The Truck Accident Law Firm Blog

Large trucks, or tractor-trailers, are used to deliver goods from coast to coast in the United States. They are an integral part of our economy, and provide millions of jobs. Tractor-trailers are, however, very dangerous when involved in accidents simply because of their size and weight.

Trucking companies are just like any other business, and need to make a profit in order to survive. How much money they make, however, depends on how quickly their goods get delivered. This need to deliver goods on a strict timeline, often leads trucks to be overloaded. The Department of Transportation requires that no truck weigh over 80,000 pounds in gross weight, but this regulation is often ignored or overlooked.

Overloaded trucks are extremely dangerous. A truck that is overloaded becomes even harder to handle than a properly loaded tractor-trailer. An overloaded truck can make it impossible to maneuver the tractor-trailer quickly should the driver face the situation where that is necessary.

Overloaded trucks are often more likely to be involved in rollover accidents, as one quick move can shift its weight. Overloaded trucks are also much more difficult to bring to a stop. If a tractor-trailer is cut off by another vehicle, there is a very good chance there will be a collision simply because the tractor-trailer is too heavy to stop.

If you or a loved has been killed or injured in a truck accident, it is imperative that you contact an experienced truck accident attorney in your area today.

Electronic on board recorders, or EOBRs, are akin to black boxes on airplanes. They are devices that can provide electronic records of the number of hours a truck driver has driven, as compared to the number of hours they are legally allowed to drive.

These devices are believed to result in a decrease in fatigued truck drivers. Trucking companies make more money the faster they deliver their goods and truck drivers are often under strenuous deadlines. These deadlines result in drivers failing to stop to obtain the sleep they need in order to remain attentive to their driving.

Truck accidents are almost always catastrophic simply due to the size and weight of tractor-trailers and fatigued drivers is a very common cause of truck accidents on our highways. EOBRs will help lower the instance of truck accidents caused by fatigued.

EOBRs will also make it much more difficult for truck drivers to falsify their logbooks. In essence, EOBRs will provide much more regulation over truck drivers that put themselves and everyone else on the road in danger every day when they refuse to get the proper rest in order to safely drive their vehicles.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a truck accident, please contact an experienced truck accident attorney in your area today.