Truck Driver Fatigue

Tenacious Cape Cod Lawyers Helping Truck Crash Victims

Although federal trucking regulations limit the number of hours that a driver can spend behind the wheel of a big rig, these rules are often disregarded by truckers and their employers. This recklessness puts everyone on the road at risk and can have serious or even fatal consequences. If you have been hurt in a crash involving a fatigued commercial driver in the Cape Cod area, you should not hesitate to consult the truck accident attorneys at the Law Offices of John C. Manoog III. We have dedicated our careers to helping ordinary people injured in collisions pursue the compensation they deserve.

Hold Commercial Drivers and Companies Accountable for Your Injuries

If you’ve been hurt in an accident caused by a drowsy driver, you have the legal right to file a negligence claim seeking damages from the trucker and possibly his or her employer. People who are successful in this type of lawsuit may be able to get compensation for medical bills, permanent disability, missed wages, damage to a vehicle, and pain and suffering.

To establish your right to recovery after a truck accident, you generally have to prove that the driver caused the crash by some careless action, such as falling asleep behind the wheel or driving in an exhausted condition. This unsafe behavior must have breached the duty of reasonable care that truckers owe to everyone on the road around them. You also must show that you were harmed as a direct result of the crash, and that you incurred actual damages because of your injuries.

In order to keep drowsy truck drivers off the highway, the federal Department of Transportation has implemented regulations governing the number of hours truckers can log per week, as well as how and when they take their breaks. Currently, truckers can drive no more than 11 hours a day and 72 hours a week. They also have to stay off the road from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. on two consecutive days during any given week and take 10 hours off between their weekly shifts.

Unfortunately, commercial drivers often disregard these rules. This is often because of pressure from their employers to get deliveries done on time. When a trucker who violates regulations causes an accident, both the trucker and his or her employer can be pursued for compensation. Vicarious liability is the legal theory under which a company may be responsible for the actions of its workers. It requires a crash victim to show that the accident happened as the employee was performing his or her regular job duties. This may mean proving that the truck company forced the driver to stay on the road in excess of federal regulatory limits.

Discuss Your Massachusetts Accident Case with Experienced Attorneys

At the Law Offices of John C. Manoog III, our Massachusetts accident lawyers have been representing clients harmed in truck crashes since 1994. Our lawyers have more than 146 years of combined experience in personal injury law, and we have a strong track record for helping clients obtain the legal recovery to which they are entitled. Our previous victories include a number of settlements in excess of $1 million for people hurt in motor vehicle accidents. We offer free consultations from our offices, which are conveniently located in Hyannis and Plymouth. We are also happy to travel to you if you can’t make it to us. We don’t charge a fee in many cases unless we are successful. Call us at 888-262-6664 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation. Nós Falamos Português.