Dallas Fatigued Truck Driver Accident Attorneys
Did a fatigued truck driver cause an accident that injured you or cause you to lose a loved one? If so, you might be eligible to get compensation for your losses from them or the company that hired them. The Dallas truck accident attorneys of The Benton Law Firm see the unfortunate results of the actions of careless truck drivers and their employers every day. We are tired of seeing the innocent motorists and passengers of Dallas suffer because of some truckers’ and trucking companies’ disregard for law and safety.
Large trucks are a common sight on our Dallas area highways and roads. They often travel at a high rate of speed with awkward loads that can easily shift. Symptoms of fatigue, like feeling drowsy or even dozing off can be catastrophic for the truck driver and everyone in their vicinity.
Commercial truck drivers must obey federal regulations governing the number of hours they can drive over a specified period of days. Yet, truck drivers report that their employers often pressure them to drive longer hours than allowed, and a major U.S. truck driver accident causation report cited driver fatigue as a factor in several thousand truck crashes.
The number of crashes involving large trucks in Texas continues to rise. What will it take for these drivers to take these laws and regulations seriously and get the rest they need to safely share the road with innocent people? At The Benton Law Firm, we fight for innocent victims suffering from injuries that could have been prevented, like yours.
Schedule your free consultation today by calling us at (214) 777-7777.
Why Hire The Benton Law Firm to Handle My Dallas Fatigued Truck Driver Accident Case
It’s easy for a trucker to lose control of a large truck when they start to doze or are too tired to pay proper attention. These big trucks require a longer stopping time than smaller passenger vehicles. If a passenger vehicle driver ahead of the truck reacts suddenly and applies the brakes, the truck driver can easily rear-end another vehicle, run over them, or lose control of the truck altogether, which could result in a jackknife or rollover, harming other motorists on the road.
At The Benton Law Firm, we are diligent and persistent when we represent people who were injured in accidents with fatigued truck drivers. The drivers’ and trucking companies’ insurance companies will do whatever they can to try to pay as little as possible to the unfortunate victims, even if they know the driver or company was at fault. They may even try to cast all or some of the blame on you. Texas is an “at-fault” state. This means that if you share part of the blame for the accident, your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your fault. You can rely on the insurance companies to try to blame you for some or all of the accident so they won’t have to pay you as much.
For this reason, it’s important that you don’t speak to any insurance company representatives until you have experienced Dallas truck driver legal representation on your side. The insurance adjusters will try to get you to say something that they can use against you. They may act concerned about your injuries or losses, but they are not working in your best interests. Only your own experienced Dallas truck accident attorney will look out for you 100%.
Because there are potentially multiple parties liable parties in an accident with a big rig, these insurance claims can get complicated. The experienced truck accident legal team at The Benton Law Firm knows exactly how to investigate the accident to determine who was liable and how to gather the necessary evidence to leverage a fair insurance settlement. If we can’t come to an appropriate agreement with the insurance company, we will be prepared to take your case to court.
We can find the accident reports, track down and talk to any witnesses, review cell phone data, interview the driver, and review driver and trucking company records to see if they have a history of violations. For example, if the company has previously been cited for overworking its drivers, it may want to avoid having a jury hear that information. As a result of our discovery of their past behavior, they might increase their settlement offer.
The driver may even have an untreated sleep disorder that they are not disclosing to their employer or their employer knows about but has them driving anyway. Some common medications can also cause fatigue and should be avoided while driving.
These are the types of things that we explore to help strengthen our clients‘ cases and increase their financial settlement. Your concentration should be on your physical and emotional recovery, not on trying to collect evidence. Put the legal team at The Benton Law Firm to work for you, so you don’t have to worry about handling your insurance claim or your lawsuit by yourself.
How Truck Drivers and Companies Can Prevent Fatigued Driving
Trucking companies and their drivers must follow state and federal guidelines on how many hours a driver can work to combat truck driver fatigue. Truck drivers are also supposed to follow the guidelines on taking breaks. Still, truck driver fatigue continues to be a problem on our Dallas roadways, and innocent people like you could get hurt or worse.
Trucking companies can employ new technology to help detect and prevent driver fatigue. For example, Congress enacted the Electronic Logging Device rule to more accurately record, track, and share each driver’s hours of service. Companies should also take advantage of artificial intelligence, like eye-tracking technology, that can detect driver fatigue.
When human lives are at stake, and with driver fatigue continuing to be a large contributing factor in truck accidents, trucking companies must do all they can to keep their drivers from becoming unsafe road weapons and a danger to others, such as yourself and your family.
Call Today to Get the Compensation You Deserve
Don’t wait until you suffer additional financial stress trying to pay your accident-related medical bills or worrying about being unable to work. You deserve to focus on your recovery without additional stress. At The Benton Law Firm, we will review your case during our free consultation and give you our advice for your best course of action. You won’t pay us a dime until we are successful in getting you compensation.
Each time a trucking company faces a fight when they have a fatigued driver, they are getting a message to take action to prevent them. Give the Dallas truck accident attorneys of The Benton Law Firm a call at (214) 777-7777, and let’s send them that message.