Every year, hundreds of commercial truck accidents occur in the United States, with some of these incidents resulting in significant mortality. Therefore, the government has put tight regulations on trucking companies and the drivers who work for them. When it comes to litigation and establishing penalty costs in commercial vehicle accidents, these standards are still highly important.

Laws with related to truck accidents

Government rules governing the trucking sector provide as a foundation for legal action and the penalties that may arise. The lawsuit will decide if the driver or his company is to blame for the accident, as well as the precise cause of the mishap. A skilled truck accident lawyer will be able to evaluate the driver’s or his employer’s carelessness since the lawyer will have access to the driver’s and his employer’s information and records.

Commercial truck drivers are obliged by federal requirements to maintain daily records of their actions. The records include details such as the number of driving hours, rest times, and total kilometers travelled. The identities of the driver and his employer are also revealed. Commercial truck drivers are expected to work for a certain number of hours before taking a break. In the event of an accident, the logbook will aid a lawyer in evaluating if a motorist has surpassed the number of hours spent driving without stopping to rest. Whether the driver is determined to be at fault for the accident, his employer will be reviewed to see if he is appropriately monitoring the driver’s actions.

Understanding who is at fault during a truck accident

Furthermore, most commercial vehicles have black boxes installed to record occurrences on the road and offer adequate data for events that occur before, during, and after an accident. Truck accident lawyers utilize the black box to authenticate other information acquired, such as witness accounts, driver’s logs, pictures, and police reports. If the driver or the trucking business destroys or hides the black box after an accident, the company and its counsel may face sanctions.

Safety ratings impact a trucking company’s ability to take on new business and move specific kinds of freight. The ratings are public information that may be seen both online and in print. Companies with a history of incidents that result in “at fault” court judgements face fines in the form of reduced safety ratings. Depending on the facts of a case, companies might be penalized or have their commercial activities halted.

Get the help of an expert attorney

Because of the size of the vehicle, a collision with a massive tractor-trailer or similar kind of commercial vehicle has disastrous consequences. The attorney must bring complicated claims that are not comparable to vehicle accident instances. This is since they must deal with a variety of safety rules as well as truck-specific safety regulations.

If you or a member of your family is in this scenario, do not hesitate to contact the Injury Advocates Group for a consultation. Many accident lawyers are knowledgeable and experienced in managing these types of claims. A free consultation is available, but it is critical to employ one as soon as possible after an accident happens so that evidence may be collected before it is lost. Truck accident attorneys often use accident re-constructionists, who will attempt to record and preserve evidence. Scuff and yaw markings, which fade after a few hours, are the most common evidence. Once the collision has occurred and the police barricades have been removed, all evidence will be wiped off by other trucks and automobiles passing via the same road.