The sheer size of large commercial trucks and tractor-trailers makes them formidable vehicles on the road. When truck collisions occur the immense mass, weight and impact forces in trucking accidents are responsible for producing some of the most devastating and catastrophic injuries, and far too often result in fatalities. Every year more the 5,000 people are killed in truck crashes.
Trucking operators have an obligation to perform daily safety inspections of trucks/tractor trailers to make sure that the trucks and their equipment are in safe working order. In addition, truck drivers are limited to driving 11 hours each day and up to 77 hours per week to prevent fatigue. Unfortunately, some operators don’t follow these safety rules and endanger the public, often for profit. Log books are so frequently altered to create the appearance of hours of service compliance that log books are known in the industry as comic books. While efforts to require electronic logging devices (ELD), to reduce fatigue related trucking accidents are underway, the trucking industry has thus far prevented mandatory ELD installation.
In addition to the hazards of driver fatigue and equipment failures, improper loads can also contribute to dangerous truck stability issues or cause toxic exposures when an accident or spill occurs.
Contacting an attorney as soon as practicable after a truck accident is important to assure that critical evidence is properly preserved, including taking witness statements, measurements and photographs of the vehicles and accident location as well as taking steps to preserve the log book, ELD, GPS and surveillance/DVR camera video and obtaining vehicle ‘black box’ data when available.
Certain & Zilberg’s trial attorneys are ready to help and have extensive knowledge and experience fighting for the results you need and deserve when you or a loved one has been injured in a trucking accident. Certain & Zilberg is ready to answer your questions.