Nationwide Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyers

When FMCSA Regulation Violations Lead to Serious Injuries

In the United States, the trucking industry is governed by complex state and federal regulations, including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. Such laws and regulations govern the ownership, operation, maintenance, repair, driver training, licensing, and use of commercial motor vehicles.

The nationwide tractor trailer accident attorneys at Stueve Siegel Hanson have both the knowledge and the experience to successfully prosecute catastrophic injury and death cases involving trucking accidents under these laws and regulations.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Regulations

The FMCSA regulations are meant to keep the highways safe by requiring trucking companies and truck drivers to take precautions. The regulations are very detailed. Determining whether a trucking company or trucker violated them can require immediate and extensive investigation. Our Kansas City trucking regulation negligence lawyers understand the FMCSA trucking regulations and will take the time to gather the evidence necessary to determine what caused your accident.

The FMCSA regulations include rules on:

• Hours-of-service: In general, truck drivers may drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty. They must also take at least 10 hours worth of rest in the sleeper berth (one eight-hour rest and one two-hour rest). Drivers must keep a log book of their on-duty and off-duty time.
• Texting: Truck drivers may not text while operating in interstate commerce.
• Drug and alcohol testing: Anyone who owns, leases or operates commercial vehicles must go through drug and alcohol testing. This includes random alcohol testing.
• Hazardous materials: There are numerous specific rules involving the transportation of hazardous materials, including the operation, surveillance and routing of vehicles transporting hazardous materials.
• Fatigue and illness: Motor carriers may not permit a driver to operate a truck when his or her alertness is impaired unless absolutely necessary for safety reasons.
• Annual inspections: Motor carriers must inspect certain trucks annually and insure that maintenance records are kept up-to-date.

There are also specific weight limits, training requirements, maintenance requirements and other requirements that truck drivers and trucking companies must follow — contact our law firm to learn more.

Trucking Company Negligence ▪ Truck Driver Negligence

Our lawyers can investigation your trucking accident to determine whether a truck driver or motor carrier violated the trucking regulations, leading to your injuries. We have experience investigating and analyzing the complex business and legal arrangements — some developed specifically to attempt to avoid trucking accident liability — used by trucking companies in order to determine the proper parties to sue. This includes uncovering driver's log book violations and other actions intended to hide truck driver/trucking company negligence.

Kansas City Trucking Regulation Negligence Attorneys

To talk with us about your trucking accident injury or the injury of a loved one, contact our law firm by calling 866-668-9241. We offer free initial consultations about tractor trailer accidents and accept cases on a contingency basis, meaning that there are no fees unless you win.