Common Causes of New Jersey Truck Crashes: Fatigued Drivers

Lately, there has been a series of very serious and fatal truck accidents in New Jersey. This is a very distributing trend for all us who use the New Jersey highways such as Route 80, Route 280, Route 287, Route 24, Route 78 and the New Jersey Turnpike. In a number of these horrible accidents, the truckers did not have the appropriate amount of sleep.

Truck Accidents

In a recent study, the National Sleep Foundation found that approximately 6 out 10 adult drivers admitted to
getting on the road while drowsy, with more than 30% of adult drivers admitting to falling asleep at the wheel. In today’s day and age, fatigued drivers is becoming an increasingly apparent problem for people who are on the road, with many studies showing that a tired driver is incredibly similar to one who is drunk.

In fact, they share many of the same characteristics, such as the following:
Slowed Reaction Time; and
Impaired Judgment.

Unfortunately, unlike drunk driving, there are no acceptable tests that can be administered to test for tired drivers—despite the fact that the National Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates roughly 100,000 reported accidents each year can be directly attributed to a driver who was overly tired while driving.

Tired Drivers & Truck Accidents: An Increased Problem

While tired driving is a problem for all motorists on the road, it is never more serious than when a large commercial is involved. This can be simplified to the fact that all motor vehicle accidents are more severe when the accident involves a vehicle that is that much heavier. Perhaps that is why the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) estimates that more than 20,000 people suffer injuries and more than 750 die every year following an accident involving a fatigued commercial vehicle driver.

Aren’t there regulations to avoid tired truck drivers?

In a short answer, yes and no. Commercial truck drivers are required to follow what is known as “hours of service” regulations; however, that does not mean that all drivers follow them perfectly. In fact, many drivers will find workarounds—such as creating a fake log book—in an attempt to drive longer hours and earn more money. This can lead to them driving while tired and endangering all of the other drivers who share the road.

Certified Civil Trial Attorney

Our New Jersey Accident Attorneys have over 25 years of experience and will fight to protect your rights and to seek justice for you and your family. We have been privileged to represent thousands of New Jersey accident victims and their families for over 25 years and have collected millions of dollars for our clients. Todd Leonard, Esq. is Certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as Certified Civil Trial Attorney. The team of New Jersey Personal Injury Lawyers are committed to doing their best to obtain maximum compensation for your injuries and losses.
Additionally, attorney Todd Leonard has been included in the list of New Jersey Super Lawyers® for numerous years, an elite group consisting of less than 5% of lawyers in the state.

The New Jersey Personal Injury Lawyers at Todd J. Leonard Law Firm are committed to doing their best to provide outstanding personal injury representation, following all types of serious personal injury accidents including car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, work place injuries, defective products, slip and fall accidents, sexual assaults, boating accidents, drunk driving accidents, wrongful death accidents and road defects, throughout the State of New Jersey including, Morris County, Essex County, Union County, Middlesex County, Somerset County, Hunterdon County, Bergen County, Hudson County, Ocean County, Warren County, Sussex County, Monmouth County, Ocean County, Mercer County and throughout the State of New Jersey offering services in both Spanish and English, being available 24/7 and providing a FREE initial consultation.

If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a New Jersey fatal truck accident, Contact a New Jersey truck accident lawyer immediately to learn how we can help to protect your legal rights.