How Tired Truck Drivers Cause Accidents

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How Tired Truck Drivers Cause Accidents

There are approximately 13 million registered trucks throughout the U.S. Some 2.9 million of these are tractor-trailers. Although these commercial vehicles are essential to the country’s economy, their size and weight make them dangerous on the road. Driver errors, including driving while fatigued, tend to cause the most serious truck accidents. 

If you’ve been in a Missouri truck accident involving a fatigued driver and have suffered losses, it’s important to contact a personal injury attorney for assistance. The skilled team of St. Louis truck accident lawyers at Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers can help you understand how tired truck drivers cause accidents and what your options are after you’ve been in an accident. Contact us today at (636) 519-0085 for a free consultation and let us help you secure the compensation and guidance you need to move forward.

How Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers Can Help After An Accident In St. Louis, MO

How Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers Can Help After An Accident In St. Louis, MO

Truck accidents often result in catastrophic injuries for those in passenger vehicles. Commercial trucks are massive and can exert tremendous force on impact, leading to severe consequences like traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and even fatalities. If you’ve been in a truck accident in St. Louis, Missouri, our dedicated truck accident lawyers can help you file a claim. 

Here’s how we can assist you with your case:

  • Assessing your claim during a free consultation
  • Investigating the accident
  • Organizing evidence, including photos, videos, witness statements
  • Communicating and negotiating with insurance companies 
  • Litigating your case in court if a settlement isn’t possible
  • Providing ongoing legal support

For more than two decades, our firm has been helping St. Louis residents who have been hurt due to other people’s negligence or malicious conduct recover compensation. We’ve helped clients obtain millions of dollars in settlements and jury verdicts, and we may be able to help you, too. Contact our St. Louis personal injury attorneys today to arrange a no-obligation consultation. 

Why Fatigued Truck Drivers Pose A Danger

Driving while exhausted is dangerous for anyone who gets behind the wheel, as well as for anyone sharing the road with them. That’s particularly true when commercial trucks are involved. Drowsy driving impacts cognition. The effect that lack of sleep has on the brain is similar to that of alcohol in that it impairs judgment and slows reaction time.

Because fatigue also impairs concentration and attention levels, a truck driver might not notice certain hazards until it’s too late. Driving after going more than 20 hours without sleep is roughly equivalent to driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08%.

There’s also the danger of microsleeps, brief periods of unconsciousness that feel instantaneous to the driver but can in reality last several seconds. In that time, a truck driver can easily lose control of their vehicle and send it careening into other lanes. 

Who Is Liable In Drowsy Driving Truck Accidents?

Truck drivers are usually liable for accidents involving fatigued driving. There are state and federal guidelines in place to ensure that commercial truck drivers don’t work for longer hours than is deemed safe.

The problem, however, is that many drivers get paid based on the number of miles they travel per day, so it’s in their best financial interest to go beyond what the law requires. 

Even if truckers stick to the law and work no longer than what they’re told to, the dangers of drowsy driving don’t disappear. Federal regulations permit up to 11 hours of driving in a single day and up to 70 hours in a week. Even so, the amount of rest these rules require may not be enough to ensure that truckers are fully alert when they start working again. 

There may also be other liable parties in these cases. For instance, the trucking company may be responsible if they encouraged the driver to break the law or hire drivers with medical issues that make them more likely to drive tired. 

Contact Our St. Louis Truck Accident Lawyers For A Free Consultation

Being involved in a truck accident in Missouri can leave you dealing with disabling injuries and mounting medical bills. If the at-fault driver was operating their vehicle while fatigued and their conduct led to your injuries, you may be eligible to file a personal injury claim for compensation.

However, you should never go through this process alone. Without proper legal support, you could end up with a lower settlement than you deserve. To hold the responsible parties responsible and improve your chances of receiving fair compensation, it’s crucial to work with an experienced attorney. 

At Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers, we’ve been helping accident victims recover from the physical and financial impacts of their injuries for decades. We work tirelessly on behalf of our clients to get them the assistance they need. 

Don’t wait to begin the process. Contact our St. Louis truck accident lawyers today to schedule a free consultation.

Free case evaluation

About Us

Roach Law was founded in 2003 by attorney Kevin Roach, a leading personal injury lawyer, to protect the rights of accident victims in Missouri. Since that time, our firm has grown to feature a legal team with decades of experience in personal injury law. Our attorneys have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for injured clients, fulfilling our mission to provide every one of our clients with the individual attention they deserve while tirelessly pursuing excellent results

Areas We Serve

Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers serves injured clients throughout Missouri. We have office locations in St. Louis, Chesterfield, Creve Coeur, and Clayton to better serve accident victims across the state of Missouri.

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