The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration are charged with adequate oversight of - among other things - the trucking industry. As with all federal regulators - they are only successful up to a certain point and part of their success lies in the responsible behavior of the trucking businesses and their drivers.
For instance, the FMCSA requires truck drivers to maintain a 'log' (diary, record, journal) of the number of hours they drive (and where they've been).
As the reader is probably guessing - the authenticity of these records is usually in question - more to the point the information is falsified often enough that truckers refer to these logbooks as comic books - nothing more than a work of fiction that may bring a chuckle to a fellow trucker's lips all while presenting the information as legitimate.
Occasionally, these - illegal, unethical, unconscionable (need I go on) - practices come to light and the driver's behavior is found out.
For instance, I recently wrote about a fatality accident between a semi-truck driver and an automobile driver. The plaintiff's attorney finally uncovered the fact that the accident was most likely caused by driver fatigue - even though the driver denied it at first and pointed to his logbook as 'evidence'.
But further research uncovered the fact that it was impossible for the driver to have been in stated locations at certain hours. He was sleep deprived and both he and the company were held accountable.
When this guy got to the last page of his 'comic book' - the end didn't turn out to be so funny.
Greg Baumgartner is a Texas personal injury lawyer and the founder of the Baumgartner law firm, which is dedicated to helping personal injury victims seek civil justice. If you would like to speak with a Truck accident lawyer call the Baumgartner firm.
