our reputation on taking down negligent trucking companies and securing life-changing settlements for our clients. We understand the tactics these corporations use to avoid responsibility, and we have a proven strategy to overcome them. Your fight for justice starts here - call today.
