Truck Accident Attorney Tips

Every year truck accidents claim thousands of lives. Contributing factors range from human error and driver negligence to faulty mechanics and product defects. Although accidents happen in a matter of a few quick seconds, some truck accidents could and should be prevented.

Through routine inspection of large trucks and commercial vehicles, many mechanical issues that cause truck crashes can be controlled. The federal government has established the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to enforce uniform safety regulations for large trucks traveling between states to prevent such truck accidents.

FMCSA regulations require that trucks are regularly inspected and maintained to prevent truck crashes, injuries and fatal truck accidents. The regulations also require truck operators to have knowledge of the following general areas to ensure safe travel:

1. Safe operations regulations--Driver related elements of the regulations:

a. Motor vehicle inspection, repair, and maintenance requirements;
b. procedures for safe vehicle operations;
c. the effects of fatigue, poor vision, hearing, and general health upon safe commercial motor vehicle operation;
d. the types of motor vehicles and cargoes subject to the requirements; and
e. the effects of alcohol and drug use upon safe commercial motor vehicle operations.

2. Commercial motor vehicle safety control systems-- Proper use of the motor vehicle's safety system, including lights, horns, side and rear view mirrors, proper mirror adjustments, fire extinguishers, symptoms of improper operation revealed through instruments, motor vehicle operation characteristics, and diagnosing malfunctions. Commercial motor vehicle drivers shall have knowledge on the correct procedures needed to use these safety systems in an emergency situation, e.g., skids and loss of brakes.

3. Safe vehicle control and Control systems - The purpose and function of the controls and instruments commonly found on commercial motor vehicles.

4. Vehicle inspections objectives and proper procedures for performing vehicle safety inspections:

a. The importance of periodic inspection and repair to vehicle safety;
b. The effect of undiscovered malfunctions upon safety;
c. What safety related parts to look for when inspecting vehicles;
d. Pre-trip/enroute/post-trip inspection procedures;
e. Reporting findings.

FMCSA regulations are important not only for truck driver safety, but also to ensure safe driving conditions for everyone on the road. When such safety regulations are followed and inspections are regularly performed, truck crashes will be controlled as much as possible. However, often times truck drivers and operators fail to comply with regulations and trucks are not inspected as required, causing truck crashes.

Recently in Connecticut, truck inspections are reported to have dropped 20 percent and many other states have seen similar statistics. The decrease is reportedly due to the lack of state funding to support inspector salaries; meaning, fewer trucks on the road comply with federal regulations. The failure to comply with FMCSA regulations often causes truck accidents, resulting injuries and even death.