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Truck Accident Lawyers |
Serving Hartford, Waterbury, New Haven and Surrounding Areas
Serving Hartford, New Haven and surrounding areas, the law firm of Trantolo & Trantolo, LLC has years of experience representing those who have suffered injuries as a result of a truck accident.
Truck accidents occur when large trailer vehicles (over 10,000 pounds) collide with other vehicles or pedestrians. Because of their size and weight, even a low impact truck accident can lead to serious injury or death. It is estimated that approximately half a million truck accidents occur every year in the United States. Of these, about 5,000 result in fatalities. Tragically, most of these deaths involve passengers of other vehicles while the truck drivers often escape injury all together. As these statistics indicate, commercial trucks are among the most dangerous vehicles on the road.
One of the major causes of truck accidents is driver fatigue. Truck drivers often drive long routes for extend periods of time. These circumstances lead to exhausted and stressed drivers who may fall asleep behind the wheel or lose necessary alertness. There are also certain risks associated with the trucking business itself that lead to safety issues and accidents. For example, truck drivers are often subject to tight delivery schedules and a system of compensation that rewards speedy deliveries. This increases the chances of having an exhausted truck driver on the road.
Shipping schedules and unpredictable travel conditions also increase the chance of encountering an exhausted truck driver on the road. The trucking companies profit when products and cargo are shipped as fast as possible, so the less a driver sleeps or stops, the faster the shipments reach their destination. This results in decreased attention spans and lower reaction times which contribute to an increased number of truck accidents.
Truck drivers are subject to federal safety regulations. Laws implemented by The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in 2003 allow truck drivers to drive 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off-duty. Truck drivers may not drive beyond the 14th hour after coming on-duty, following 10 hours off-duty. Truck drivers may also not drive after being on-duty for 60 hours in a seven-consecutive-day period, or 70 hours in an eight-consecutive-day period.
If it can be proven that any of these safety regulations were violated, or complied with in a negligent fashion, a lawsuit can often be won in favor of the truck accident victim.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an accident involving a tractor trailer or other large truck operated by an exhausted truck driver, contact the law firm of Trantolo & Trantolo, LLC today for an initial consultation to determine your legal rights.
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