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Truck Driver Fatigue - An Accident Waiting To Happen

Low pay leads many truckers to drive long hours in order to make more money, despite federal regulations prohibiting this. A major factor in many 18-wheeler accidents is driver fatigue leading to at least 750 deaths and 20,000 injuries per year. Unfortunately, tight deadlines imposed by employers contribute to the problem with many drivers putting in 100-hour workweeks with no breaks except to get gas or unload.

It's no wonder with such intense work schedules, that some drivers are subject to sleep deprivation allowing them drift into other lanes of traffic, nod off or simply fall totally asleep. An 18-wheeler then can become a 100,000-pound missal prone to a semi truck accident.

30 percent of all fatal semi truck accidents are caused by driver fatigue according to some experts. Although the trucking industry claims the number is closer to 5 per cent and puts the major blame on automobile drivers instead. 15 per cent is the figure assigned by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. If you're involved in an 18-wheeler accident it really doesn't matter what the true figure is, you may want to contact a truck accident lawyer like Paul Dansker & Aspromonte that can accurately research these statistics and work in your favor.

Federal Regulations Limit Driving Hours

On July 1, 2013, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) put into effect new hours-of-service rules for truck drivers. While the new rules are designed to keep truckers and those with whom they share the road with safe, but accidents due to truck driver fatigue continue to occur in New York City and the surrounding areas.

FMCSA’s New Hours-of-Service Rule:

According to information taken from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s website, the new hours-of-service final rule:

  • Limits the maximum average work week for truck drivers to 70 hours, a decrease from 82 hours
  • Allows truck drivers who reach the maximum 70 hours of driving within a week to resume if they rest for 34 consecutive hours, including at least two nights when they sleep from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.
  • Requires truck drivers to take a 30-minute break during the first eight hours of a shift

The rule regarding an 11-hour daily driving limit and 14-hour work day remains the same.

Sleepy Drivers Are Deadly Drivers

Drowsiness, inattentiveness or just simply falling to sleep is all contributing factors to 18-wheeler accidents. "Road hypnosis", the constant and monotonous motion of driving seems to put the driver in a waking trance allowing reaction time to slow and increase accidents. This disregard for regulations can end up costing you or a loved one their life.

When such accidents occur, often the truck driver isn't injured, while those in much smaller cars are killed. A truck accident lawyer can help victims or their loved ones to collect wrongful death damages in such cases. If you sustained a semi truck accident injury, or a loved one was injured or killed due to the negligence of an 18-wheeler driver, you might be entitled to a large cash award.

Dansker & Aspromonte of Paul Dansker is one of the top personal injury law firms in the New York City area. Over the past 35 years, our attorneys have recovered millions of dollars in compensation for our clients. If you have sustained a serious personal injury — such as a brain injury or spinal cord injury — or if you have lost a loved one and need assistance with a wrongful death claim, you can turn to our law firm with confidence, We can launch a full investigation into the truck accident and seek fair compensation for your losses.

NYC Truck Driver Fatigue Lawyers

Tired truckers can cause serious truck accidents, which often results in serious injuries and fatalities. If you or someone close to you has been injured due to the negligence of a trucker or trucking company, our attorneys are here to help. Contact us today online or by telephone at 800-510-9695.

We serve Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the NYC Metro Area.

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