Commercial truck drivers are like pilots.  They have to check to make sure their trucks are working properly and everything is compliant with safety regulations each time they start up.  For the safety of other motorists on the roadways, the trucks and their drivers have strict requirements they must follow.

Last week, law enforcement set up a checkpoint at the weigh station at I-95 in Chatham County with the aim of pulling impaired drivers off the road.  Hoping to prevent a tragedy, the officers scanned the drivers for signs of drug and alcohol use.  Three drivers were arrested.

The impairment of drivers is, of course, a great concern.  We have represented too many families who lost a loved one due to an intoxicated commercial driver.  It is senseless and tragic.

A less obvious concern for drivers sharing the pavement with tractor-trailers is the driver’s alertness.  Thirty trucks were put out of service over that night and the next morning because the drivers’ logs showed they had not taken mandatory breaks for sleep.  Lack of sleep paired with the dark of night and tens of thousands of pounds make for just as deadly a situation.

Truck drivers have demanding jobs, which are essential and appreciated.  However, when companies provide incentives to drive long hours to get more runs in, they discourage drivers from getting the rest necessary to stay alert over the road.  That puts us all in danger.

Last year, Georgia ranked fifth in fatal collisions involving commercial vehicles, according to a news article covering last week’s checkpoint.  The steady stream of tractor-trailer cases we handle shows the statistics are hitting us right here in coastal Georgia.

Driving records for commercial drivers are directly linked to their employment, and they often times do all they can to place blame on our clients from the moment of impact.  We often see drivers who hide evidence and deny fault only to be contradicted by witnesses and the black boxes in the vehicles involved, which don’t lie.

I often hear clients say that they wish they had chosen an attorney to handle their case before they were hit.  Having someone to safeguard your rights and collect evidence while you are healing can be vital to your case.  If you are hit by a tractor-trailer, you can count on the driver having someone spring into action immediately to do just that.

You chose insurance just in case you ever need it.  Chose a law firm you are comfortable with and confident in before you are involved in a collision.