Thirteen percent of all commercial truck crashes are caused by driver fatigue. While truck drivers must adhere to hours of service regulations, strict deadlines can pressure them to ignore these rules. If you've been hurt in a collision with a commercial truck, you need the help of experienced attorney Jim Miron to determine if an hours of service violation is to blame for your injuries. Call 203-339-5991 to schedule your complimentary case review.

Hours of Service Regulations for Commercial Truck Drivers

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has set stringent regulations for drivers of commercial motor vehicles. CMV drivers carrying goods and other property must adhere to the following:

• Driving limits: Truck drivers cannot drive longer than 11 consecutive hours.
   
• Time off: Truck drivers must take at least 10 hours off between shifts.
   
• Total daily working hours: Truck drivers cannot work longer than 14 hours per shift, including time not spend behind the wheel.
   
• Total weekly working hours: If a trucking company operates their vehicles seven days a week, a truck driver cannot work more than 70 hours during an eight-day time period. For trucking companies that operate their vehicles less than seven days a week, a truck driver cannot work more than 60 hours during a seven-day time period.

Truck drivers are required to maintain accurate logs that track the time they spend on duty and behind the wheel. However, they may violate regulations and falsify logbooks in order to meet the demands of their trucking company.

In doing so, they not only break the law, but they also put the safety of innocent people at risk. Fatigue can cause drivers to fall asleep at the wheel and swerve or drift into your lane. Drowsiness can also impair a truck driver's ability to respond to their surroundings and make sound judgments.

How Attorney Jim Miron Will Determine Violations

While truck drivers who are violating federal regulations often lie in their logbooks, some trucks are equipped with electronic records that Jim can check against written logs. Electronic records are installed inside a truck and will show the exact time the driver was on the road, as well as how many miles they traveled during that time.

When electronic records are not available, Jim will look at other documents and sources to piece together a timeline and determine if an hours of service violation is the cause of your personal injuries. This includes:

• Food and fuel receipts
• Toll tickets
• Pre- and post-trip inspection data
• Bills of lading
• Truck driver's cellphone and GPS

Jim specializes in personal injury and motor vehicle collision cases. Equipped with this information, he can make a strong argument that the truck driver and/or the trucking company are at fault.

As the former mayor of Stratford, Connecticut, and a U.S. Army veteran, he believes in putting people first. When you're suffering from injuries and the emotional trauma that comes with them, he will treat you with the compassion and care you deserve.

Contact Our Truck Collision Lawyer

To schedule your confidential and complimentary case evaluation, please call 203-339-5991. Jim fights for the rights of clients in Bridgeport, New Haven, Stamford, Waterbury and surrounding areas of Connecticut.