Truck accidents are amongst the worst scenarios on our roads because they result in very serious injuries or damages. Driver fatigue is among these causes because when the driver is fatigued, the ability to respond to something, make the right decisions, and control the vehicle is affected. Driver fatigue may be fairly hidden and difficult to prove, so linking his (or her) state to a truck accident through a truck accident attorney might be challenging.
Causes of Truck Driver Fatigue
When handling cases of multiple-party negligence, such as in truck accidents, it is important to know what makes truck drivers fatigued. This can help bring guilt and negligence to light and draw some necessary safety measures.
In cases involving truck accidents, driver exhaustion may be attributed to three main factors:
- Long Hours and Overworking: Truck drivers are forced to work long hours on the road due to shorter time slots that must be met on delivery. Time pressure may lead to drivers transgressing safety measures of work ceilings, leading to fatigue even under circumstances where restrictions enforce fewer working hours.
- Inadequate Rest: If people fail to rest properly, they will not always be alert. As much as this is the case, the drivers of trucks may sometimes lack an ideal sleeping area for rest. That might even worsen tiredness due to the lack of quality sleep.
- Health Issues: If they exist, health issues such as sleep apnea, obesity, and heart disease may be compounded by sedentary activities such as driving a truck. Stress and poor health may occur when a motorist cannot sleep through the night, perhaps because of the above factors that cause fatigue.
- Use of Impairing Substances: Most drivers take drinks or drugs in a bid to deal with the boredom and stress that is associated with work. While some are not prohibited, you may feel drowsy once you have taken prescription or other over-the-counter medications. Far more accidents are likely to happen when drivers perform their duties while still under the influence of these drugs.
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Proving Truck Driver Fatigue
Evidence is required to prove any personal injury claim, including driver sleepiness. Here are some ways to prove:
- Police report: The police force can observe whether an individual is sleepy or exhausted based on training. A police report indicating that the truck driver appeared to be sleepy, had bloodshot eyes or confessed to being sleepy may help prove truck driver weariness to some extent.
- Log books and billed hours: To confirm the number of hours a truck driver is on the road, the deregulated commercially made vehicles had ingrained electronic logs called Electronic Logging Devices, abridged as ELD. If trucks used for interstate operations do not have an electronic logging device, drivers must maintain paper logbooks.
- Event data recorder: Tractor-trailers and other commercial vehicles have event data recorders that may be analyzed if they are involved in an accident. Such data may help confirm that a motorist is too tired or violating other road rules.
- GPS records: A lawyer in the field of truck-related accidents may obtain a truck driver’s GPS history to show how and when the driver was on the road.
Conclusion
Therefore, contacting a personal injury attorney should be done immediately after a truck accident. Trucking companies and their insurers sometimes make investigators quickly reach an accident scene. If your case goes to court, do not sign anything, make a statement, or accept any settlement without an attorney. A lawyer who handles truck accident cases can consider your circumstances, inform you of your rights, and claim the highest compensation, needing one’s protection and recovery.
