Commercial trucking accidents can transform ordinary commutes into life-altering tragedies, often leaving victims facing catastrophic injuries, mounting medical bills, and insurance companies determined to minimize compensation. While sharing California’s highways with massive 80,000-pound commercial trucks creates inherent risks, many devastating big rig collisions result directly from preventable violations of federal and state trucking regulations designed to protect all road users.
Understanding the most common trucking violations helps accident victims recognize when negligence contributed to their injuries and provides the foundation for pursuing fair compensation. At Big Joe Law, we bring 18 years of combined experience investigating truck accidents throughout the San Fernando Valley, working tirelessly to hold trucking companies accountable when their drivers’ regulatory violations cause serious harm to innocent victims.
Hours of Service Violations and Driver Fatigue
Federal Hours of Service regulations strictly limit how long commercial truck drivers may operate their vehicles before taking mandatory rest breaks. These rules require drivers to take at least 10 consecutive hours off duty after driving 11 hours, and prohibit driving after being on duty for 14 hours. Drivers must also take a 30-minute break during the first eight hours of driving. However, pressure to meet tight delivery schedules often leads drivers and trucking companies to violate these critical safety requirements.
Driver fatigue creates reaction times comparable to drunk driving, significantly increasing accident risks. When truckers exceed legal driving limits or falsify logbooks to hide violations, they put everyone on the road in danger. Electronic logging devices now make it easier to detect hours of service violations, but many accidents still occur when exhausted drivers struggle to maintain control of their massive vehicles. These violations often constitute clear evidence of negligence in personal injury claims.
Vehicle Maintenance and Inspection Failures
Commercial trucks must undergo regular safety inspections and maintenance to ensure critical systems function properly. Federal regulations require drivers to conduct pre-trip inspections before each journey, checking brakes, tires, lights, and other safety equipment. Trucking companies must also maintain detailed maintenance records and address mechanical problems promptly. Unfortunately, some companies cut corners on maintenance to reduce costs, creating dangerous conditions that can lead to catastrophic brake failures, tire blowouts, and steering problems.
Poor maintenance practices often become apparent only after serious accidents occur, when investigators discover worn brake pads, bald tires, or faulty steering components. These mechanical failures can cause drivers to lose control of their trucks, especially during emergency maneuvers or adverse weather conditions. When maintenance violations contribute to accidents, trucking companies may face liability for injuries and damages resulting from their cost-cutting measures.
Drug and Alcohol Testing Violations
Commercial truck drivers must maintain commercial driver’s licenses and submit to regular drug and alcohol testing as a condition of employment. Federal regulations require pre-employment testing, random testing throughout employment, post-accident testing, and testing when supervisors suspect impairment. Trucking companies must also maintain drug-free workplace programs and immediately remove drivers who test positive for prohibited substances.
Despite these requirements, some trucking companies fail to conduct required testing or continue employing drivers with known substance abuse problems. These violations put impaired drivers behind the wheels of massive vehicles, creating extreme dangers for other motorists. When trucking companies ignore their testing obligations or allow impaired drivers to continue working, they may face significant liability for resulting accidents and injuries.
Contact Big Joe Law for Your Trucking Accident Case
Trucking accident cases require thorough investigation to identify all regulatory violations that contributed to your injuries, as well as detailed analysis of trucking company policies and driver records. Our team works with accident reconstruction specialists, trucking industry professionals, and medical professionals to build compelling cases that demonstrate how regulatory violations led to your accident. We have secured significant results for our clients, including recent settlements and awards of $2,750,000, $2,250,000, $350,000, $250,000, and $100,000, reflecting our commitment to achieving maximum compensation for accident victims.
We handle all trucking accident cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees unless we successfully recover compensation for your claim. This arrangement allows you to pursue justice against powerful trucking companies without worrying about upfront legal costs during your recovery period. Our team advances all necessary case expenses and provides regular updates on your case progress, ensuring you stay informed throughout the legal process. Contact our office today to schedule your free consultation and learn how we can help you hold negligent trucking companies accountable for their regulatory violations.
