Truck Driver Fatigue

Truck drivers often don’t get the proper rest before driving and can cause wrecks due to fatigue. At The Greene Law Firm, we won’t rest until the truck driver and truck company are held accountable for their negligence. Because many times truck drivers are fatigued, they are not alert and focused when driving a heavy and dangerous truck. Furthermore, the majority of truck drivers are paid by the mile driven. This creates a scenario in which the truck driver benefits from driving the absolute maximum amount and resting the least amount of time possible. Many times collisions occur because the truck driver either chose to or was forced to drive longer than the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations allow.

Truck Driver Negligence

In the majority of truck accidents, the truck driver could have and should have done something differently. At The Greene Law Firm, we can help explain what went wrong and what should have happened. Many collisions occur because the truck driver is speeding, careless, distracted or violating traffic laws. Another frequent issue involved in driver negligence is the issue of impaired driving. Clearly, a driver of a commercial motor vehicle is impaired if he is driving under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol. However, often, the driver of a commercial motor vehicle can be impaired as a result of taking prescription drugs or narcotics.

Federal Truck Regulation Violations

Truck drivers and companies frequently violate federal laws when operating commercial motor vehicles. Our lawyers at The Greene Law Firm know the laws of the trucking industry and can help you prove that the truck driver and/or truck company violated the law. Federal law requires that truck drivers and companies follow strict rules meant to protect both truck drivers and other drivers on the road. Unfortunately, these regulations are not always followed. If you or a loved one has been involved in a commercial trucking accident, it is important to retain an attorney with knowledge of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. Our attorneys can assist you in understanding whether violations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, such as driving-hour limitations and logbook violations, contributed to or caused the crash. Regulations also provide guidelines for proper maintenance of the semi truck. Additionally, poor maintenance, such as poor or faulty brakes, broken windshield wipers and shifting loads can lead to devastating accidents on local roads such as Interstate 24, I-64, I-264, I-65, I-265, I-71, I-75, Blue Grass Parkway, Bert T. Combs, Mountain Parkway, Hal Rogers Parkway, and Pennyrile Parkway.

Negligent Hiring, Negligent Retention And Negligent Supervision

Trucking companies can prevent accidents before their drivers ever set foot on the road. Many times the collision is the result of poor decisions made by the trucking company in hiring, training, retaining or supervising a truck driver. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations mandate areas in which the trucking company must comply in hiring, training, and supervising truck drivers. Ultimately, many times in collisions, the driver was not properly hired, trained, or supervised and the collision is a result of the trucking company’s negligence in these areas.

Poor Truck Maintenance

Poor truck maintenance can led to a dangerous vehicle being operated at high rates of speed. Before every commercial truck is driven the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations require that the truck driver complete a pre-trip inspection of the vehicle. Many times the truck driver does not conduct a thorough pre-trip inspection, but instead does a quick glance around the truck, or sometimes even nothing at all, prior to cranking up the truck to drive. When truck drivers and truck companies allow inadequate pre-trip inspections, they allow truck drivers to put all Kentucky residents at danger. Many times mechanical and maintenance failures result in truck accidents that cause catastrophic injuries or death. Examples of common maintenance issues include the following: truck had worn brakes, out of adjustment brakes, bad tires, improperly inflated tires, broken running lights, or freight not properly secured. When you call us after an accident, we promptly begin a thorough investigation into the maintenance of the truck. We will quickly gather the important information, including, the police report, logbooks, maintenance reports and other documents and data to determine whether the truck was correctly maintained.

Investigation Of Truck Accident Causes

There are many issues involved in a commercial trucking collision, and our lawyers at The Greene Law Firm understand these issues and approach them with a logical and straightforward approach. Furthermore, given their past experiences representing victims of truck accidents, they have established the necessary resources to retain experts to reconstruct the collision, work with experts on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, and obtain the relevant data and documents to demonstrate that the truck driver and trucking company were at fault for the collision. In every case, there are relevant documents that need to be preserved and obtained in a timely fashion in order to ensure that these documents are not destroyed by the truck driver and/or trucking company. Some of these documents include logbooks, payroll records, fuel records, fuel receipts, bills of sale, and various other documents. If you or a loved one has been involved in a trucking collision, please reach out to Michael Greene or Wilson Greene at 502-430-0467 so that we can go to work immediately on your case.