A truck accident injury lawyer notes that a federal study is to be conducted to determine how regulated sleep schedules affect semi truck drivers. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute signed a contract with the Motor Carrier Safety Administration (MCSA) to monitor the behaviors of more than 200 long-haul truck drivers who will not have to adhere to consecutive eight-hour sleeping schedules. A semi truck accident lawyer can help people injured in trucking accidents.
For more information, contact Attorney Group today. Our consultations are free, confidential and without any obligation on your part. We can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a claim we can connect you with an affiliated truck accident injury lawyer who can assist you throughout the legal process.
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Agency: Truck Driver Fatigue Is One Of The Leading Causes Of Truck Crashes
The Virginia Institute will test whether relaxed regulation of truck driver schedules and rest periods can increase the likelihood of large truck accidents. The study will utilize video cameras and wrist monitors to track the rest patterns and alertness of over 200 participating drivers, who will not be required to log consecutive eight-hour off-duty rest periods. According to The Washington Times, researchers hope to ascertain whether truckers are more likely to drive fatigued and show impaired performance when they aren’t required to follow this hours-of-service rule.
Truck driver fatigue has become a significant safety concern in recent years. According to data from the MCSA, it is one of the leading causes of truck crashes, which now claim about 4,000 lives per year. Alarmingly, research shows that exhausted drivers exhibit many of the same functional issues as drunk drivers, including delayed reaction times and poor judgment. The trucking industry has largely resisted closer regulation of driver schedules and rest periods, which may leave other motorists in needless danger, the news agency reported.
How A Truck Accident Injury Lawyer Can Help
Truck drivers and trucking companies have a duty to make sure that they operate and maintain their vehicles in a safe manner. If this duty is not fulfilled, a tractor trailer accident may occur, and the truck driver or trucking company can be held liable for injuries that may result.
Drivers or passengers who are injured in a tractor trailer accident may be entitled to compensation for damages resulting from their injuries, including:
- Medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
- Loss of ability to earn
- Scarring and disfigurement
If a driver or passenger is killed in a tractor trailer accident, his or her family members may be able to pursue compensation for the wrongful death of their loved one. Wrongful death damages can include:
- Medical expenses incurred prior to death
- Conscious pain and suffering prior to death
- Loss of the economic support of the loved one
- Loss of the companionship of the loved one
- Funeral expenses
People who have been injured in a trucking accident are advised to seek the advice of an experienced truck accident injury lawyer to help them protect their legal rights.
The Time You Have to Pursue a Claim is Limited. Contact Us Today.
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