A crash yesterday in nearby Johnston County, North Carolina, raises an important point about extra precautions that trucking and cargo companies must take with hazardous materials and who is liable when a crash occurs.
Recent statistics on accidents involving large trucks
According to the most recent statistics available from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, of the 411,000 or so truck accidents reported in 2014, about 1 percent resulted in a fatality. Additionally, about 20 percent resulted in an injury significant enough to be reported.
What are some signs that a crash involved drowsy driving?
People who drive when they are too tired to operate a vehicle safely can put themselves and others in an extremely dangerous position. In fact, a drowsy driver can act much the same way as an intoxicated driver on the road. Particularly if the overly tired driver is using a large business vehicle, a serious or deadly accident can result from a person's poor decision to keep driving on insufficient rest.
How is 'pain and suffering' defined?
Many residents of Cary, North Carolina, may have heard the term "pain and suffering" discussed in the context of a lawsuit pertaining to a commercial vehicle accident or some other personal injury lawsuit.
How much insurance must business vehicles carry?
People in Cary, North Carolina, and the surrounding Raleigh metro area will probably know that, if they want to drive a car, they have to carry a minimum amount of insurance that will cover all or part of another person's injuries. The minimum insurance requirement protects North Carolina citizens from negligent motorists by making sure that all drivers have some means of paying compensation should they cause an accident.
Getting compensation for drunk or buzzed drivers
Last week’s post on this blog discussed how commercial drivers are held to higher standards with respect to how much alcohol they can have in their systems. One of the reasons for these higher standards is that commercial vehicles are typically larger than private cars and can therefore inflict more damage in a truck accident or commercial vehicle accident.
Commercial drivers face tougher DUI regulations
Many North Carolina residents already know that driving while drunk or drugged is illegal in this state. It is also an extremely dangerous thing to do, especially if one is driving a large truck or other type of commercial vehicle.
Holding tired or distracted commercial drivers accountable
Last week's post on this blog discussed how a commercial driver who experiences sleep apnea can easily become dangerous both to any passengers he or she is transporting and to other motorists on the road. A driver with sleep apnea is more likely than another driver to be experiencing exhaustion since he or she will not ordinarily get quality sleep at night.
How does sleep apnea affect your driving?
In a previous entry, this blog explored common causes of motor vehicle accidents, citing distractions of any kind as one of the top culprits. However, a major hindrance to safe driving, especially in drivers of commercial vehicles, originates in reduced alertness and tiredness as a result of sleep apnea.
Legal options after a North Carolina commercial vehicle accident
While it is true that a large number of North Carolina commercial vehicles, such as large trucks, mainly drives on highways or industrial roads, it is important not to ignore the fact that there are various types of commercial vehicles that also drive within city limits. For example, it is common for delivery trucks, garbage trucks and other such commercial vehicles to drive in residential areas. Occasionally, other commercial automobiles, such as construction vehicles, dump trucks and cement trucks also move through residential areas.
