Being injured when in a truck accident is not something anyone wants since injuries tend to be quite serious. Fortunately, personal injury law allows victims to file claims to receive financial compensation with the help of a truck accident injury lawyer. The money offered is meant to cover both the costs of the property damage and injury recovery. Unfortunately, truck accidents still happen and it is very important for everyone to focus on prevention, not dealing with the aftermaths of the tragedy. This is where truck safety regulations step in.
Carriers and trucks have to respect several regulations. They are issued by the FMCSA with the focus put mainly on safety. The regulations are divided into several safety areas, including:
- Truck drivers
- Trucking carriers or companies
- Hazmat procedures
- Alcohol and drug use
- Trucks
- Hours of service
Some examples of general regulations issued include:
- Certificates of operation
- Insurance
- Tires
- Exhaust systems
- Truck inspection
- Noise emissions
Carriers And Trucking Companies
There are several strict regulations in regards to claims for property damage, losses, delays, and injuries. They mainly deal with the procedure that needs to be respected in order to investigate, process, dispose of, and acknowledge claims.
Another important thing to highlight is there are regulations in regards to truck driver training. They are very extensive, especially for entry-level truck drivers (This means under one year of trucking experience). Besides driver training requirements, there are also:
- Driver qualification requirements – This includes things like general qualifications, disqualifications, responsibilities, and medical examination.
- Hours of service – rules meant to limit driving hours and fight fatigue so that crashes can be avoided.
- Wellness – This usually includes basic maintenance through things like exercise and dieting.
- Whistleblower protection – Rules meant to protect drivers when they question company safety practices.
- Alcohol and drug policies – Self-explanatory.
Truck Driver Regulations
Several regulations are focused on truck drivers. This is completely normal since minor errors can lead to huge disasters. Regulations are focused on things like:
- Only having a single commercial vehicle driver’s license.
- Forcing truck drivers to let employers know of the presence of specific convictions.
- Forcing truck drivers to offer information about past employment.
- Stopping employers from letting drivers drive when suspended licenses exist.
- Disqualifying truck drivers when they were convicted of specific offenses or criminal activities.
- Establishing licensing and testing requirements.
- Requiring the state to give comprehensive skills and knowledge tests.
When regulations are not met or they are broken, the truck driver loses certification.
Getting Help From Truck Accident Attorneys
The examples highlighted above are just a few of the several safety requirements and regulations that exist right now. Hundreds of others exist. This is why, whenever you have a legal problem, usually due to a truck accident, it is vital to hire an experienced truck accident attorney. We have to recommend this with every single personal injury claim since, besides trucking companies and truck drivers, insurance companies will also try to take advantage of your lack of knowledge about the law. So, the only logical option when hurt by the actions of a truck driver or a truck company is to get legal counsel.