May 10, 2012
Commercial truck drivers in Pennsylvania are regulated by laws and codes to keep both the truck drivers and other motorists around them safe. One of the most important regulations for truck drivers to manage is the number of hours they drive.
Federal law mandates that truck drivers get 10 hours of rest after an 11 hour driving shift in order to prevent them from driving while drowsy. Straying from this by driving more hours per day is strictly prohibited and punishable by law. It could also be considered negligence if an accident was to occur.
Take, for instance, the case of a 58-year-old truck driver who was recently sentenced to 18-months in prison after faulty brakes on his truck were the cause of a fatal accident on a Philadelphia highway in January 2009. According to ABC 27 News, police determined that the driver had made 15 false entries into his truck’s logbooks regarding his rest hours and maintenance of his vehicle.
He pleaded guilty in October 2011 to charges of vehicular homicide and also was sentenced to probation.
Pennsylvania Truck Accidents can be very difficult to understand due to the fact that commercial trucks are controlled by a different set of rules than average passenger vehicles. That’s why the Pennsylvania Personal Injury Lawyers with Schmidt Kramer Injury Lawyers suggest talking with an experienced attorney if you’ve been hurt in an accident involving a tractor-trailer.