Dangerous Truck Driver Behaviors to Watch For

This video features Raymond Hatcher, a Medical Malpractice attorney based in Texas.

Attorney Ray Hatcher | 888-364-6814 | Free Consult

“It goes off the roadway onto the shoulder or crosses the centerline, that can be a distracted driver who’s looking at a phone or could be a tired driver.”

Large tractor-trailers on the road can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. When traveling at speeds upwards of 75 MPH, these vehicles can cause catastrophic damage if their drivers aren’t paying attention.

Ray Hatcher is a trial attorney with Sloan Law Firm, which is based in Longview, Texas, and has offices in Houston and Santa Fe. He devotes his practice exclusively to litigation, and his areas of practice include trucking collisions, car accidents, commercial litigation, toxic torts, ERISA claims, and workplace injury cases. In this video, he explains some dangerous truck driver behaviors to keep a lookout for.

To learn more, contact the attorney directly by calling 888-364-6814 or by submitting a contact form on this page. There is no charge for the consultation, and you never owe any out-of-pocket attorney fees.

Key Takeaways From Ray Hatcher:

Sharing the road with big-rigs can feel like a dicey situation, even though most semi-truck drivers are well-trained, responsible individuals. However, it should be noted that truck drivers are subject to distractions, just like any other driver. Unlike other drivers, however, truck drivers can be hauling 80,000 pounds with them, making any traffic accident that involves them all the more catastrophic.

Tractor-trailer cabs contain technology that can be complex, distracting, and occasionally useful for proving a driver was distracted.

Truck cabs contain technology designed to encourage hands-free communication, and in some cases, the trucking companies themselves actually install this and additional technology. Unfortunately, rather than encouraging hands-free communication, this often produces further means of distraction and results in drivers losing awareness of the hazards and other vehicles around them. Despite the hands-free technology, texting while driving remains a common cause of truck accidents, despite country-wide laws against texting while driving, especially in the trucking industry.

The good news regarding technology from these new 18-wheeler cabs is that they often include tracking capabilities that record when a driver left, where they were when an accident occurred, and how they handled the accident. This is information an attorney can request from a trucking company to support your case, in addition to other documentation from the trucking company including driving logs, emails sent from the cab of the truck, and phone records. Many new cabs even have cameras on the dashboard which record video of the driver and their surroundings.

Although less common in big companies, independent big rig truck drivers are more likely to use stimulants while driving and neglect to take necessary rest breaks.

An important aspect of safe driving in the trucking industry includes refraining from drug use and taking the appropriate rest breaks to avoid fatigue-motivated driving mistakes. While some independent truck drivers take stimulants to keep their bodies awake, allowing them to travel unreasonably long distances without stopping in an attempt to increase profits, there are laws in place designed to prevent this. The majority of drivers working for trucking companies are held to stricter rules regarding how long they are allowed to drive before being forced to stop and rest.

Of course, there are situations in which a trucking company may pressure a driver to keep driving beyond these rest limits in an effort to increase profit, in which case the company in addition to the truck driver could be liable for damages if an accident occurs.

It’s important to be aware of large 18 wheeler trucks on the road around you, and signs that could indicate the driver is tired or distracted.

Signs of unsafe semi-truck drivers are similar to that of any other driver. If the driver is swerving, crossing lane boundaries, violating traffic signals, or breaking too quickly, this could indicate the driver is engaging in dangerous behavior. Hatcher recommends drivers avoid being in a place where they could find themselves trapped or unable to get around one of these big-rigs.

Seek medical attention first, then contact an attorney.

It’s important to note that trucking companies have their own accident investigators and legal teams to send out immediately after an accident, in many cases intending to alter or hide evidence. This is why it’s imperative to contact an attorney right away. The consultation, as well as any following attorney fees, are at no out-of-pocket expense to you. If you are unable to get to the scene due to medical complications, your attorney will be able to get to the scene and make sure the necessary evidence is preserved on your behalf.

To learn more, contact Ray Hatcher directly by calling 888-364-6814 or by submitting a contact form on this page. There is no charge for the consultation, and you never owe any out-of-pocket attorney fees.

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