Philadelphia, PA Lawyer for Truck Accidents Due to Fatigue

Seasoned Injury Lawyers Protect the Rights of Clients Injured in Truck Accidents Due to Fatigue in Philadelphia, PA

Driving while overtired can lead to an accident even under the best conditions.  Driver fatigue is a particularly common cause of truck accidents because the driver is often under intense pressure to deliver the truck cargo quickly.  Truck drivers often choose to forgo breaks—and even falsify logs of hours on the road—in order to get paid.

At the Marrone Law Firm, LLC, our top-rated injury lawyers can help if you or a loved one were hurt in a truck accident caused by driver fatigue.  You should not be left to pay for someone else’s mistake.  Our lawyers will stand by your side to fight for your right to a compensation award that fully accounts for your injuries.

Fatigued driving is a form of negligence.  However, proving that fatigued driving caused a truck accident can be complex.  You need the best possible lawyer by your side to establish your case.  With over 25 years of experience, our truck driver fatigue accident lawyers are proven advocates at trial. Insurance companies and defense lawyers know that making sure our clients are treated fairly after an accident is our top priority. 

To learn more about how we can help you get fair compensation after a truck accident due to driver fatigue, call or contact us online for a free case review. 

Federal Regulations Limit Truck Drivers’ Time on the Road

Trucks are much heavier than ordinary vehicles which means that the driver must leave additional time to react to prevent serious accidents. However, fatigue often limits a driver’s ability to react quickly and can endanger those in the surrounding vehicles. For this reason, both federal and state regulations have been enacted to limit truck drivers’ time on the road and prevent fatigued driving. 

Federal regulations provide:

• The driver is only permitted to drive for 11 hours within a 14-hour period that begins after taking 10 consecutive hours off-duty
• The 14-hour “on duty” time frame cannot be extended by taking breaks
• The driver must not be “on duty” for more than 14 hours in any 24-hour period
• The driver is only permitted to drive for 60 hours in a seven-day period or 70 hours in an eight-day period
• Once the driver comes “on duty”, a break that lasts at least 30 minutes is required after eight hours of driving
• Truck drivers must keep logs of their hours on the road

Unfortunately, many drivers (and their employers) ignore regulations and drive while fatigued anyway.  Regardless of whether they are experiencing financial pressure from the trucking company, ignoring these basic safety rules puts everyone at risk.  If you were hurt in a truck accident due to fatigued driving, you need the best possible lawyer to make sure you get the fair compensation you deserve. 

At the Marrone Law Firm, LLC, our truck accident lawyers take a detail-oriented approach to every case we take on.  We will work closely with you so that you know what to expect every step of the way—and rest assured that we are leaving no stone unturned.

Establishing Fatigued Driving as the Cause of a Truck Accident

In the aftermath of a serious truck accident, injured victims may not know the exact cause of the accident.  Maybe the truck swerved into your lane or rolled over onto its side.  Establishing drowsy driving as the root cause may seem difficult—and it sometimes can be.  At the Marrone Law Firm, LLC, our lawyers have the knowledge and financial resources needed to determine the cause of the accident so that we can get the fair compensation you deserve.

We may be able to prove that the truck accident was due to driver fatigue by:

• Obtaining the driver’s records, which may show hours logged in excess of the legal limits
• Obtaining electronic, or paperless, log systems to determine hours on the road
• Testing the driver for drug use, which can be used to show that the driver was using stimulants to fight drowsiness
• Proving that the driver somehow falsified the logbooks
• Obtaining evidence to show that the driver would have been financially rewarded for delivering the truck cargo in an unreasonably short period of time
• Interviewing the truck driver
• Working with trucking, engineering, and other experts

Our primary goal is to win fair compensation in your case so that you can focus on what’s important—your recovery.  You may be entitled to compensation for:

• All of your medical bills
• Lost wages
• Lost future earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of quality of life
• Loss of your loved one’s company and financial support if the accident resulted in a fatality

Contact Our Respected Philadelphia, PA Truck Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation Today

If you or a loved one were hurt in a trucking accident caused by driver fatigue, you should not try to handle your case alone.  At the Marrone Law Firm, LLC, we are committed to getting justice for our injured clients.  Financial compensation can never really make you whole again, but it can serve to hold the responsible parties accountable.    

To learn more, call or contact us online to schedule a free case review with an experienced truck accident lawyer.  We handle personal injury cases in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania.

Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Accidents Due to Fatigue in Philadelphia, PA