Fatigue is Not a Good Excuse for Causing a Maryland Truck Accident

A tired truck driver misses a red light and flies through the intersection, hitting your vehicle and causing a devastating Maryland truck accident. He apologizes profusely, saying he was exhausted from hours on the road and was having trouble staying awake. He didn’t even see the traffic light, he explains, or he certainly would have stopped.

While that’s a nice sentiment, his apologies can’t reverse time or take away your pain. A part of you might understand his plight, but it’s normal for you to still be angry. After all, it doesn’t matter whether his employer was pushing him too hard or not — the Maryland truck driver who hit you is responsible for his own actions on the road.

How much is too much time behind the wheel?

All truck drivers and their employers must adhere to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration standards for hours of service. This means that a truck driver can drive no more than 11 hours after 10 hours off duty. They may drive a maximum of 60 hours in one week or 70 hours in 8 days.

Truck drivers are required to keep a log of their hours to make sure these regulations are followed. Even so, that’s a lot of time behind the wheel for any one driver, and fatigued truck drivers frequently cause accidents.

However, fatigue doesn’t let them off the hook. Truck drivers are responsible for knowing when they are tired and need to stop for a short break. When they ignore their own bodies’ requests for sleep, they end up causing Maryland auto accidents and wrecking another person’s life.

If you or a family member has been injured in a truck crash, contact a skilled Rockville accident attorney at 1-800-875-9700. We can help you fight the giant truck companies and get you a fair settlement.