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Truck Industry Federal Regulations and What This Means for Your Truck Accident Compensation

The trucking industry is one that is replete with regulations to enhance the safety of drivers and other road users. A truck accident has the potential to be catastrophic, and because of this, care must be taken to prevent it in the first place. Federal regulations play an important role in ensuring that safety is the priority in an industry that is vital to the US economy given the moving of thousands of tons of commercial goods across state lines.

Should an accident occur, these federal guidelines are referred to straight out of the gate to see if they were followed in order to establish liability. Federal violations with regard to truck driving safety can significantly bolster your ability to recover compensation, but it is important to have a comprehensive understanding of these violations in the first place, something a layman may not be able to do.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is at the forefront of establishing and enforcing these regulations, and may be called upon to expound on the same should an accident occur. If you were a victim of truck driver negligence, the best course of action to take would be to turn to an experienced truck accident attorney so you can get a run-down of your rights as well as the damages you can recover in a manner that is comprehensive and accurate, and we’re here to help facilitate this and so much more.

Are you looking for the best truck accident injury attorney? Please call us NOW at (314) 481-63338 to learn more about your legal options for justice and compensation. The experienced truck accident injury lawyers at McCready Law bring to the table over 90 YEARS of combined legal experience where we’ve helped tens of thousands of injured Americans from across the country and from all walks of life recover compensation after becoming the victims of negligence perpetrated by individuals or large corporation.

McCready Law best truck injury lawyers pride themselves in recovering the maximum allowable compensation for such monumental cases, and most of the time, litigation is the only way to achieve this. This process requires experience, vast resources and excellence as well as the ability to present a legal complaint to a judge and jury and convince them of your right to compensation given the facts at hand. However, the payout is often substantial, helping the client take care of their every need post-accident.

By contrast, most law firms simply engage the insurance company in settlement negotiations which often end in paltry payouts to the injured party. In addition to having nationwide reach thanks to our vast network of referral attorneys and law firms, we also run a bilingual firm – hablamos Español, and we take on all cases on contingency fee basis, and this simply means that there are ZERO UPFRONT FEES for the duration of the processing of your claim, as we only levy our fees at the end of the suit, and only if we’ve recovered compensation on your behalf.

If you were injured in the aftermath of a truck accident, please give us a call NOW at (314) 481-63338 to learn more about your legal options for justice and compensation – our intake team is standing by.

Federal Trucking Regulations and How they Impact Road Safety

Let’s take a look at various federal trucking regulations and how they may affect your ability to recover compensation as a truck accident victim:

Hours of Service Regulations (HOS)

FMCSA has put forth the number of hours any commercial driver can operate their vehicle without rest, in order to prevent fatigue as this often comes with cognitive decline and hinders one’s ability to act fast to avert a potential accident. HOS regulations dictate that drivers may not operate their vehicles for more than 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours of duty, and that they must not drive beyond the 14th hour after coming on duty. In addition, drivers are required to take a 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving.

Vehicle Maintenance Standards

Federal regulations require that trucking companies carry out maintenance checks on a regular basis to ensure that they are roadworthy. This can include things like having trucks go through maintenance and inspections every couple of months, and companies are required to keep detailed records of these activities so they can be referred to should an accident occur to determine if a lack of maintenance may have been the proximate cause of said accidents

Driver Qualifications and Training

The FMCSA is very strict when it comes to driver training and qualifications, as it is often the actions of the driver that cause an accident in the first place. To this end, the agency requires that drivers meet a minimum age requirement of at least 21 years old, and that they must have a valid Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). Lastly, background checks must be performed thoroughly, and must include drug and alcohol testing for the safety of all road users.

Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs)

FMCSA requires that all trucks be fitted with ELDs in order to enforce hours of service regulations. These devices automatically record driving time as well as can corroborate logbook information as they cannot be tampered with.

Best Truck Accident Injury Attorneys – Call Us Today!

All these regulations are meant to ensure road safety for all users, and should an accident occur, can be relied upon to provide concrete evidence of negligence or liability on the driver or trucking company part or any other third party engaged in the business. It is important that you gather evidence such as police reports right after your accident and then work with our experienced truck accident legal team so we can file for orders seeking access to driver logbooks, ELD data, employment and maintenance data so we can come up with a compelling case on your behalf to prove that negligence was indeed the proximate cause of your accident.

Please, give us a call NOW at (314) 481-63338 if you suffered severe injuries following a truck accident so we can advise you on the next steps to take, as well as what your truck accident lawsuit may be worth. Remember, the call is 100% FREE, and there is no legal obligation. Thanks for choosing us, and we look forward to helping you.