Truck drivers are required to follow detailed regulations set forth by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) designed to promote truck safety and prevent crashes. A violation of one of these rules may have caused or contributed to your collision. The trucker’s log book can provide you with the evidence you need to prove the trucker’s negligence.
How the Truck Driver’s Log Book Can Help You Win Your Truck Accident Case
Under FMCSA rules, truck drivers are required to keep a written log book while on their trips. The information in the log book can help you prove that the trucker violated the federal hours of service regulations regarding the number of hours they can work without taking a break and their duties to inspect their truck. Here are types of helpful information contained in the log book:
- Hours worked. The trucker is required to list the hours he worked and took a break during his trip. Under federal regulations, he is only allowed to drive a certain number of hours without taking a break during a 14-hour period and a total number of hours during the past seven days. The log book can show whether the trucker violated these rules and was too fatigued to safely drive when he caused your wreck.
- Miles covered. The log book will contain the total miles traveled in a 24-hour period. This information can be checked against when the log book shows the trucker drove and took breaks. In some cases, the miles covered can show that the trucker really drove longer than he claimed in his log book and, in fact, violated the hours of service rules.
- Off time duty. The trucker must report when he was off duty and had no trucker responsibilities, which can also be useful in establishing whether he took sufficient rest breaks before your crash.
- Inspection reports. The truck driver must inspect his truck daily while on the road. He is required to note these inspections and any needed repairs or truck malfunctions in the log book. This information may show that he drove his truck when it was not safe to do so.
You need the assistance of an experienced truck accident lawyer to obtain the trucker’s log book before it is altered or destroyed by the trucker or trucking company. Your attorney will also have the skill to evaluate the information in the log book and other documents to determine whether the information is accurate. To learn how we will obtain the trucker’s log book and other evidence you need to win your case, call our Norfolk office to schedule your free consultation today.
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