The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was created by the US government to help regulate the trucking industry and improve safety standards across the nation. Every trucking company and truck driver in the country must adhere to the FMCSA’s regulations.
Unfortunately, many trucking companies and their drivers fail or refuse to follow these rules, resulting in devastating wrecks and life-altering injuries. Below are some of the most commonly violated trucking regulations.
Hiring Regulations
Under the FMCSA, it is unlawful for trucking companies to hire drivers with a history of DUI/DWI,
California hosts some of the busiest roadways in the nation. A prime travel and trade state, California roads are congested with commuter, leisure, and commercial drivers.
Fast-paced and heavy traffic demand more focused attention from drivers. While all drivers make mistakes, commercial trucks add a different risk element for California drivers.
California trucking accident attorneys urge drivers to educate themselves on the common types of trucking accidents. Increased awareness of factors contributing to big-rig accidents may help drivers reduce exposure to trucking accidents.
Large truck accidents injure or kill thousands of people each year. Many truck accidents are caused by truck driver error. Trucking companies may also be liable for accidents if the company is negligent or guilty of wrongdoing. However, truck accident cases are complex. These types of cases required the assistance of experienced California truck accident attorneys.
Why are Truck Accident Cases More Complex Than Car Accidents?
There are several reasons why truck accident cases involving commercial vehicles, 18-wheelers, big rigs,
Despite improvements in the rate of highway fatalities overall, trucking fatalities are at their highest point in 30 years. These crashes took the lives of nearly 5,000 people in 2018. People who survive an accident involving a large truck often sustain catastrophic injuries. A California truck accident attorney can help you go after compensation for your losses if you get injured in an accident that involves a large truck.
Trucking Fatalities in Recent Years
When you dig into the numbers,
California is a big state with many highways and a bustling commercial road transit sector. This means that there are a significant amount of 18-wheelers, or semi-trucks, on the road in the state every day. These are heavy trucks, and when you are involved in an accident with one of them the result is often a devastating injury. While most semi-truck drivers do not intend to cause accidents, many times those who do are negligent.
At J&Y Law, we have represented numerous clients whose lives have been irreparably and horrifically changed as the result of a catastrophic semi-truck accident injury.
What can car drivers do to decrease truck accidents?
Statistics show that of the 8.9 million people in America who are employed in “truck related jobs” approximately 3.5 million of them are truck drivers. And those truck drivers are “logging over 288 billion miles a year.”
That would explain why these big rigs are ever present on U.S. highways and shed light on why California truck accidents are so common.
According to a 2009 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”) report,
Who Is Liable When a Driverless Truck Injures Others?
Just as driverless cars are expected to revolutionize day-to-day errands and commutes, driverless trucks are expected to revolutionize the shipping and commercial trucking industries. However, the arrival of driverless trucking may have faced a setback, not from a driverless truck accident, but rather, when California regulators announced a site inspection of Uber’s autonomous trucking operations.
The inspection is tied to concerns that Uber may have broken California state law by testing driverless trucks on the state’s public roads without permission.
What are the leading causes of truck accidents in California?
In February 2015, a truck en route to Oxnard, California from Arizona made a wrong turn onto the railroad tracks where it was struck by a Los Angeles bound Metrolink commuter train. The wreck killed the engineer and also injured 32 passengers and train crew members. Now, federal investigators have determined that the accident was caused by acute driver fatigue and lack of familiarity with the area.
The crash occurred at 5:44 a.m. after the trucker had reportedly been on duty for close to 24 hours after traveling 17 hours from Somerton Arizona.
What steps are being taken to enhance bus safety regulations in California?
In 2014, a tractor trailer crossed over a median on Interstate 5 near Oakland and crashed into a charter bus that was carrying students on a trip to a Northern California college. Five of the students were killed along with three chaperones. Both drivers also died. In response to the crash, California lawmakers pushed legislation designed to improve the safety of large vehicles such as charter buses. The bill was signed into law by Gov.
