Prior posts on this Billings personal injury law blog have discussed the traumatic and sometimes deadly injuries that victims can sustain when they are involved in truck accidents. Big rigs, semis and other massive vehicles can cause more damage to other automobiles and motorists than their smaller roadway counterparts due to their need for increased stopping space and incredibly massive weights. As a result, more regulations apply to big trucks and their drivers than do to other types of vehicles.
For example, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration offers several examples of trucking logs that drivers may use to prove that they are in compliance with the hours of service limitations that are imposed on them by federal law. Hours of service limitations require truck drivers to stop their rigs, take breaks, and recharge their bodies so that they do not become tired or fatigued while operating their vehicles.
Tired drivers cause truck accidents and trucking logs may be used as evidence of either a driver's compliance with the rules that govern his ability to operate his rig or his failure to rest and stay safe for the benefit of other drivers and individuals on the roadways. During a trial for the recovery of a victim's truck accident damages, the contents of a driver's log book may be offered into evidence to show his possible fatigue and potential for dangerous driving.
The serious injuries that a person can sustain in a truck accident can affect him for the rest of his life. As such, it is reasonable for a victim to understand his rights to compensation so that he may become financially whole in the wake of his tragedy. Personal injury attorneys who include truck accident litigation as part of their practices can help victims protect their legal interests after their devastating truck accidents.