Sacramento Truck Driver Fatigue Accident Lawyers

California attorneys hold drowsy vehicle operators financially accountable

Trucks can cause serious and even catastrophic injury in accidents and therefore require alert drivers to operate them. When tired vehicle operators either fail to watch out for other traffic or lose control of their trucks, those injured by them on the roads of California deserve justice. Victims can count on a Sacramento truck driver fatigue accident lawyer at Mastagni Holstedt, ACP to fight for their right to compensation from the truck driver and any other culpable parties.

How truck driver fatigue leads to serious crashes in Sacramento

Long-distance truck drivers too often have lengthy shifts, overnight routes and tight delivery deadlines that cause them to work beyond the limits of their capacity to stay fully awake and alert. As a consequence, they may be too fatigued to pay proper attention to the traffic around them and, worse yet, may begin to nod off while driving down the road, putting others in serious danger. Many of these drivers are behind the wheels of 18-wheelers and other large trucks whose size and weight contribute to catastrophic injuries suffered by pedestrians and the unsuspecting occupants of other vehicles with whom they collide.

Federal hours-of-service rules and fatigue violations

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which seeks to prevent trucking accidents, has adopted a series of regulations designed to prevent truck driver fatigue. It limits hours of service for cargo-carrying truck drivers to no more than 14 consecutive hours, before and after which they must spend 10 consecutive hours off duty. During that 14-hour period, a long-distance driver may not drive for more than 11 hours, and must take a half-hour break every eight hours. Moreover, at least seven of the 10 hours off-duty period must be spent in a sleeping berth if the driver is in their truck.

Signs and evidence of truck driver fatigue after a crash

Tell-tale signs like delayed braking, drifting between lanes, sudden jerking motions of the truck and following the next vehicle too closely can reveal truck driver fatigue that may have contributed to a crash. Driver logs, GPS data and the vehicle’s onboard data systems may be evidence of the driver violating FMCSA hours-of-service rules and patterns of fatigued driving. One of our experienced and diligent Sacramento truck accident attorneys will know what evidence to look for.

Who may be liable for fatigued truck driving accidents

Truck drivers are responsible for violating hours-of-service rules and rest requirements. Of course, someone might be too fatigued to drive safely even while in technical compliance with the rest regulations. Along with the drivers themselves, if the company they work for demanded they meet unrealistic delivery schedules or exercised poor oversight, that company can also be held liable for any resulting accident and injuries. Furthermore, if the truck driver is an employee rather than an independent contractor of the company, the latter may be liable for the truck driver’s own negligence that causes an accident in a work vehicle.

Injuries caused by fatigue-related truck collisions

Victims of truck accidents caused by fatigue can suffer severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, paralysis, loss of limbs, internal organ damage, broken bones and even crushing injuries to bones and organs. In the worst cases, these crashes can be fatal, which can trigger a wrongful death case. 

Contact a California accident lawyer to discuss a truck driver fatigue case

If you suffered serious injury or lost a loved one as a result of an accident where truck driver fatigue was a factor, our experienced lawyers at Mastagni Holstedt, APC, with offices in Sacramento, Rancho Cucamonga, Pleasanton and Redwood City, work diligently to help plaintiffs recover compensation. Contact us online, or call us at [lm::phone] or a free consultation.