Corpus Christi Commercial Trucker Driver Fatigue

The rate of automotive incidents and accidents in Corpus Christi is typically greater than a local might assume. Because it can function as a halfway point or gateway between Brownsville and Galveston, many truckers pass through on a regular basis. Unfortunately, they do not always pull off the highway and find a place to rest when they should. These fatigue-ridden drivers are among the main contributors to the number of Corpus Christi 18 wheeler accidents.

The U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as each of the fifty states, have passed numerous laws and comprehensive regulations designed to prevent or minimize the impact of truck driver fatigue. Unfortunately, these laws do not prevent every accident caused by Corpus Christi commercial truck driver fatigue. If the truck driver fails to comply with these regulations, they can be held liable in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a trucking accident, contact the skilled Corpus Christi commercial truck accident attorneys at Carabin Shaw for a free consultation. Our lawyers will discuss your legal rights following a Corpus Christi commercial truck driver fatigue accident and lay out a strategy for how we can best represent you. And this can all be done before you sign anything or agree to let us advocate for you. As our attorneys see it, the consultation is a chance to help you better understand your circumstances from a legal point of view and offer assistance to any Corpus Christi resident that wants it.

A typical strategy our lawyers use is to begin by determining the cause of the commercial trucking accident. No good attorney can accurately and fully asses liability and damages without taking this step. Even though fatigue may seem to be direct cause of the accident, as it so often is in Corpus Christi, there is still a question of what caused the fatigue in the first place. Sometimes the trucker was simply trying to get paid for a few more hours on the road, or perhaps they were trying to get back home before falling asleep. In other cases, however, the driver might be crashing (in a physical sense) after an overdose of caffeine or the effects of a highly concentrated "energy" drink have worn off. Also, it is a fairly common practice for trucking companies to force their drivers to bend the rules regarding the laws and regulations set in place by the Department of Transportation, in order to be competitive. This is typically done by altering the trucking logs to make it appear, on paper, that less hours have been spent on the road than actually have been. Our lawyers are expert in doing the math to test whether such logs are faulty.

To some degree, the insurance companies retained by trucking companies are in the business of making a profit and frequently take a formulaic approach to determining compensation. This is the opposite of what we want for our clients, as it almost always side-steps the fact that you are legally protected under the law in the case of an accident that revolves around Corpus Christi commercial truck driver fatigue.

At Carabin Shaw, our attorneys will use exceptional negotiating skills and comprehensive legal knowledge to vigorously advocate on your behalf and ensure that your rights are protected. There is no reason for you to go through the legal process without proper representation. Our neighborhood offices are located two blocks south of the Nueces County Courthouse at 123 Carrizo St., Corpus Christi, Texas, 78401. Contact us today at 361-444-1111.