A personal injury attorney certainly is familiar with the financial consequences of unsafe driving that may result in injuries to another person. For example, a crash victim who is able to persuade a civil jury of the offending driver’s negligence may be able to recover a damages award. Negligent driving that results in personal or property damages may also impact insurance rates.
Yet more than just personal vehicles occupy New York’s roads and highways. Commercial trucking is big business, and potentially deadly: An estimated 4,000 Americans are fatally wounded in motor vehicle accidents with trucks each year, and a staggering 100,000 more suffer injuries.
Some safety advocates believe that the business aspect of commercial trucking may motivate drivers into unsafe or even negligent behaviors, in spite of federal regulations that seek to limit behind-the-wheel hours. For example, a recent survey by the American Trucking Associations indicates that around half of regional drivers receive compensation by the mile, instead of by the hour.
The financial incentive to make that extra mile may also discourage some truck drivers to abide by maintenance schedules, especially if doing so would delay their routes. Yet safety technology on trucks — such as automatic collision detection — is of no use if it is not working properly.
If a crash victim has suffered injuries and/or property damage because of another driver’s negligence, a personal injury attorney can help take the steps needed to make a thorough investigation. In the case of an accident involving a commercial vehicle, that inquiry may involve looking at the vehicle’s maintenance records and log books.
Source: Think Progress, “The Link Between Tracy Morgan’s Tragic Accident And Trucker Pay,” Alan Pyke, Sept. 10, 2014
