Truck Accidents, Truck Driving Laws and Safety on the Road

KANSAS CITY, MO, March 15, 2013

It is estimated that every 16 minutes a truck accident occurs in the United States. Did you know that according to the U.S. Department of Transportation approximately 7% of vehicles on the road are trucks, while approximately 13% of automobile accident fatalities involve trucks? In other words, based solely on the number of vehicles on the road, a truck accident is nearly twice as likely to occur as a car accident. Because of the tremendous size and weight of a truck as compared to that of a car, the injuries to the car driver can often be catastrophic and include paralysis, loss of limb, brain injury, and death. In recent years, about 78% of people killed in truck accidents were the car driver, and the car driver sustained approximately 76% of injuries resulting from truck accidents.

Because of the high speeds, massive size and weight, and grave potential danger involved in truck accidents, multiple federal laws have been set in place by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrations and the U.S. Department of Transportation that transcend state lines to help protect both the truck driver and non-commercial vehicle driver. Although these laws are nation-wide, most states create additional laws in order to protect their citizens.

Some of these regulations as stated by the U.S. Department of Transportation include:

- All trucks that drive beyond their state line are required to hold a minimum of $750,000 in insurance. This amount increases with the transport of hazardous material.
- Effective July 1st, 2013, truck drivers are required to take a minimum of a 30 minute break in which they are considered 'off duty' after every eight hours of truck driving.
- If a truck driver drives more than three hours past this eight-hour limit, this is considered an egregious violation and can be punished with maximum civil penalties
- After driving for seven days, a truck driver must spend a minimum of 34 hours off duty
- All drivers of commercial 18-wheeler trucks (also known as semi-trucks or tractor trailers) are required to log their hours worked, route driven, and location of pick-ups and drop-offs of cargo.

These regulations apply to any driver of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) weighing over 10,000 pounds that is capable of transporting over 15 passengers for compensation. A violation of any of these regulations or suspicious log entries can greatly enhance the value of your personal injury or car accident claim as it becomes clear that a standard was violated.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a truck accident or motor vehicle accident of any kind, it is advisable to contact an experienced truck accident attorney to discuss your legal options.

The experienced injury attorneys at Adler & Manson primarily serve people injured in Missouri and Kansas. In addition to regularly handling cases involving car and truck accidents, we also handle injury cases resulting from bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, workplace and unsafe property injuries, wrongful death, recalled drugs and medical products, serious and catastrophic injuries and dangerous and defective products cases.

Website: www.adlerandmanson.com