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| According to national guidelines, truck drivers are not allowed to drive for more than 11 hours straight |
Trucks are sophisticated machines that require regular maintenance to ensure that they are working properly. If maintenance does not occur, then a truck may experience engine problems or brake failure. In addition, trailer hitches must be regularly inspected to avoid Texas runaway trailer accidents, and brake lights and side reflectors must all be functioning properly to ensure that motorists who are driving within close proximity to a large truck at night can see the truck and avoid accidents. Failure to see a large truck at night could result in either a rear collision or an under-ride collision, in which a passenger vehicle becomes wedged underneath the truck and is dragged by the truck, sometimes for quite a distance before a tired truck driver can even notice.
Truck drivers themselves pose another danger to motorists. According to national guidelines, truck drivers are not allowed to drive for more than 11 hours straight and must take daily 10 hour breaks. Unfortunately, many truck drivers, in attempts to deliver their loads quicker and take on more delivery jobs, consequently increasing their own financial incentive, choose to drive longer than the allowed time frame, sometimes utilizing over-the-counter stimulants to keep themselves alert and awake. However, once the stimulants wear off, and even while under the influence of said stimulants, truck drivers are more of a hazard to the road than anything else. Factor in sleep deprivation and you have a recipe for disaster where driver negligence can lead to truck accidents of deadly proportion.
With truck accidents in San Antonio, negligence can be attributed to truck drivers, trucking companies, and/or the owner of the involved truck. If mechanical failure caused the accident, then the truck’s owner can be held liable for damages. If a driver loses control of his truck, possibly because that driver is under the influence of an illicit substance, then the driver should be held liable for damages. In fact, if dangerous road conditions, such as poorly paved roads or obscured street signs/traffic signals are the cause of the accident, then even the city/governing body of the location in which the accident occurred may be held liable for monetary damages.
In any event, it is important to have someone on your side that can sort through the details of your accident and determine the negligent party at fault. At Villarreal & Begum Law Group, our skilled San Antonio personal injury lawyers will help you seek monetary compensation to help cover medical bills, physical therapy costs, and possibly even lost wages in the event that injuries sustained have prevented you from being able to go about your daily routine in life. Please call us today for a free consultation, and a knowledgeable Texas truck accident attorney at Villarreal & Begum Law Group will examine every aspect of your case to ensure that your rights are upheld in a court of law, and negligent parties are rightfully held accountable for their actions.
Source: VB Law Group