Tractor-Trailer Accidents and Driver Fatigue
A 70-year old north Georgia man burned to death Saturday after his tractor-trailer left the roadway and caught on fire. Rescue workers attempted to pull the man from the burning truck but were unable to do so in time to save him. Authorities did not know why the truck ran off of Interstate 85 and did not know whether the driver fell asleep .
Many tractor-trailer accidents are caused by a driver’s inattentiveness or fatigue resulting from the operation of a tractor-trailer for an excessive amount of time. Federal regulations prohibit a trucking company from allowing a driver to operate a tractor-trailer while the driver’s ability or alertness is impaired by fatigue, illness, or any other cause which would make it unsafe for the driver to operate the vehicle. These regulations also prescribe a maximum number of hours that a driver can be on duty during any day or week and require a driver to maintain a daily log of his work status. Georgia lawyers who handle serious personal injury and wrongful death cases against tractor-trailer companies know that a complete investigation of such a case involves the careful scrutiny of these log books.
If you or a loved one have been involved in an automobile accident or a tractor-trailer accident, consult the Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP who have been handling serious injury and wrongful deaths for over 40 years.
