Truck Wrecks in Dallas, Texas and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

Truck Wrecks in Dallas, Texas and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

Accident victims who have suffered serious injuries in a multi-vehicle traffic accident involving a semi-truck are highly advised to contact a Dallas personal injury lawyer experienced in handling commercial truck wreck cases as soon as possible following the collision. The property damage and bodily injuries caused by a 80,000 tractor trailer can be catastrophic and the medical bills alone can quickly run into tens of thousands of dollars. It is essential that you have an experienced attorney on your side to protect your legal right to adequate compensation. The longer you delay in hiring legal representation, the more chance there is that you might inadvertently make a mistake which could wreck your chance to recovering the full and fair compensation you deserve.

While 18 wheeler truck drivers are by definition professional drivers, they do make mistakes. Since the shipping industry as a whole is vastly understaffed, many commercial motor carriers are notorious for pressuring their truckers to push the limits and bend the rules to cover incredible distances in as little time as possible. As a result, there are a lot of truck drivers on Dallas-Fort Worth roads and throughout Texas who keep two separate log books. One will contain an accurate representation of the truth so that they and their employer can see where they actually were and when, while the second will be doctored to make it seem like they were following the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. In 2010, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) implemented a new rule which mandated that truckers and trucking companies which fraudulently recorded more than 10 percent of their activity must switch to digital log books, which makes it harder to fake records. Approximately 128,000 drivers throughout the US were required to make the switch in the first year alone.

The current hours of service requirements for big rig drivers restricts the total amount of time spent behind to 11 consecutive hours. Truck drivers are prohibited from driving at all once they have been on duty for a total of 14 hours. Time spent on duty does not necessarily refer to spent in the driver's seat, it also applies to time spent inspecting their vehicle prior to setting off and time spent loading or unloading their load, etc.
Additionally, the FMCSA rules require that truckers accrue at least 10 consecutive off duty hours prior to beginning each shift. Once a driver reaches a total of 60 hours worth of driving in a week, they are then required to accrue 34 consecutive off duty hours before they can return to work again.

It is important that you choose a Dallas trial lawyer who has experience in handling large truck crash cases as they will know the rules - and the tricks that trucking companies play to avoid getting caught out. One of the first things we will do when hired by a trucking accident victim is request a copy of the trucker's log in order to determine whether or not they were abiding by the hours of service rules.

The Dallas truck accident lawyers at Guajardo & Marks, LLP have a proven track record in handling 19 wheeler accidents throughout Texas. For a FREE consultation, please call them at 972.774.9800.