Drowsy Truck Driver Accident Lawyer in Texas

Trucks are large and can cause huge amounts of damage coupled with the long drives drivers must make. Be sure to read on from a drowsy truck driver accident lawyer to learn more about the dangers associated with the two.

There are over 15 million semi-trucks, tractor-trailers, and big rigs on US roads. In fact, large commercial trucks are responsible for delivering about 68% of all consumer goods in the US and travel roughly 175 billion miles on American roads each year. These massive vehicles often weigh upwards of 80,000 pounds when fully loaded. The engines used to power tractor-trailers can weigh hundreds of pounds more than an entire small car.

With so many big rigs on US roads, and with their capability to do major damage when involved in an accident, passenger vehicle drivers must be able to trust that truck drivers are able to do their job safely and attentively. If drivers become too tired to keep their focus on the road ahead, these enormous trucks may become destructive weapons. Truck driver fatigue is a serious issue which can result in potentially lethal injuries to accident victims. If you’ve been the victim of a fatigued truck driver accident in Texas, contact the experienced and effective Beaumont 18-wheeler accident lawyers at Gilbert Adams Law Offices for a consultation on your claim.

Studies show the dangers of fatigued driving

Road safety researchers are learning more each day about the dangers of driving while fatigued. A recent study published by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety showed that fatigue can make drivers as dangerous as alcohol can. The study showed that drivers who received between five and six hours’ sleep were twice as likely to be involved in a crash as one who got seven or more hours’ sleep. Among drivers who got four or fewer hours’ sleep, the crash rate was 11 times that of a well-rested driver and was the same as the crash rate of someone who had a blood alcohol level of .12 to .15%.

Federal regulations govern truck driver rest periods

Few drivers have the ability to cause as much damage when falling asleep behind the wheel as the driver of a semi-truck, nor as much pressure to drive while cripplingly tired. Truck drivers face immense pressure from shipping companies to deliver their cargo as quickly as possible, despite the uncontrollable factors of traffic, weather, or roadway construction.

In order to prevent companies from requiring truck drivers to drive on little to no sleep, the federal government requires drivers to take minimum amounts of rest and time for sleep each day, and to record these hours in log books. Nevertheless, some companies pressure their drivers to falsify log books, logging rest breaks that never occurred. It should come as little surprise that these overworked and under-rested drivers may end up involved in a crash caused by fatigue. Evidence such as past falsified log entries and a driver’s recent stops can help prove that the driver had been making false entries in their official log book prior to a crash and was likely dangerously fatigued when an accident occurred.

Beaumont truck accident lawyer Gilbert Adams understands the challenges of going up against large shipping and carrier companies after a truck crash. His decades of experience as an accident victim advocate make him the right choice to fight on your behalf after a large truck accident in Texas.

Get Help after an Accident Caused by Drowzy Truck Driver

For a free consultation after a Texas truck crash, contact the effective, professional, and knowledgeable Beaumont truck accident lawyers at the Gilbert Adams Law Offices at 409-835-3000.