Accidents involving a semi truck are almost always major and the victims can almost always use the help of a semi truck accident lawyer Maryland residents can turn to after the horrific experience of being in an accident with a semi-truck or other large commercial vehicle.
It does not matter where you were when it happened. It could have been on the highway, on a backcountry road, or a few blocks from your house. You could have been going 15 miles per hour, or 60 or may have even been stopped, waiting for a light to change. It could have happened at any time of the day or night and in any type of weather. You could have been in the car with friends or family or you could have been by yourself. Regardless of any of these, getting into an accident with a truck that towers over your vehicle and may weigh 80 times or more than what your vehicle weighs is scary.
Even though there are many good truck drivers out there that adhere to all the laws and safety rules for driving their vehicles, the size and weight plus other factors, make semi trucks, tractor trailers, 18-wheelers and other large commercial trucks, prone to accidents.
Unfortunately there are also drivers out there who are not considered to be very good because they do not follow the mandatory safety laws that make their unsafe vehicles, a little bit safer.
If you have been injured in an accident involving a semi truck or other large commercial vehicle, or if someone close to you has died because of this, it may be in your best interest to talk to an experienced semi truck accident lawyer Maryland victims and their families can turn to in a situation like yours.
Driver Fatigue
Driver fatigue is a common cause of accidents involving semi trucks. Professional truck drivers are supposed to follow strict guidelines as put out by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) but unfortunately not all of them do. Some of the regulations include:
- Drivers are allowed to drive up to 11 hours in a row but ONLY after taking 10 hours in a
row off - Drivers are not supposed to drive more than 60 hours in any one week, or more than
70 hours in eight days
Even though these rules have been made for the safety of the drivers and others on the road, some drivers do not follow them. This is often because they are under pressure to keep to schedules that do not fit with the regulation schedules. Another way that the FMCSA tries to regulate driver safety by preventing fatigue is by requiring drivers to maintain a log for every 24 hours of service.
Even when drivers do follow all of the FMCSA rules, drivers can still get fatigued. Driving a truck can be very isolating because of the long periods drivers go in between human contact. This can make a person tired. Not being able to exercise and/or poor diet can also contribute to someone getting sleepy on the road. Some people are more inclined to be more awake at certain times than others (for example, people who are more alert right when they wake up compared to someone who needs some time and coffee before they fell functional) regardless of when their schedule tells them they need to be doing something.
Regardless of the reason, getting into an accident with a large commercial vehicle is scary.
If you or someone close to you has been in an accident with a large commercial truck, contact a reputable semi truck accident lawyer Maryland is fortunate to have in its midst at Cohen & Cohen, for a free case evaluation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
