Oklahoma Tractor-Trailer Trucking Accidents - Attorneys and Lawsuits
Learn about trucking accidents and
your legal rights. The following information is provided by the Oklahoma truck accident
lawyers at Atkins & Markoff.
Major And Minor Injury Auto Accidents in Oklahoma
Motorcycle Accidents in Oklahoma
Tractor-Trailer Trucking Accidents in Oklahoma
SUV Rollovers in Oklahoma
Truck Accidents in Oklahoma
More than 130,000 injuries involving tractor trailers
(semi trucks) occur every year in America. Tractor-trailers operate with
limited visibility, maneuverability, and braking ability. Those
limitations, in conjunction with the relative enormity of these vehicles,
make tractor-trailers particularly dangerous to passenger vehicles. Of
the total number of tractor trailer-related trucking accidents, 79 percent
of those injured are occupants of another vehicle. Improper loading of
tractor-trailers creates a different type of hazardous condition that can
result in high-speed cargo expulsion and can even contribute to
tractor-trailer rollover.
Trucking Safety Standards
In order to reduce the number of large truck-related
trucking accidents, the trucking industry is required to meet strict safety
standards that affect not only the way these trucks are driven, but the
way they are loaded and maintained as well. Failure to comply with these standards
can create dangerous conditions that may result in truck accidents. According to
the Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration (FMCSA) truck drivers must:
- Hold a current license to operate a commercial motor vehicle
- Be at least 21 years old
- Be physically qualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle
- Adhere to limits on maximum driving times (A basic guideline is that
drivers should not be on the road for more than ten hours a day.)
- Regularly inspect their vehicles to ensure that appropriate maintenance
standards have been met
Causes of Trucking Accidents
A major cause of truck accidents is driver fatigue. Truck
drivers are under constant pressure to deliver goods as quickly as possible
and will often delay taking the breaks that they need to make deliveries on
time. The FMCSA has estimated that between 75 and 120 fatalities due to truck
accidents could have been avoided in 2002 if truckers had compiled with Hours
of Service (HOS) regulations. The administration further noted that in 2002,
fatigue-related trucking accidents cost well over two billion dollars.
Thorough investigation is often required to discover if and
how truck driving, loading, and maintenance noncompliance contributed to a
truck accident. If such an investigation is not ordered in a timely fashion,
critical evidence may be lost forever. It is very important
that individuals who have been involved in trucking accidents obtain legal
counsel as soon as possible. Truck accident lawyers, in particular, will be
familiar with the laws and regulations truck drivers are required to follow.
Truck Accident Attorneys for Lawsuits in Oklahoma
If you or a family member has been injured in a trucking accident,
the truck accident lawyers at Atkins & Markoff - located in Oklahoma - can help.
Please contact our Oklahoma truck accident lawyers
for more information about truck accident lawsuits in Oklahoma.
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