Tulsa Trucking Accident Lawyer
Trusted Tulsa Litigators Helping Victims of Truck Crashes Throughout Northeastern Oklahoma
The freight industry is an integral part of the economy in Oklahoma and across the country. Semi-trucks, tractor-trailers, eighteen-wheelers, and other large trucks are a regular feature of state and interstate roads. Unfortunately, they can also be dangerous. When a truck driver is fatigued or intoxicated, a truck is overloaded or unbalanced, a vehicle has malfunctioning parts or inadequate safety equipment, or a driver simply fails to take proper account of inclement road or weather conditions, a catastrophic injury is likely to result.
If you were involved in a large truck accident in Oklahoma and your accident was caused by the negligence of a truck driver, a freight company, a vehicle manufacturer, or some other party, you can seek compensation for your injuries. At the law office of Levinson Law, P.C., our Tulsa trucking accident lawyers are here to help you do exactly that. We will investigate your claims and fight to ensure that you recover the maximum compensation available.
Truck Crashes are More Dangerous and More Fatal than Typical Accidents
Large trucks are a necessary and vital part of the Oklahoma economy, but they are simply more dangerous than passenger cars. They weigh thousands of pounds more, they are more likely to tip or fall over, and they are often carrying goods that can create an additional hazard in a crash, such as dangerous chemicals or manufacturing equipment. Accidents involving large trucks are more likely to be fatal for everyone involved, especially drivers and passengers of other vehicles outside of the truck.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), there were 165,083 truck crashes across the country in 2018, causing 80,233 injuries and 4,959 fatalities. That means nearly 50 percent of accidents involved some injury. Among those truck crashes in 2018, 1,479 of the injuries and 111 of the deaths happened in the State of Oklahoma.
Drowsy Truckers and Hours of Service Regulations
Truck drivers face long, punishing hours on the road. They transport goods from one side of the country to another, often with limited time to get from start to finish. The long periods on the road can be boring at best and exhausting at worst. Truckers are known to get drowsy behind the wheel, having worked long shifts and with little to distract or entertain them. Drowsy drivers cause crashes, and truck crashes are particularly dangerous.
To decrease the risk of drowsy truck driving, the FMCSA imposes rules and regulations on how truckers can operate. In particular, truck drivers are subject to maximum hour limits for a particular shift, day, and week, as well as minimum hours spent on rest time away from the wheel. These hours of service (HOS) rules protect the truckers as well as everyone else on freeways across the country. Unfortunately, truck drivers may be motivated to ignore these rules in order to finish a trip more expeditiously. Freight companies may turn a blind eye to drivers who flaunt these HOS requirements, and they may even implicitly or explicitly encourage drivers to ignore the rules to complete more trips and earn more money for the company.
The experienced truck accident attorneys at Levinson Law, P.C., are familiar with the state and federal regulations concerning the trucking industry, and we know how to investigate whether these rules were followed. If a truck driver or trucking company ignores safety regulations and causes a crash, any victims injured or killed as a result have the right to recover for their damages. Our Tulsa truck accident team is here to make sure that they do.
Contact Our Tulsa Trucking Accident Lawyers Today
At Levinson Law, P.C., our trucking accident legal team has the experience and knowledge of the law that your truck accident case – no matter how complex – deserves. We know how to thoroughly investigate a truck accident, including identification of the responsible parties and proving liability. Contact our Tulsa truck accident lawyers today to schedule a free initial consultation. Whether you are an injured truck accident victim or the family of a person killed by a negligent truck driver, we are here to help you get the recovery you deserve.
