The truck accident lawyers in Maryland from Cohen & Cohen know that truckers spend long hours transporting products and goods to all over the nation. Along with the endless hours they must drive, truckers have to haul around 50,000 to 80,000 pounds of material. This cargo can range from produce to hazardous chemicals, so truckers must be properly rested so they don’t put the public at risk.
Because of the nature of the work, regulations have been established to oversee the use of commercial trucks and how long a trucker can drive before requiring a rest. Truck drivers may suffer from fatigue because of the high-pressure aspect of the job. However, this is no excuse for driving fatigued and causing a serious accident. Typically, a trucker can drive between 12-14 hours each day. But in even more cases, truckers may be behind the wheel for 18 hours or longer. These extended hours doing the same motions over and over again can lead to fatigue, which is a primary cause of truck-related collisions and fatalities.
Federal law only allows truckers to drive for 11 hours every day, and a total of 77 hours per week. Within a 14-hour window, truckers are permitted to drive for 11 hours with the other tasks being non-driving duties. Once a trucker has driven for 11 hours, they are required to have a 10-hour rest before they can go out again. As our MD truck accident lawyers can explain, fatigue can cause a driver to act poorly in many ways, including:
- Impaired judgement and space
- Slowed reaction time
- Blurry vision
- Inability to concentrate
- Easily distracted
- Prone to road rage
- Short-term memory lapses
If you or a loved one was injured in an accident with a potentially fatigued trucker, then you must call us now for assistance. You may be entitled to more compensation than you realize, so it’s important to contact us before it’s too late to negotiate for a higher settlement.
Cohen & Cohen
The team from our law firm have been successful in representing victims of truck accidents. We can thoroughly investigate why the incident happened, and whether the driver could have been fatigued. Your recovery is our primary focus. We hope that if you or someone you care about is in need of legal support after a truck collision, that you reach out to us today for help. Our Maryland truck accident lawyers from Cohen & Cohen are ready to take your call.
