For most Kansas City residents, there are likely very few days that go by where a driver doesn’t encounter a commercial truck. These trucks-, and therefore truck drivers. play a very important role in the Missouri economy. Without these drivers, Missouri residents would not have access to the wide variety of consumer goods or raw materials that we experience now.
In many cases, commercial truck drivers are safe. They take their jobs seriously and want to avoid accidents. However, there is a certain percentage of truck drivers that ignore safety rules-, like hours of service rules-, and health standards. These drivers drive while intoxicated, distracted and tired.
Tired truck drivers pose serious safety risks to all those on the roads. They can have slower reaction times, fall asleep at the wheel or make poor decisions. Lifestyle choices and health risks associated with trucking can cause conditions like sleep apnea which can increase a truck driver’s fatigue. With sleep apnea, for example, drivers may be stopping to sleep but not actually getting quality rest.
Truck driver fatigue is a huge problem within the industry. Drivers are pushed to the edges in order to meet financial incentives. Despite health issues or exhaustion, some drivers push on. In fact, one study found that one-third of all truck drivers had sleep apnea.
Our law firm understands the dangers of truck driver fatigue and just how easily it can cause a serious truck accident. While a truck driver may suffer very few injuries in such an accident, people in passenger cars are not often this lucky. Large trucks can cause debilitating injuries that require extensive treatment.
For more than a decade, our attorneys have worked to help truck accident victims. We have helped people assess the damage done by an accident to ensure that they have a chance to receive the proper compensation for their injuries. In many cases, this can include uncovering evidence of driver fatigue. This evidence might come from employment records, witness statements or a truck driver’s log. Whatever the source, with the right information, it can be shown that a truck driver was responsible for an accident in some cases. Our truck driver fatigue web page has more information on how our firm can help those injured in a truck accident.