Attorneys Holding Fatigued Truck Drivers Accountable for Their Actions in New York
Truck drivers keep commerce flowing in the U.S. by transporting goods between manufacturers and retail businesses. With that job, however, comes tremendous responsibility to share the road safely with other drivers. The large size of tractor-trailers, and the high speeds they often travel, are a recipe for disaster when a collision occurs. To help prevent truck accidents, the federal government regulated how many hours a trucker can be behind the wheel.
When a truck driver violates these hours of service regulations, he puts everyone on the road in danger. Fatigue is just as dangerous as driving while impaired, since it slows down reaction times, reduces good judgment, and causes many wrecks. While federal regulators can impose harsh fines on drivers and companies that violate hours of service laws, they do little to compensate people injured by such recklessness.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a truck driver in New York, call Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, at (212) 986-7353 to speak to a top NYC truck accident attorney. We’ll hold the driver accountable for what happened.
Commercial Truck Driver Hours of Service
There are strict limits in place on how many hours a truck driver can work to help prevent fatigued driving. These HOS limits are:
- After 10 consecutive hours off duty, a truck driver transporting property can drive for a maximum of 11 hours. A truck driver transporting passengers can drive for a maximum of 10 hours, after 8 consecutive hours off duty.
- The 11 hours of maximum driving must fall within a maximum of 14 total hours on duty, following 10 hours off duty. Truck drivers with passengers can only be on duty for a maximum of 15 hours following 8 hours off duty.
- After 8 consecutive hours of driving, a commercial truck driver must take at least a 30-minute break before continuing to drive.
- Truck drivers transporting either property or passengers must stop driving after accumulating a total of 60 hours on duty over the course of 7 days, or after 70 hours on duty over the course of 8 days.
- The 7/8-day period resets only after a trucker has taken at least 34 consecutive hours off duty.
Penalties for Hours of Service Violations
Federal regulators have cracked down time and again on drivers who violate these hours of service regulations and the companies that hire them. If a fatal crash occurs, the truck driver can even be arrested and charged with a criminal offense. Otherwise, punishments are typically financial and come in the form of harsh fines for each individual HOS violation.
Of course, these fines do not go to the people who were injured in the collision. When a truck driver takes risks, such as driving beyond the legal time limit, that negligence can make them liable for injuries they cause.
To recover compensation for your injuries after a collision with a fatigued truck driver, you can file a civil lawsuit. While you might initially assume the driver is solely to blame, trucking companies often have an unofficial policy of pushing their drivers beyond the HOS limits and rewarding them for getting the job done faster.
These kinds of things can be difficult to prove, however, which is why you need an experienced New York hours of service violation attorney to represent you. Call us today at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, at (212) 986-7353 to discuss what happened and learn about your options for compensation.
Additional Information
Our Truck Accident Case Results
$6.5 Million - Man Hit by Truck in Queens
WRSMH attorneys Bryce Moses and Ashley Jacoby obtained a large verdict for a man who was struck by a truck in Queens.
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$3.5 Million - Young Woman Run Over By Garbage Truck
Bryce Moses represented a young woman who was run over by a garbage truck in Brooklyn that shattered her ankle in three places.
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$3.3 Million - NY Truck Accident Case
The plaintiff asserted that the injuries suffered in the collision with the truck will permanently prevent her from working.
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$3 Million - New York Truck Accident
Cliff Shapiro and another WRSMH attorney were able to settle a truck accident case for the amount of $3,000,000 on behalf of a 45 year old delivery man from Queens.
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$2.9 Million - Vehicle Hit by Truck
Victor Goldblum successfully represented a client who underwent three surgeries as the result of injuries sustained in a truck collision.
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$2 Million - Client Rear-ended by a Tractor Trailer While Stopped at a Traffic Light
Plaintiff sustained multiple injuries when he was rear-ended by a tractor trailer while he was stopped at a traffic light.
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$2 Million - Rockland County Woman Rear-ended by a Semi-tractor Trailer
Luigi Izzo obtained $2 million for a client who was injured after being rear-ended by a semi-tractor trailer.
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$2 Million - Flatbed Tractor Trailer Backed Into Minibus
Cliff Shapiro obtained a recovery for a 32-year-old male who was in the course of his employment with Access-A-Ride when his vehicle was struck by a flatbed tractor trailer.
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$1.8 Million - Two Clients Struck by Garbage Truck
WRSMH attorneys obtained a $1,800,000 settlement a year before trial for two plaintiffs who were injured after they were struck by a garbage truck.
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$1.5 Million - New York City Department of Sanitation Truck Accident
This motor vehicle accident involved a 43 year old woman who was rear-ended by a New York City Department of Sanitation truck.
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$1.5 Million - Bronx Woman Injured in Truck Collision
WRSMH attorneys Clifford Shapiro, Robert Bellinson, and another WRSMH attorney were able to obtain a settlement in the amount of $1,500,000 on behalf of a fifty-one year old librarian from Bronx County.
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$1.5 Million - Back Seat Passenger Underwent Lumbar Fusion
The plaintiff, a 29 year old male, was injured when he was a back seat passenger of a car that was sideswiped by a commercial truck which caused the car to be pushed off of the road into a tree.
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$1.5 Million - Rear-Ended by a Truck at Red Light
Our client, was stopped at red light when she was rear-ended by a truck. Victor Goldblum was able to obtain $1,500,000 for our client, who required surgery as a result of the crash.
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$1.41 Million - Queens Box Truck Rollover Leaves Occupant Injured
The plaintiff, an occupant of a truck, was injured in a single vehicle accident and required surgeries to the neck and back.
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$1.35 Million - Rear-End Truck Accident Causing Injuries
Plaintiff sustained injuries to his knee and spine after his vehicle was rear-ended by a truck.
Ryan Lawlor
$1.3 Million - Parked Car Sideswiped by Commercial Truck
Our client in this case was a 37-year old man who was injured when his parked school bus was sideswiped by the defendants' commercial truck.
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$1.3 Million - Crash with Fire Department Truck
Philip Russotti and Brielle C. Goldfaden obtained a $1.3 million settlement after jury selection on a trial against the City of New York, the New York City Fire Department and an FDNY employee.
Philip Russotti, Brielle Goldfaden,William Hepner
$1.150 Million - Garbage Truck Accident Case
Bryce Moses and another WRSMH attorney were able to obtain a settlement in the amount of $1,150,000 on behalf of our client, a 35-year-old man from Kings County.
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$1.1 Million - Struck by Garbage Truck Which Attempted Right Turn from Left Lane
Kenneth J. Halperin obtained a $1,100,000 settlement for a man who was operating his livery cab when he was struck by a garbage truck that attempted to make a right turn from the left lane and broadsided his vehicle.
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$950,000 - Man Rear-Ended by Tailgating Truck
Luigi Izzo successfully represented a client who suffered multiple injuries after being rear-ended by a truck that was tailgating.
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