Dallas Truck Accident Attorney

Texas is a big state with plenty of roads, and you are sure to see plenty of large trucks. Unfortunately, sometimes accidents involving large trucks do happen, and often it is due to someone else’s negligence. If you need a Dallas truck accident attorney, The Law Office of Dorothy Hyde is standing by to take your case. 

Big trucks are everywhere delivering our goods and helping to build our infrastructure. Usually, these trucks are owned by a company that operates multiple vehicles.

Large commercial trucks weigh tens of thousands of pounds and the men and women who drive them have a big responsibility. They have to obtain their commercial driver’s license before they can operate and many drivers have to get specific endorsements depending on what they will be transporting (hazmat, passengers, etc.).

Companies that own these trucks are responsible for keeping them roadworthy. If they skip regular inspections and maintenance, the vehicle could suffer any number of things that could harm others on the roadway. Brake failure or engine failure could lead to a driver losing control of the truck.

All material on trucks should be secured, especially if there is an open bed. How often have you seen a truck with recently chopped trees on the back? Imagine how much damage one of those trees could do to a vehicle.

Commercial truck drivers should follow all driving hour requirements. If they don’t, and they are driving while exhausted, the consequences could be deadly. If a driver is operating while distracted by their phones or driving impaired by drugs or alcohol, then they should be held liable for any damages or injuries they cause.

A large truck has the potential to cause major damage to multiple vehicles at once as well as pedestrians near the roadway. Anyone hit by one could suffer major injuries.

If you’ve been in an accident involving a truck, the Law Office of Dorothy Hyde has a team waiting to help you answer your questions. Our Dallas truck accident attorneys are experienced and knowledgeable with these cases. We will put that experience to work to ensure you are properly compensated.

What kind of compensation? First, we need to make sure all of your medical needs are taken care of, both immediate and potential long-term (including rehabilitation and extended care). We also want to make sure you get money for any lost income if you can’t work. If you are disabled for the short or long term, we will work to get loss of future income compensation as well. We don’t want you to suffer financially while you need to be focusing on healing. You can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling us at (214) 883-1700. We’ll do the hard work so you can focus on getting better.

What makes 18-wheeler truck accidents so dangerous? Several factors, including an 18-wheeler’s size and inability to maneuver efficiently in emergency situations, make injury potential (usually sustained by occupants of the other vehicle/s involved the accident) much greater and more severe. Most vehicles on the road weigh in the 3,000 to 4,000 pound range while an 18-wheeler can weigh 80,000 pounds! That’s hardly a fair fight.

In 2017, 24,784 of these big rigs were involved in accidents on our Texas roadways. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports that Texas is one of ten states with the highest average of fatal large truck and bus crashes. FMCSA further reports that 61% of fatal truck accidents occurred on rural roads and that means the other 39% of fatal truck accidents happen on highways and in urban areas like our own Dallas roadways.

In an effort to make roadways safer for everyone who uses them, Federal and Texas State laws regulate the trucking industry. If you have been in an accident with an 18-wheeler, contact the Law Office of Dorothy Hyde to speak with a Dallas truck accident attorney. Our truck accident team will conduct a thorough investigation that includes checking to see whether or not the driver of the 18-wheeler was in compliance with trucking regulations. Our investigation will examine facts and details relating to regulations including the following:

• At the time of the accident was the driver in compliance with Hours of Service regulations that limit the hours and consecutive days that property and passenger carrying drivers may operate their vehicles?
• Was the 18-wheeler properly maintained by the driver and/or trucking company?
• Was the driver distracted at the time of the accident by cell/text/email or other prohibited conduct?
• Was the driver properly licensed and trained in accordance with Texas and federal regulations?
• Was the 18-wheeler’s freight loaded in compliance with safe loading standards?
• Was the driver impaired by drugs, alcohol, or driving fatigue?

Following an 18-wheeler truck accident, it is critical that information is preserved such as accident recordings (trucks may be equipped with cameras) and driver logs. If you are not familiar with regulations that govern the trucking industry, let our truck accident experts help you with evidence gathering and regulation checks that may help to strengthen your case and potential for recovery.

 As mentioned above, the immense size and weight of an 18-wheeler can cause devastating injuries including permanent impairment or death. There are many factors that must be evaluated in order to determine the recovery amount that will fully compensate you for your injuries. If you are in an accident caused by a truck driver’s negligence, you may be entitled to recover an amount that includes your medical bills (including past, ongoing, and future medical needs), loss of wages, loss of future wages, pain and suffering, and compensation for physical impairment or disability. contact the Law Office of Dorothy Hyde to find the Dallas truck accident attorney who will work to see that you receive the compensation to which you are entitled. 

According to a recent Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) report, there were 3,864 fatalities in the US in 2016 in accidents involving large trucks and 83% of those fatalities were not large truck occupants. In other words, of those 2016 large truck accident fatalities, 3,207 people who died were occupants in other vehicles that collided with the large trucks. And bringing it closer to home, in 2016 there were 556 large truck accident fatalities in Texas. Large trucks are defined by the FMCSA as weighing 10,000 pounds or more. A Dallas semi-truck accident attorney will help you determine if a vehicle meets the definition for a large truck by the FMSCA.

Semi-truck drivers and trucking companies are regulated by federal and Texas State regulations. There are regulations related to driver’s licensing, safety training requirements, safe freight loading standards, and vehicle maintenance requirements. There are also limits as to the hours and consecutive days that a truck driver may drive in an effort to cut back on driver fatigue. These regulations are intended to keep our Texas roadways and its drivers safe. If you or a loved one was injured in a semi-truck accident, contact the Law Office of Dorothy Hyde to consult with a Dallas semi-truck accident attorney.

 A number of causes can contribute to a semi-truck accident including inclement weather, improper vehicle maintenance, limited maneuverability, truck driver negligence such as distracted driving and operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and driver fatigue. Due to their size (they can weigh up to 80,000 pounds) and design, semi-trucks involved in motor vehicle accidents can and do cause devastating injuries. 

May 17, 2018  – A jury awarded $90M to truck accident plaintiffs. There was one fatality and multiple injuries suffered by occupants of a pickup truck that was struck by a semi-truck after the pickup truck hit a patch of black ice and spun into the path of the semi-truck. The truck driver was not speeding or charged with any wrongdoing by the police. The defendant truck company intends to appeal.

July 17, 2018 – A jury awarded $101M to a truck accident plaintiff. $75M of the award was for punitive damages. The truck driver was found to have marijuana and methamphetamines in his system. Additionally there was testimony that documents regarding the driver’s safety training had been falsified as well as allegations that the company did not follow its own safety policy in hiring the employee truck driver.

What do these two cases mean to you? They mean that Texas juries are not letting large trucks and trucking companies off the hook anymore. Juries are seeking to hold the trucking industry accountable for bad actions and practices in an effort to keep our Texas roadways safe.

 Our Dallas truck accident attorneys will conduct a thorough investigation of your case by looking into the truck driver’s prior accidents and driving record as well as company records, obtaining accident video if it exists, accident reports, and witness statements. We’ve been through this many times and we will go the distance to see that you are fully compensated for your injuries. Contact the Law Office of Dorothy Hyde to speak with someone today. 

Trailer truck accidents are incredibly dangerous and can cause catastrophic injuries including permanent impairment or even death. Chances are, the vehicle you regularly travel in is much smaller than a trailer truck. Trailer trucks can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds and are designed to haul freight long distances, but they are not designed to stop quickly or maneuver efficiently in emergency situations. On top of that, it is not uncommon for trailer trucks to haul hazardous materials that can cause additional injuries in the event of an accident.

Here in Texas, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there are more large truck drivers employed in our state than any other state. The 2017 report found 182,370 truck drivers employed in the state of Texas, so it is no wonder that Texas sees more large truck accidents regularly occurring on our roads than most other states.In 2017 alone,there were 24,784 accidents involving at least one big rig in Texas.

The most important step is seeing that you seek necessary medical treatment for injuries sustained in the accident. The second priority is gathering as much information and evidence as possible. You will need to get the truck driver’s information, his or her employer, and insurance information. If possible, you should take photos and get contact information for witnesses. Finally, you should write down everything about the accident that you recall. Be sure to note all of the accident details including events that took place immediately prior to the accident and everything that happened afterwards, especially statements made by the truck driver and other witnesses.

In the event that the truck driver’s insurance company contacts you, you should be aware of two potential dangers to your case: 1. The insurance company will try to find any fault that can be attributed to you and anything you say to them in an interview may be used to do just that. 2. Insurance companies usually want to settle quickly for the least amount of money possible. It is probably not in your best interest to agree to their settlement offer without any negotiations. This is where a Dallas truck accident attorney’s expertise will be extremely beneficial. Our expert truck accident team at the Law Office of Dorothy Hyde understands the ins and outs of negotiating with insurance companies and we will see that any settlement agreement fully and fairly compensates you for your injuries and damages..

In order to recover for damages and injuries sustained in a trailer truck accident, you will have to prove that the other driver’s fault caused the accident. Our Dallas truck accident attorneys will help you gather the evidence you need to prove the defendant’s fault. We will investigate all avenues that may lead to evidence of fault by taking the following steps:

• Request driver data consisting of time logs, distance traveled, and how many/which days worked prior to the accident.
• Seek to obtain any existing video of the accident from the trailer truck, other vehicles on the road at the time of the accident, and local businesses.
• Review defendant’s driving history for prior accident involvement and citations received.

Contact the Law Office of Dorothy Hyde to set up a consultation. We will explore your damages and injuries and all legal avenues to see that you are fully compensated.

Semi trailers frequently travel our Texas roads hauling freight to various parts of the country. In fact, Texas sees more semi trailers than most other states because more truck drivers are employed in Texas than any other state. While that is good for our trucking employment numbers, it may not be as good for passenger vehicles that share the roads with these semi trailers. Trucking is a dangerous industry and accidents with large trucks can cause grave injuries and even death. A Dallas semi trailer accidents attorney offers a free consultation after one of these devastating accidents.

According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety’s 2016 fatal large truck accident report, 17% of fatalities were large truck occupants and 82% of the fatalities were passenger vehicle occupants, pedestrians, or bicyclists.  Last year in Texas there was a total of 24,784 large truck accidents. 3,758 of those accidents caused injuries and fatalities according to the Texas Department of Transportation. So what do these statistics show us? There are a lot of large truck accidents in Texas that cause injuries and fatalities to mostly non-truck occupants involved in the accidents.

 Recent cases have seen plaintiff verdicts for upwards of $90M against large truck defendants. Semi trailer drivers are in charge of extremely large vehicles that can be death traps if not operated with extreme caution and care. Passenger vehicles that usually weigh between 3,000 and 4,000 pounds don’t stand a chance against semi trailers that can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. As a result, injuries to passenger vehicle occupants can be extremely severe or deadly. These recent cases show that juries want to see large truck defendants take responsibility for their actions and they want Texas truck accident plaintiffs to be well compensated for their injuries. 

 Texas is what is known as a modified comparative fault state. This means that a plaintiff is entitled to recover for injuries and damages sustained in a motor vehicle accident so long as he or she is not 51% or more at fault for the accident. The portion of fault allocated to him or her will reduce a plaintiff’s recovery by that portion. For example, if your damages and injuries are $200,000 and you are found to be 20% at fault, your recovery will be reduced by 20% to $160,000. This means that even if you were found to be 20% at fault, you will still recover 80% of your injuries and damages which could still be a significant amount. 

 Insurance companies are professionals when it comes to handling car accidents and interviewing other parties. Their goal will likely be to settle quickly, for as little as possible. They will probably call you soon after the accident, maybe even before you and your loved one/s know the extent of injuries incurred. Do not try to settle a semi trailer accident by yourself. Contact a Dallas truck accident attorney at the Law Office of Dorothy Hyde who will go to work to see that you are fully compensated for your damages and injuries. 

There were approximately 475,000 large truck accidents that occurred in the United States in 2016 and close to 25,000 of them happened on Texas roadways. Big rig accidents are not like passenger vehicle accidents they are generally much more severe due to the size and weight of the big rig. Large truck occupants are much less likely to sustain injuries than other people involved the accident.  Passenger vehicle occupants, pedestrians, and bicyclists are at a huge disadvantage as they sustain most of the injuries in big rig accidents. A big rig accident attorney will help you hold the negligent party responsible for their actions, no matter the size of the vehicle. 

In an effort to keep Texas roads safe for everyone, trucking companies and big rig drivers are subject to both State of Texas and federal rules and regulations. The purpose of the rules and regulations is to be sure that truck drivers are properly trained and physically ready to operate their big rigs on the road next to other drivers, including those passenger vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists that are extremely vulnerable next to them. Federal and state laws regulate activities such as how many hours a driver may operate his or her vehicle, how many consecutive days he or she may drive, safety training, and safe freight loading and carrying practices. 

The significant size and weight of these vehicles (they can be 20 to 30 times heavier than passenger vehicles)make them extremely dangerous on the road. In addition to the obvious size factor compared to surrounding vehicles, there are other dangers specific to big rigs resulting from a combination of their size, design, and freight. See below for some of their characteristic dangers:

• Propensity to jackknife – A jackknife occurs when the cab of a big rig stops suddenly and the trailer is not able to stop because of forward momentum. The trailer then swings out to the side and takes out anything in its way.
• Underriding – Underriding occurs when a passenger vehicle slides under big rigs in an accident due to the truck’s higher ground clearance. This often causes decapitation and other fatal injuries to passenger vehicle occupants.
• Freight/hazardous material spillage – When freight or hazardous materials spill out from a big rig trailer, injuries can occur if vehicles come into contact with these materials. Other accidents can be caused between vehicles trying to avoid coming into contact with the spilled materials.
• Blind spots – Big rigs often have blind spots all over their vehicles from the sides, to the back, and the front due to their size, height, and lack of windows. Mirrors can help, but blind spots still exist.
• Inability to break quickly or efficiently – Big rigs have difficulty breaking because of their weight and size and the heavier they are, the longer it takes them to brake. That is unfortunate in situations that require them to stop quickly in order to avoid an accident.
• Inability to maneuver quickly and efficiently – Big rigs are so large and heavy that compared to passenger vehicles, they really have no way to swerve adeptly in situations where they need to do so in order to avoid hitting a car or some other obstruction.

If you or a loved one has sustained injuries and damages in a big rig accident, contact a Dallas big rig accident attorney at the Law Office of Dorothy Hyde for a consultation. We know the devastation that big rig accidents can cause and we will do everything in our power to see that you are fully and fairly compensated for your damages and injuries.

We all know what garbage trucks are for – they pick up waste and trash across Dallas or any other city and transport it to landfills or recycling facilities. You have probably seen at least one of those garbage trucks in your neighborhood this week, or, if you weren’t lucky, you may have collided with a garbage truck and are looking forward to recovering damages.

Here at Law Office of Dorothy Hyde, our Dallas garbage truck accident attorney has decades of experience in dealing with garbage truck companies and their insurance companies in Dallas and all across Texas. We have seen it all: bad faith insurance tactics used to minimize or deny legitimate claims, trucking companies destroying or tampering with key evidence, and truck drivers who constantly come up with all kinds of excuses to escape liability.

But each time our lawyer took a case to represent victims of a garbage truck accident, there was only one outcome: our client received the so-needed financial compensation for their injury and resulting damages.

Garbage trucks, also known as waste collection vehicles (WCV) and waste disposal vehicles (WDV), pick up waste and trash from residential homes and commercial properties to make our cities cleaner. Since garbage trucks are rather bulky, heavy, difficult to maneuver, and have numerous blind spots, this makes them prone to being involved in motor vehicle accidents with other vehicles.

Our experienced garbage truck accident attorney in Dallas explains that colliding with a waste collection vehicle can lead to catastrophic and disastrous consequences if you are driving a passenger car, riding on a motorcycle or bicycle, or walking on foot as a pedestrian.

In fact, an average passenger car weigh around two tons, while an average garbage truck in Texas can weigh up 32 tons (that’s 16 times more!). The consequences can be deadly when a garbage truck hits a pedestrian. This scenario is not uncommon since these vehicles collect trash and recyclables in neighborhoods, alleyways, and other residential areas.

Although motor vehicle accidents involving garbage trucks can be caused by a variety of factors, including a truck driver getting distracted by a cockroach inside the vehicle, the most common causes of garbage truck accidents are as follows:

• Distracted driving (texting and driving, talking on the phone, or cockroaches, among other things that take the driver’s attention away from the task of safe driving)
• Exceeding the speed limit
• Backing up without checking blind spots
• Overloaded or overweight garbage trucks
• Improperly loaded or secured loads
• Drowsy driving or driver fatigue
• Failure to yield the right of way
• Poorly inspected and maintained garbage trucks
• Defective garbage trucks or their parts and components
• Unsafe lane changes
• Failure to warn of the driver’s intention to change lanes, turn, or performing a backing maneuver
• Traveling in an incorrect lane when picking up trash and
• Violating traffic rules

Regardless of what was the cause of your garbage truck accident, you will have to prove negligence on the part of the garbage truck driver, trucking company, the driver’s employer, government entity (city, municipality, or county) or other parties involved. In fact, in many cases, multiple parties can be held responsible when you get injured in a car crash involving a garbage truck.

Who can be held responsible for your accident with a garbage truck depends on who owns and maintains this vehicle. If it’s a government or public entity (city, municipality, or county), you will need to be represented by a Dallas garbage truck crash lawyer, because the process of suing a government entity is very different from the process of suing a private waste management company or private garbage trucking company.

Schedule a free consultation with our personal injury lawyers from Law Office of Dorothy Hyde to discuss your case and determine liable parties. Call our offices at (214) 883-1700 today.

Being in a motor vehicle accident with an overweight or overloaded truck can result in disastrous consequences. What’s worse, it can be extremely difficult to prove that the truck was overloaded or improperly loaded to hold someone responsible for your injury and damages.

Here at Law Office of Dorothy Hyde, our Dallas overweight and overloaded truck accident attorney knows what it really takes to recover damages, especially when you are up against a trucking company that is trying cover its tracks and destroy evidence proving that the truck was not loaded in compliance with federal and state regulations.

 “Why is this so serious?” you may be wondering. Why do overweight and overloaded trucks pose such a serious threat to the safety of motorists and the trucker himself or herself? When a truck driver is operating a truck that is carrying more weight or more cargo than its maximum capacity, the trucker is more likely to lose control of the vehicle and may fail to break in time to avoid a collision.

Overweight and overloaded trucks also carry the risk of tipping over. “In some cases, the cargo of an overloaded truck may even become loose and crash into other motorists or pedestrians,” warns our experienced overweight and overloaded truck accident attorney in Dallas.

There are several federal and state agencies that govern not only truck operations but also the maximum weight capacity of cargo that semi-trucks, 18-wheelers, big rigs, and trailer trucks are allowed to carry. When imposing size and weight restrictions on truck vehicles, many factors come into play, including but not limited to the truck’s gross weight, working load limit, the number of axles, and its braking ability.

In order to ensure that trucking companies and truck drivers are following these laws, there are special weigh stations and other inspections programs preventing overloaded and overweight trucks from driving on U.S. roads and highways. Still, many trucking companies and drivers manage to bypass these inspections programs so that they can carry more cargo in fewer trips.

Unfortunately, those who break these laws endanger themselves and other motorists on the roads and highways. But what makes overloaded and overweight trucks so dangerous?

• An overloaded truck puts extreme pressure on its tires, which can result in an accident caused by a tire blowout
• It is much more difficult to operate an overloaded truck, because too much cargo affects its stopping time, braking ability, as well as speed
• An overloaded truck becomes very unpredictable when traveling downhill
• An overloaded truck requires a longer distance to stop
• An overloaded truck has a higher center of gravity, which can lead to rollover and tip over truck accidents
• An overloaded truck whose cargo has not been properly secured may lose its cargo and
• An overloaded truck can do severe damage to roads, highways, and bridges (wear-and-tear)

Okay, now that we have established that overloaded and overweight trucks are super dangerous, let’s figure out who can be held responsible for accidents caused by improperly loaded or overloaded trucks.

More often than not, a trucking company can be held liable for your injury caused by a truck accident with an overloaded truck, because it is the company’s responsibility to load trucks. However, in some instances, truck drivers can be held responsible, too, especially if they knew or should have known that the truck they are driving exceeds the maximum weight capacity of cargo.

Speak to our lawyers at Law Office of Dorothy Hyde to determine liable parties in your particular case and preserve evidence proving that the truck was overweight or overloaded. Schedule a free consultation by calling at (214) 883-1700.

Logging trucks haul millions of loads of logs on Texas’s roadways and highways each year. If you have a vehicle in Dallas or elsewhere in the state, you have probably seen one of those logging trucks earlier this week.

While logging trucks are a vital element of our state economy, the biggest problem with these trucks is that many of them are poorly maintained, dangerously overloaded, and driven by unqualified and inexperienced truckers. Not to mention that many of these logging trucks in Dallas do not carry adequate insurance to cover your losses and damages in the event of a logging truck accident.

“The most common cause of road accidents involving logging trucks is negligent loading and securing of the logs,” says our Dallas logging truck accident attorney at the Law Office of Dorothy Hyde.

Loading and securing the logs is an art in itself because the logs are rarely symmetrical and identical. When loads in cargo differ in size and weight, there is a likelihood that these logs could roll or become unstable while driving, not to mention that logs that were not loaded and secured properly can hang off the end of the truck, limiting the truck driver’s visibility, and can come loose and slam into the windshields of other vehicles.

In other cases, improperly loaded or secured cargo on logging trucks can become unbalanced and cause the truck to tip over when turning.

Because logging trucks are the most unstable trucks on our roads and because there is a high risk of negligent loading and securing of the logs on logging trucks, truck drivers and trucking companies operating these trucks must take extra caution to ensure that their loads are properly loaded and secure, while the vehicles are properly maintained.

Besides improperly loaded logs, these are other common causes of logging truck accidents in Dallas and elsewhere in Texas:

• Failure to obey traffic rules
• Speeding
• Making unsafe lane changes
• Failure to yield the right of way
• Truck driver fatigue or falling asleep while driving
• Drunk or drugged driving
• Distracted driving
• Inadequate training
• Lack of qualification
• Reckless driving
• Poorly maintained logging truck
• Overloaded trucks and
• Improperly secured loads

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has very strict and specific rules and requirements for securing and loading logging trucks. “Failure to follow these rules and requirements makes the truck driver, his or her trucking company, and other parties negligent and liable for any resulting damages and losses,” explains our experienced logging truck accident attorney in Dallas.

Under the FMCSA rules for logging trucks, the logs cannot exceed specific size, weight and length requirements. These logs can be transported only on trucks that have been specifically designed and built for the transportation of logs, which must be secured by using tie-downs, load stabilization bunks, and other tools in a way to prevent rolling, shifting, falling, and otherwise moving while being transported.

In order to determine fault in a logging truck crash, you will need to consult with a skilled truck accident lawyer. Much will depend on whether or not the logs were negligently secured and loaded and who was responsible for loading, securing, supervising, and inspecting the logs.

Schedule a free consultation with our attorneys from the Law Office of Dorothy Hyde to establish fault in your case. Call our offices at (214) 883-1700 today.

Regardless of whether you prefer FedEx, UPS, or any other delivery company, there is always a risk of colliding with a delivery truck if you own a car in Dallas or elsewhere in Texas.

With an increasing number of Americans ditching the traditional way of making purchases (going or driving to a brick-and-mortar store), the popularity of e-Commerce continues rising year by year at an exponential rate. And, unsurprisingly, the demand for delivery trucks is rising proportionately, because someone’s got to transport all those items from one state to another to deliver them to our doorstep.

Since America has a shortage of truck drivers, a number of trucking companies have to set unrealistic deadlines for their drivers in order to be able to deliver items to their customers fast and with no delays. “Unfortunately, it does not always go smooth, as truckers facing tight deadlines and being under constant pressure often get into motor vehicle accidents,” explains our Dallas delivery truck accident attorney at the Law Office of Dorothy Hyde.

Most of us do not think about what goes behind the scenes of doorstep delivery. All we care about is that our purchases get delivered on time. Many of you have probably experienced delays in delivery and got frustrated for having to complain about it to the delivery company or seller. But what you did not realize is that in most of these cases, delivery truck crashes are to blame for the delays.

Unfortunately, getting your delivery delayed is not the worst thing that can happen, as people can get hurt in those motor vehicle crashes involving delivery trucks. And in many cases, the delivery truck driver is at fault for causing that crash because his or her employer (delivery company) set tight deadlines and made the driver work in a stressful environment under constant pressure.

“As you can imagine, it is only a matter of time before a stressed-out, overworked, burned-out, fatigued, and drowsy driver of a delivery truck causes a motor vehicle accident, in which other motorists, passengers, pedestrians, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and others can get hurt,” says our experienced delivery truck accident attorney in Dallas.

Causes of delivery truck accidents vary from one case to another, but a large percentage of them are stemming from the trucker’s employer setting unrealistic deadlines, encouraging drivers to violate traffic laws and other regulations in order to transport deliveries from point A to point B faster and with minimum delays.

Some of the most common causes of motor vehicle crashes involving delivery trucks include:

• Speeding
• Failure to yield the right of way
• Failure to engage parking brake when delivering a package
• Failure to maintain a safe distance between vehicles
• Distracted driving
• Running red lights
• Failure to operate a delivery truck safely in poor road or weather conditions
• Drowsy driving or falling asleep while driving
• Failure to use turn signals
• Making unsafe lane changes
• Suddenly accelerating or coming to an abrupt stop to deliver a package
• Lack of training or supervision from the employer
• Overloaded delivery trucks
• Failure to properly secure cargo in the delivery truck and
• Drunk or drugged driving

If you have been in a delivery truck accident, there can be multiple liable parties, including the trucker, his or her employer (delivery company), third-party company responsible for the maintenance and loading of cargo, the manufacturer of the delivery truck, an auto mechanic responsible for inspection of the truck, and many others.

It is advised to speak to a Dallas truck accident lawyer from the Law Office of Dorothy Hyde to determine liability in your particular case and ensure that you are getting the compensation you deserve. Call our offices at (214) 883-1700 to schedule a free consultation.

Since trucks weigh up to 80,000 pounds, they are difficult to maneuver, have a plethora of blind spots, and need a longer braking distance compared to passenger cars, truck drivers must stay focused on the road and vigilant of their surroundings at all times.

And while most truck drivers realize the importance of operating a truck safely, there are many of those who sacrifice sleep in an attempt to earn more by staying awake for longer hours. Fatigued driving impairs a truck driver’s reaction times and decision-making abilities, increasing the likelihood of a truck crash caused by a fatigued driver.

“Lack of sleep and driver fatigue is responsible for an estimated up to 40 percent of all truck accidents in the U.S.,” says a Dallas truck driver fatigue accident attorney at Law Office of Dorothy Hyde. “Yes, fatigued driving is a serious problem and is one of the leading causes of truck accidents in our country.”

Fatigue while operating a truck can be caused by several factors, including lack of sleep, driving for many hours in a row, and being pressured by the employer (trucking company) to deliver cargo on time. A truck driver may exhibit signs of fatigue even when he or she does not get just a few hours of sleep.

For this reason, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) imposed regulations that require truck drivers in Texas and all across the U.S. to take frequent rest breaks to prevent driver fatigue. Under the FMCSA’s hours of service (HOS) rule, truck drivers are prohibited from operating a truck for more than 11 hours in a row after taking 10 consecutive hours off.

Specifically, a truck driver is allowed to drive a maximum of 60 hours in one week (seven days) or 70 hours in eight days. Unfortunately, the HOS rule is not followed by all truckers in Dallas and elsewhere in Texas.

ome of you may wonder, “Okay, those hours of service rules are great, but how do I prove that a truck driver failed to follow this rule when trying to prove that my truck accident was caused by a fatigued driver?” Good question. Our experienced truck driver fatigue accident attorney in Dallas explains that there is a rule in place that requires all truck drivers to keep a log book detailing how many hours they have been driving and how many hours of rest they have taken.

Truck drivers are required to maintain this log book for every 24 hours of service. Trucking companies, meanwhile, have a duty to ensure that their drivers keep log books and that these log books are not falsified by the driver (e.g., by checking when the driver took off from point A and what was the estimated number of hours to arrive at point B).

As you may have guessed by now, a log book can become a key piece of evidence in your personal injury case when trying to recover damages after a truck accident caused by drowsiness, fatigue or lack of sleep.

Oftentimes, victims of this type of truck accident are able to hold the trucking company accountable because there is evidence that the company “over-scheduled” its truck drivers or failed to properly monitor the number of hours their drivers spent when delivering cargo from point A to point B. In fact, cases where trucking companies set unrealistic deadlines or schedules for their truck drivers, which, as a result, led to lack of sleep and fatigue, are not unheard of.

Consult with our truck accident lawyers at Law Office of Dorothy Hyde to determine liable parties in your case, evaluate your damages, and build a strong legal case against the fatigued truck driver, his or her trucking companies, and other parties. Call our offices at (214) 883-1700 for a free case evaluation.