Accidents Occur When Truckers Break The Law

Professional truck drivers are supposedly the best drivers on the highways. They go through extensive training and certification before being issued a commercial classified driver’s license. Included in their training is knowing exactly what to expect when they violate the law. Yet, drivers still commonly break the law in a number of ways when they are hauling cargo in the biggest vehicles on the road. Sometimes their activity is not so serious, and sometimes it is when they are involved in accidents and people are injured. And in truck accidents, many are fatally injured, all due to truckers breaking the law. And the legalities are not always limited to excessive speed or intoxicated driving.

The rules regarding weight limits on commercial vehicles are laws and not merely guidelines. Overweight cargo is often a material case fact when trucks jackknife or overturn on the highway. Even when they do not strike a vehicle they can create an obstacle that cannot be missed by trailing drivers. Overweight cargo is also more difficult to bring to a reasonably safe stop in congested traffic. Sliding collisions with smaller vehicles commonly result in serious or fatal injuries and even gas tank explosions in worst-case scenarios. And this is not to mention the fact that overweight cargo has a major detrimental impact on the trailer hitch assembly over a long period of time.

Another law that often gets violated in various methods is the operational hour’s law. There is not only a restriction on the number of hours that can be driven during a shift but a rest requirement period both daily and monthly. Records can be altered in some cases in a manner that does not reflect the exact hours a particular driver is on the road. Employers are often encouraged to request violating the hours’ laws due to an acute driver shortage all across the United States as well as North Carolina. Overuse of drivers can also encourage them to take chemical aids keeping them awake for longer periods along with consuming too much caffeine through drinking coffee.

All truck owners are required to maintain their commercial vehicles in superior operating conditions. While many trucking companies have the financial assets to keep rolling stock in good repair, many single owners do not. This can lead them to procrastinate when it is time to fix anything that is wearing out. Bad equipment is a common cause of many truck accidents in North Carolina, and it is one of the first types of evidence that an experienced truck accident lawyer will investigate when representing an injured victim.

Inspecting commercial vehicles is also a responsibility of all truck drivers, and it is also one that can easily get skipped when a load is being hauled on a short delivery schedule. Failing to spot a compromised component of any rig can lead to an accident with little interaction with other vehicles, and when parts break down in traffic, accidents happen quickly. Trailing vehicles can be left with nowhere to go to avoid a collision and facing traffic can strike the truck or even debris left in the road from the mechanical failure. Inspections are important, and many times are overlooked.

Truck drivers are often found totally at fault in accidents where they have broken the law in any fashion. Contributory negligence law in North Carolina sets this stipulation, and truck driver attorneys often attempt to deflect liability to other drivers. Any time a commercial operator has broken the law in any manner, having the right truck accident lawyer can be the difference between whole compensation or no compensation at all for victims who were driving at the time. In addition, it is the law that all claimants have certified legal counsel when taking a claim to court. Always engage a seasoned truck accident attorney who knows how to craft a solid case for full compensation in North Carolina.