| The Crash | | | | workday. An interstate trucker is limited to 11 hours |
| It's a typical January morning as Sally leaves her home | | | | over a fourteen hour period. And once that eleven |
| in Murray, Utah and enters I-15 headed for work at a | | | | hours are up he must take a rest break lasting for at |
| law firm in downtown Salt Lake City. It is 7:30 a.m. | | | | least ten straight hours. |
| | | | Driver Fatigue |
| Suddenly the driver slumps forward, lack of sleep from | | | | Truck driver fatigue is a major safety problem in truck |
| week-long road trip has caught up with him. His truck | | | | accident legal cases. Some studies, including two by |
| drifts slowly to the right, into the adjacent lane. | | | | the National Transportation Safety Board, indicate that |
| "BANG!" The trucker's right-side mirror has just clipped | | | | truck driver fatigue is a factor in 30 to 40% of severe |
| the mirror of a flat bed truck in the adjacent lane. | | | | crashes. |
| The noise and accompanying jolt are enough to wake | | | | With driver fatigue being a serious problem, the |
| the trucker but his hasty response now imperils other | | | | development of electronic technology for the trucking |
| drivers. He overcorrects into the left-lane where Sally | | | | industry has become a subject of considerable |
| is motoring peacefully to work. | | | | controversy. |
| The sudden impact abruptly changes Sally's direction | | | | What To Do In Case Of A Truck Crash |
| and she veers sharply across the median into | | | | Here are some tips to follow if you are involved in a |
| southbound I-15 traffic. The head-on collision ends | | | | truck accident legal matter: |
| Sally's life and that of the southbound driver. | | | | 1. Never sign anything under pressure; |
| The Logbook | | | | 2. Take photographs and/or video of the crash site |
| In the truck accident legal case that followed, the | | | | and the vehicles involved in the accident; |
| lawyer for Sally's family requested the driver's logbook. | | | | 3. Do not sell or otherwise dispose of the vehicle |
| He also requested bills of lading, fuel receipts, and | | | | involved in the crash; |
| electronic data from the Global Positioning System | | | | 4. Collect and preserve evidence after the crash; |
| used by the driver's company to track his | | | | 5. Contact investigating authorities immediately. |
| whereabouts. | | | | Disclaimer |
| Together, the evidence showed that the driver had not | | | | This article is provided for informational purposes only. |
| made sure to get adequate rest as required by law. | | | | Seek advice from an experienced truck accident |
| Federal law requires interstate drivers to record, either | | | | lawyer as to specific legal principles applicable to your |
| in written or digital "logbook" how they spend their | | | | case. |