It is common knowledge that truck drivers often work incredibly long hours on the road. Unfortunately, the costly and catastrophic damages that can result in a single truck accident are also well known due to the prevalence of fatigued truck driver collisions that occur every year in Texas.
In an effort to reduce the risk of fatigued driving accidents, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has attempted to restrict the number of hours that truckers spend behind the wheel.
Drivers are only allowed to drive for 11 hours after having spent 10 consecutive hours off duty to rest. Enforcing the rules, however, is another matter when money is involved.
Enforcing Hours-of Service Rules
Both truck drivers and trucking companies are legally obligated to prevent the severe and often fatal consequences of fatigued driving, but many truckers are paid according to how many miles they have traveled and how quickly they can meet a tight deadline. Sometimes truckers will keep false records of the number of hours they have worked in order to drive as long as possible and earn a decent paycheck.
Trucking companies have even been found to encourage drivers to violate the hours-of-service (HOS) rules by overlooking fraudulent records or by offering bonuses in order to motivate drivers to complete a shipment ahead of schedule.
In the event of a truck accident caused by violation of safety regulations or carelessness, we believe that it is very important to hold the trucking company and/or the truck driver accountable.
Contact us
Texas tractor trailer accident attorney Laura Brown has represented numerous families that have lost a loved one as the result of the negligence of a trucking company or truck driver. We have the resources to investigate the wreck and to determine who is responsible. When we represent families who have suffered losses in these wrecks, we fight to hold the responsible parties accountable for the damage caused and to prevent injury to someone else in the future.