Driver fatigue is at the heart of many big rig accidents, contributing to an estimated 40%. When fatigue is involved there may also be other factors that led to the accident. Determining whether fatigue was involved and the underlying cause of fatigue can help in determining who was responsible if you were injured in an accident involving a big rig. Florida tractor trailer accident attorneys David Best, P.A. and Dutch Anderson, P.A. will thoroughly investigate your accident to help you get the compensation your deserve.
Causes of Fatigue Hidden in Trucking Records
Hours of Service (HOS) regulations are federal laws dictating how much time truckers can spend on the road and how many consecutive hours they must spend off duty between shifts and in between work weeks. HOS rules were created to reduce driver fatigue causing big rig accidents.
Truck drivers are required to keep log books where they record the number of hours they spend on the road. In order to meet the demanding schedules of trucking companies some truck drivers violate HOS rules and falsify their log book entries. Many trucking companies even encourage their drivers to falsify their entries. Truckers also keep receipts for their fuel purchases. These receipts are date and time stamped. When log book entries and receipts are in conflict, it can indicate an HOS violation leading to fatigue.
Other Causes of Fatigue
Even truck drivers who comply with HOS rules are subject to fatigue. Hazardous, stressful, or monotonous driving conditions, difficulty sleeping due to poor parking accommodations, problems with spouses due to long period of time away from home and many other factors can cause driver fatigue.
If you have been injured in a tractor trailer accident in Florida, please contact David Best, P.A. and Dutch Anderson, P.A. to schedule your free case evaluation and find out how we can help you and your family today.
