subject: An Attorney For Tractor Trailer Accident Cases: Penalties And Litigation [print this page] If you're thinking of hiring an attorney for tractor trailer accident reasons, you will need to prove that either the driver or the company that employs them was negligent in some way, leading to the crash. Merely proving fault in the crash may be enough, but if there were serious regulation codes being broken in the process, the case will be that much easier to make. There are over half a million commercial semi crashes each year, leading to more than 5,000 cases in which fatalities are involved. It is a serious matter, and it is one you should familiarize yourself with if you're moving forward with a case.
Log Books
Starting in the last ten years, driver were required by federal regulations to keep log books detailing the number of hours they spent out on the road. The law states that a driver's continuous working hours can only go on for so long, after which they are required to take a long break for rest. Of course, it is common knowledge within the industry that disreputable companies will encourage their drivers to falsify this information. There is money to be made, after all, and things aren't getting delivered when a driver is sleeping in a truck lot. An exhausted driver, unfortunately, can be a major hazard on the highway.
The Black Box
Whenever there is a major plane crash, you'll hear talk of the "black box" on the news. This device, carried on all commercial airlines, is a recorder that captures both data and audio on board the plane. What many people don't know is that many commercial trucks are also equipped with a black box. It is there, of course, for similar reasons, and it can be valuable for police in the aftermath of a crash. While it can be used as a point of defense for the driver and his company, it can also be damning evidence against them in some circumstances. Any good attorney for tractor trailer accident cases will want to know if there is a black box in play.
Lawsuits
Should you be injured in a crash with a semi truck and wish to seek compensation, you will need to hire an attorney in tractor trailer accident law and talk about your options. The circumstances of the lawsuit will depend on who the driver worked for and his employment status. Some work completely independently as owner/operators while others work as employees of the trucking company. In either case, the company that has hired them to drive will often be at least partially responsible for the negligence. To what extent will depend on the nature of the crash and the driver's employment status.
