Hours of Service Regulations & Truck Accidents

Semi truck accidents are incredibly dangerous, often resulting in serious injury and death. To help combat the frequency of these accidents, the FMCSA has put forth several hours of service regulations to prevent truck drivers from working round the clock. Will these regulations affect your truck accident case?

What Are Hours of Service Regulations?

Hours of service regulations are specific rules that pertain to the time truck drivers can spend hauling goods. These regulations are an effort to increase safety, reduce truck driver fatigue and prevent dangerous accidents. What do the regulations look like?

 

• Property-carrying drivers can only drive 11 consecutive hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty.
• Truck drivers have a 14-hour window to complete the 11 consecutive hours, including breaks. They can’t go over 14 hours of on-duty time.
• Drivers must take a 30-minute break after driving for 8 consecutive hours without a break.

 

There are also rules for how many days a truck driver can work in a row and provisions for driving during adverse weather conditions.

How Hours of Service Regulations Can Affect Your Truck Accident Case

Are you pursuing a legal case in the aftermath of a truck accident? If so, there are various parties that might be at fault for the accident. For example, the trucking company could have performed faulty maintenance on the truck. Or, the driver could have violated the hours of service regulations and drove fatigued, resulting in an accident.

 

Truck drivers are required to track their hours of service in various ways. For example, any truck from the year 2000 or newer must have an electronic logging system installed to track driving hours. Drivers must also keep logbooks of their driving time and stops.

 

If a driver fails to comply with the hours of service regulations, they could be held liable for the accident and your injuries. Although proving a violation can be difficult, a skilled attorney can help gather the evidence required to support your case, including logbooks, electronic records, receipts and inspection reports.

Have You Been Involved in a Truck Accident? Call Us Today.

Truck accidents are often serious in nature, resulting in severe injuries and damage. If you’ve been involved in a truck accident, our attorneys are here to help you protect your rights. To learn more about your potential case or for answers to your questions, give us a call at 866-503-4864  or send us a message.

 

 

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