Chattanooga Truck Driver Fatigue Accident Lawyer

When a trucker is forced to work extended hours on the road, this creates dangers for the every-day commuters. Worse yet, if a company disregards the federal regulations set up to prevent a wreck, this could almost certainly lead to horrible roadway accidents. These wrecks are rarely simple and often result in horrible, life-changing effects for victims of them.

Thankfully, there are attorneys who could help victims recover compensation from at-fault parties. A Chattanooga accident lawyer who could help address a truck driver fatigue wreck could help you do just that.

The Dangers of Trucker Exhaustion

Because of the size and the weight of a semi-truck and trailer, it is important for the truck drivers to have their full focus and attention on the road. If a truck driver, like any other driver, becomes fatigued, he or she loses that focus and starts becoming drowsy. Given the weight and the size of the semi-trucks and trailers, all it takes for a devastating wreck to occur is a moment of inattention which often leads to serious injuries can result.

The main reason that drivers are fatigued in Chattanooga is because truck driving companies and the terminals frequently push drivers to work long hours and cover many miles on the road beyond acceptable limits. The truck drivers do not get enough rest to be able to keep their full attention on the road. Thankfully, there are attorneys in Chattanooga who could help victims of a wreck caused by an over-worked and exhausted trucker.

Liability and Trucker Fatigue Wrecks

Determining who is at fault for a crash is a complicated question that takes many factors into consideration. The amount of time the driver has been on the road is one of those considerations. If a driver was over-worked and exhausted, and that was the cause of the wreck, that might not be the driver’s fault so much as it might be the companies fault that employed him or her and pushed that driver to work more hours than what is acceptable and appropriate under the regulations covering truck drivers. That might ascribe more liability to the trucking company than the truck driver.

Driver fatigue often leads to some of the worst accidents. A person’s ability to keep his or her full attention on the road and vehicle is what all the other safety rules rely on. When a driver is too fatigued to keep full attention on the road, the truck driver and the truck itself become a dangerous weapon moving on the roads.

Company and Subsequent Trucker Responsibility After a Collision in Chattanooga

Frequently the trucking company and the driver responsibility go hand-in-hand. There is a doctrine called respondeat superior or agency by estoppel that says an employer is responsible for the negligence of its employees while the employees are performing their duties in the course and the scope of their employment. If a plaintiff is able to prove that the driver was negligent, that would be imputed to the trucking company.

Absolving Truckers of Responsibility

A truck driver might be absolved from responsibility if the trucking accident was not the truck driver’s fault. For example, if a truck driver has no known history of having seizures and has an unexpected seizure, that might be a situation that is completely unavoidable and unforeseeable and might absolve the truck driver’s responsibility.

Rules Governing Truckers to Prevent Fatigue

The Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Act dictate the amount of time a driver may be on the road at one time. This includes the amount of rest that a driver must have. These organizations have also prohibited drivers from taking certain medications that might make them drowsy, inattentive, or unable to focus. All of these regulations have the goal of making sure the roads are safe and that the drivers have their full attention on the road. What is the leading cause of driver fatigue that leads to truck accidents in Chattanooga?

Speak to a Dedicated Attorney

When a trucker falls asleep behind to wheel or is otherwise inattentive, accidents that transpire are rarely injury-free. In fact, the opposite is more likely. The injuries you or someone you know have has suffered could take a large amount of time and money to heal from. However, if your injuries were caused by the negligence of another, the law provides routes for you to obtain compensation from negligent parties.

Speaking with an attorney who could address Chattanooga wrecks caused by driver fatigue is the first step toward recovering the compensation you need. Reach out today.