With more trucks moving products on our nation’s highways than ever before, we are seeing an increase in injuries from truck accidents in the state of Tennessee. Because of their size, trucks, “big rigs,” and 18-wheelers involved in accidents typically cause serious injuries and in some cases, even death.
Extra care and caution should be exercised when sharing the roadways with these types of vehicles, which can often turn into flying missles.
Large trucks carry everything from food to liquids to hazardous materials and weigh thousands of pounds. They are often not easy to control, even for the most experienced drivers.
Truck operators must be well trained and exhibit great caution and care. Unfortunately, many trucking companies take shortcuts and do not properly train their drivers, creating many inexperienced truckers. Many of them even violate state and federal laws by operating these vehicles for long periods of time without rest. Additionally, many companies do not implement adequate screening and background checks when hiring their drivers, putting others on the road at risk.
There are many Truck Driving Training Programs that can assist trucking companies in training drivers to comply with the DOT’s (Department of Transportation) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR). These include, but are not limited to: driver qualification, PPE, drug and alcohol testing, trucking logs, material handling and hazardous material labels. With the use of the training and programs, trucking companies can acquire and retain safer drivers and implement consistent driver management controls (across their entire fleet operation), and adhere to the DOT’s FMCSR.
Regardless of these steps, accidents can and will happen. When they do, be sure to call the attorneys at Stillman and Friedland for advice on all the important facts that you must know in truck accident cases involving serious injury or death.
To better assist drivers, you may download the FREE accident app from Stillman and Friedland HERE.
Be careful and have a safe holiday season.
