What Can Cause Truck Accidents On Our Louisiana Roads?
Following Too Closely>
Why is the weight of a semi important when we are talking about big truck accidents? Because while the average car traveling at 65 miles per hour takes the length of a football field to stop, a fully loaded tractor-trailer can take almost double that distance to stop.
In some cases, we ask an expert in crash reconstruction to help us determine if a truck driver failed to maintain an appropriate stopping distance, and if that failure to do so was a cause of the truck accident.
Distracted Driving
Truck drives are no less susceptible to the dangers of distracted drivers than are automobile drivers. Although they are not supposed to, truck drivers also play on their phones, get caught up in conversations with other drivers or passengers, and eat and drink while driving. Truck drivers may also find themselves filling out paperwork while driving.During the course of a truck accident case, we typically investigate whether the truck driver was distracted by studying the police report and interviewing witnesses.
Falling Asleep And Drowsy Driving
Although there are laws as to how many hours a truck driver is allowed to drive before being required to take a rest, there are still truck drivers who fall asleep behind the wheel. The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) requires interstate truck drivers to take breaks after driving long hours and even caps the number of hours a driver must take off during a work period.In a truck accident case, it is common for us to request records of a truck driver’s driving log in order to establish if the driver followed the rules regarding maximum driving periods.
Intoxication And Drug Use
In most cases when a truck driver is suspected to be intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, they will be required to submit to an alcohol and/or drug test. Louisiana has severe penalties for intoxicated driving which may subject the driver (and in some cases, his company) to punitive damages.Preserving evidence of a driver’s intoxication is very important. We have even had cases where the at-fault truck driver was suspected to be intoxicated, but was whisked away from the accident scene before his intoxication could be fully investigated.
Have You Been Injured In A Covington Area Truck Accident?
If you've been hurt in a semi-truck or large vehicle accident you need to speak with an experienced truck accident lawyer as soon as possible. Please contact me online or call my Covington office directly at 985.590.6182 to schedule your free consultation today. I help clients throughout Louisiana including Mandeville, Slidell, Bogalusa, Franklinton, Hammond, New Orleans and Metairie.