Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
Fatigued driving is known to be one of the most common reasons for car accidents and truck accidents in Coral Springs and across Florida. Preventing fatigue-related car accidents in Coral Springs and other communities can be tricky, however, since passenger car drivers are not bound by the same strict federal regulations as commercial truck drivers. However, FMCSR regulations for truck drivers are strict and experts believe that these regulations, when followed, help prevent accidents. These rules include:
1) A provision which holds motor carriers and truck drivers responsible for fatigued truck drivers. If a driver is impaired and tired due to illness, fatigue, or any other cause and may be unsafe behind the wheel, it is the responsibility of both the truck driver and the motor carrier to not permit the driver to operate a truck. This rule ensures that if you are in a traffic accident in Coral Springs that is caused by fatigue truck driver, both the motor carrier and the driver may be held liable. This can improve your chances of getting fair compensation in your case.
2) Commercial truck drivers cannot drive more than eleven hours consecutively after 10 hours off duty. This rule ensures that truck drivers get adequate rest and are not encouraged to drive to the point where there so fatigued that they are at risk of a truck accident.
3) Commercial truck drivers cannot drive after having driven 60 hours during 7 days consecutively. This applies to all motor carriers who do not operate commercial trucks seven days of the week. This rule ensures that truck drivers get adequate rest and don’t work overly long weeks.
4) Commercial truck drivers cannot drive after having been on duty fourteen hours after a 10 hour break off-duty. Truck drivers who are not actively driving may still be on duty and working. For example, they may be overseeing the loading of cargo or waiting for a truck to be loaded. By counting these hours as work, too, federal regulators ensure that truck drivers don’t work long hours which can lead them to be in a accident.
5) Commercial truck drivers cannot drive after having been on duty for 70 hours over 8 days consecutively. This rule applies to motor carriers who operate commercial trucks seven days a week.
6) Drivers need to be off duty for 34 consecutive hours to reset the seven or eight consecutive days described in FMCSR.
7) A commercial truck driver with a sleeper berth in his or her truck needs to have at least ten hours consecutively off duty or in the sleeper berth before beginning to drive again.
If you have been involved in a truck accident in Coral Springs that you believe was caused by a fatigued driver, contact the Flaxman Law Group legal team to arrange for a free case evaluation. Your case may be worth more than you think, since many commercial truck accident cases have multiple liable parties. Don’t sell yourself short and endanger your financial future by accepting the first insurance offer you are given. Speak with a personal injury attorney who can help you understand the true costs of your injuries and the value of your case.