Even though your accident happened fast, you think you would have noticed anything out of the ordinary with the truck you collided with. But what your eye couldn’t pick up were the violations that happened before the truck ever got near Oklahoma City.
Large trucks are involved in tens of thousands of crashes that result in injury every year. If you’re one of the people involved in a wreck with a truck, it can be hard to know what went wrong. But when companies fall short of federal directives, they could be on the hook for your crash.
Long-range rules
Trucks are very large, carry an enormous amount of weight and travel incredible distances every year. In the pursuit of safer operations, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has basic rules that companies need to follow to keep trucking safe for everyone on the road.
Competent carriers
There are a variety of policies that trucking companies need to abide by:
- Substance testing: Driver’s may need to take tests throughout their career, or even before it begins. The company they work for probably administered a drug screening before hiring the driver, randomly throughout employment and after your accident. Those results could make a big difference in your case.
- Hours of service: Regulations usually require the driver to keep a detailed logbook of their service. Federal regulations generally have very specific requirements for how long a driver can work, and how much downtime they need between operating windows.
- Maintenance of the fleet: Companies typically need to continually maintain trucks so they remain in proper operating capacity. This means the FMCSA usually has specific guidelines in place for how often testing needs to happen, and what standards need to be met.
Knowing the rules and regulations that a trucking company needs to meet could make the difference when it comes time to make a claim. Make sure you get the compensation you deserve when the long-haul company doesn’t meet the standards set in place.
