Just about everyone knows that alcohol and drug consumption can affect your judgment, reaction time, and overall awareness in ways that make it virtually impossible to operate a motor vehicle safely. What is not quite so common knowledge, though, is the fact that extreme fatigue can cause many of the same effects as intoxication, which means it can often just as easily lead to serious traffic accidents.
Commercial truckers can cause especially serious harm if they get behind the wheel while overly tired. Truck drivers are also more likely to drive while tired than the average person, thanks to the rigors of their job and the long hours they spend on the road. If you have been hurt by a fatigued truck driver in a Prairieville accident, the truck injury lawyers at Tomeny | Best could help you demand compensation from every person who played a role in causing that crash to happen.
Holding a Trucking Company Liable for a Driver’s Fatigue
There is no shortage of reasons why an irresponsible truck driver might end up not getting enough sleep the night before a shift, many of which are entirely and solely their fault. It is worth emphasizing, though, that sometimes truck drivers who cause traffic crashes in Prairieville are fatigued not because of their own misconduct, but because of illegal pressure put on them by their employers to stay on the road longer and complete their routes more quickly.
As an attorney can explain in more detail, federal trucking regulations place very strict restrictions on how many hours tractor-trailer drivers can spend behind the wheel within specific periods of time, all with the intention of minimizing the risk of a fatigued trucker causing a preventable wreck. If a trucking company knowingly forces—or even unintentionally allows—an employee of theirs to violate these rules, they may hold civil liability for any accident that employee causes later because of their fatigue.
Getting Paid Fairly for Special and General Damages
Regardless of who specifically holds the blame for the fatigue of a truck driver involved in a Prairieville wreck, an ensuing lawsuit or settlement demand can seek compensation for both special and general damages stemming from that incident. Special damages are those with objective financial values, like medical bills and lost work income, whereas general damages must be valued subjectively, like physical pain and psychological trauma.
In some circumstances, a court may also see fit to impose punitive damages against the defendant(s) named in this sort of claim and award those damages as extra compensation to the injured plaintiff filing suit. However, this is an infrequent outcome reserved for cases involving extremely egregious negligence or intentionally malicious conduct, so it typically does not come into play in cases involving only a single fatigued trucker’s poor individual choices.
A Prairieville Attorney Could Help Sue Fatigued Drivers Who Cause Truck Accidents
Many factors can contribute to a truck driver being dangerously tired behind the wheel. If the outcome of that exhaustion is a life-altering traffic collision, though, what matters is who should be held financially responsible for the harm that accident has caused to someone who likely was not doing anything wrong themselves.
You have help available from seasoned truck accident lawyers with taking effective legal action over fatigued truck drivers in Prairieville accidents. Call Tomeny | Best today to schedule a free consultation.
