Was Your Car Hit by a Tired Semi Truck Driver?

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Was Your Car Hit by a Tired Semi Truck Driver?

Posted On : Jul-13-2011 | seen (552) times | Article Word Count : 541 |

“The first thing I do when I am hired by a truck accident victim is get the truck driver’s hours-of-service log to see if driver fatigue was involved,” said accident attorney Hageman of PritzkerOlsen, P.A. Under the FMCSA hours-of-service regulations, interstate semi truck drivers are required to maintain an “hours-of-service log,” which shows when they’ve been driving and for how long.

As the driver of a large, heavy truck, semi truck drivers have the ability to cause serious accidents involving life-changing bodily injury and death. In an effort to prevent accidents, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) develops and enforces regulations that apply to all interstate trucking. This means semi truck drivers are required to follow certain laws that a regular driver would not be. This also means that to effectively argue a case against a semi truck company, a lawyer must know these regulations inside and out, because they are often the key to proving liability on the part of the driver and or the company.

“Truck drivers have a higher standard of care,” said accident attorney Eric Hageman of PritzkerOlsen, P.A. “They are driving an enormous rig and the damage they can cause is significant.” Mr. Hageman is currently representing several people who where seriously injured by a semi truck. “One of my clients was turning left on his motorcycle when a semi truck driver passed on the left. My client lost his leg because a truck driver did something even a novice driver knows not to do. My first thought in a case like this is whether the truck driver was tired.”

“The first thing I do when I am hired by a truck accident victim is get the truck driver’s hours-of-service log to see if driver fatigue was involved,” said Hageman. Under the FMCSA hours-of-service regulations, interstate semi truck drivers are required to maintain an “hours-of-service log,” which shows when they’ve been driving and for how long.

The FMCSA hours-of-service regulations require commercial truck drivers to follow three maximum duty limits at all times. They are the 14-hour duty limit, 11-hour driving limit, and 60/70-hour duty limit. The 14-hour duty limit states that a truck driver is allowed a period of 14 consecutive hours of duty time after being off duty for 10 or more consecutive hours. The driving is limited to the 14-consecutive-hour duty period even if the truck driver takes some off-duty time, such as a lunch break or a nap, during those 14 hours. During the 14-consecutive-hour duty period, the truck driver is only allowed to drive his or her truck for up to 11 total hours (the 11-hour driving limit). The 60/70-hour limit is based on a 7-day or 8-day period. If the trucking company does not operate vehicles every day of the week, the truck driver is not allowed to drive after he or she has been on duty 60 hours during any 7 consecutive days. If the trucking company does operate vehicles every day of the week, the truck driver is not allowed to drive after he or she has been on duty 70 hours in any 8 consecutive days.

The hours-of-service regulations are found in Part 395 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. These regulations are developed and enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is part of the United States Department of Transportation.

Building up a case against a semi truck company and effectively arguing that case takes a great deal of time and expertise. This is why semi truck accident cases should be handled by experienced semi truck accident lawyers.

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<h1>Was Your Car Hit by a Tired Semi Truck Driver?</h1> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_Pritzker Olsen.aspx'>Pritzker Olsen</a> As the driver of a large, heavy truck, semi truck drivers have the ability to cause serious accidents involving life-changing bodily injury and death. In an effort to prevent accidents, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) develops and enforces regulations that apply to all interstate trucking. This means semi truck drivers are required to follow certain laws that a regular driver would not be. This also means that to effectively argue a case against a semi truck company, a lawyer must know these regulations inside and out, because they are often the key to proving liability on the part of the driver and or the company.

“Truck drivers have a higher standard of care,” said accident attorney Eric Hageman of PritzkerOlsen, P.A. “They are driving an enormous rig and the damage they can cause is significant.” Mr. Hageman is currently representing several people who where seriously injured by a semi truck. “One of my clients was turning left on his motorcycle when a semi truck driver passed on the left. My client lost his leg because a truck driver did something even a novice driver knows not to do. My first thought in a case like this is whether the truck driver was tired.”

“The first thing I do when I am hired by a truck accident victim is get the truck driver’s hours-of-service log to see if driver fatigue was involved,” said Hageman. Under the FMCSA hours-of-service regulations, interstate semi truck drivers are required to maintain an “hours-of-service log,” which shows when they’ve been driving and for how long.

The FMCSA hours-of-service regulations require commercial truck drivers to follow three maximum duty limits at all times. They are the 14-hour duty limit, 11-hour driving limit, and 60/70-hour duty limit. The 14-hour duty limit states that a truck driver is allowed a period of 14 consecutive hours of duty time after being off duty for 10 or more consecutive hours. The driving is limited to the 14-consecutive-hour duty period even if the truck driver takes some off-duty time, such as a lunch break or a nap, during those 14 hours. During the 14-consecutive-hour duty period, the truck driver is only allowed to drive his or her truck for up to 11 total hours (the 11-hour driving limit). The 60/70-hour limit is based on a 7-day or 8-day period. If the trucking company does not operate vehicles every day of the week, the truck driver is not allowed to drive after he or she has been on duty 60 hours during any 7 consecutive days. If the trucking company does operate vehicles every day of the week, the truck driver is not allowed to drive after he or she has been on duty 70 hours in any 8 consecutive days.

The hours-of-service regulations are found in Part 395 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. These regulations are developed and enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is part of the United States Department of Transportation.

Building up a case against a semi truck company and effectively arguing that case takes a great deal of time and expertise. This is why semi truck accident cases should be handled by experienced semi truck accident lawyers.About the Author: Attorneys Eric Hageman and Fred Pritzker are our lead attorneys for our truck accident cases. Fred Pritzker is a <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.pritzkerlaw.com/">Personal injury attorney in MN listed in Best Lawyers</a> (current and past editions). Fred, Eric and their team of <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.pritzkerlaw.com/semi-truck-accident-lawyer/">Minnesota semi truck accident attorneys</a> have offices in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
 Article Source: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Was-Your-Car-Hit-by-a-Tired-Semi-Truck-Driver_66383.aspx'> http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Was Your Car Hit by a Tired Semi Truck Driver?_66383.aspx</a>

Article Source : http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Was Your Car Hit by a Tired Semi Truck Driver?_66383.aspx

Author Resource :
Attorneys Eric Hageman and Fred Pritzker are our lead attorneys for our truck accident cases. Fred Pritzker is a Personal injury attorney in MN listed in Best Lawyers (current and past editions). Fred, Eric and their team of Minnesota semi truck accident attorneys have offices in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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