Truck Accidents Caused by Driver Error or Fatigue
Operating an 18-wheeler requires a special license and specific training, in part because a 40-ton tractor trailer will destroy any other vehicle in a collision. Large trucks are tightly regulated by the federal government and laws in each state because of those very dangers to the motoring public.
The Salt Lake City truck accident attorneys of Eisenberg, Cutt, Kendell & Olson Attorneys at Law are intimately familiar with these laws. In the aftermath of a truck accident, we always look at the driver’s actions and fitness for duty in solving the puzzle of who or what caused the crash. Too often, those suspicions of wrong-doing are proven right. Truck driver fatigue and truck driver errors are among the leading factors in these devastating wrecks.
Based in Salt Lake City, we handle personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits throughout Utah. If your loved one was seriously injured, permanent disabled, or killed in a trucking accident, call (801) 901-3470 or e-mail us to arrange a free consultation and the prompt, professional investigation demanded in these complex cases. Our goal is to always obtain maximum compensation for our clients to ensure the highest quality of life.
Falling Asleep at the Wheel
When truck drivers fall asleep at the wheel or become inattentive from drowsiness, the results can be catastrophic. To combat the industry-wide problem of fatigue-related accidents, the federal government limits tractor trailer drivers to 11 hours behind the wheel in a 14-hour shift and further requires drivers to rest for 10 hours between long hauls.
But over-the-road truckers are paid by the mile or make money by making more deliveries. They have a financial incentive — and often overt pressure or a wink from employers — to exceed the allowable hours of driving. Our attorneys are skilled at assembling evidence that hours of service regulations were ignored. We obtain driver logbooks submitted to regulators and compare them against the truck’s onboard black box recorder, truck stop receipts, and other data to prove the trucker exceeded hours and/or that the employer falsified the books.
Truck Driver Error or Distraction
Most truckers are conscientious drivers because they take public safety seriously and their livelihood depends upon a clean record. But truckers who are hurrying to meet deadlines, lack experience, or simply get distracted are a serious menace. With the help of accident reconstructionists, human factors engineers, and other experts, the Eisenberg, Cutt, Kendell & Olson Attorneys at Law team is skilled at tracing driver error as the root of truck crashes.
We have held truck companies accountable for the resulting mayhem when their drivers were:
- Speeding
- Driving too fast for conditions
- Crossing lanes to make an exit
- Turning or passing illegally
- Talking or texting on cell phones
- Intoxicated, or otherwise negligent
Contact Eisenberg, Cutt, Kendell & Olson Attorneys at Law promptly to discuss your rights and remedies for a preventable trucking accident. Schedule a free consultation with one of our knowledgeable truck accident attorneys in Salt Lake City today.