Trucking Accident Lawyers in Nashville & Murfreesboro | Craft & Sheppard, PLC
You may have noticed that commercial trucks and tractor-trailers dominate our roads and highways. This is no coincidence. Years of cheap gas and government deregulation have fueled this surge in traffic. In 2007 there were 9,027,624 large trucks registered in the United States. The results have been devastating to the driving public who are forced to share roads with these large trucks. When large trucks collide with cars, they inflict severe and often fatal damage. Weighing several tons, these heavy trucks exert huge forces on smaller automobiles – even at low speeds. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”), in 2008 large trucks were involved in 380,000 collisions. Of those collisions, 4,229 people were killed and another 90,000 were injured. For these reasons, all truckers and commercial trucking companies must comply with the Federal Motor Safety Regulations for the privilege of operating on American roadways. These laws are minimum safety standards to protect the public. As an example of these standards, drivers cannot drive when fatigued and cannot exceed maximum hours of operation. Drivers may not operate trucks when they are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or when they are not otherwise medically healthy. Trucking companies are required to properly train their drivers and must make sure drivers follow the rules. Trucking companies must only hire qualified drivers and must ensure compliance not only with Federal regulations, but also State laws and commercial driver's license standards.
Efforts to increase profit margins may cause trucking companies to disregard safety rules. Drivers may drive beyond the legal maximum number of hours or may take dangerous drugs in efforts to stay awake and make more money. Truck companies may choose not to properly service or repair their fleets. If trucking companies or their drivers do not follow the rules, people can get injured or killed. If this has happened to you or a loved one, you can hold the trucking company accountable for their choices by contacting the lawyers of Craft & Sheppard, PLC.
American Association of Justice’s Interstate Trucking Litigation Group
