Commercial Truck Drivers Must Obey the Rules While in Greenwood, Indiana

November 10, 2023

Just a short drive from the heart of Indianapolis, Greenwood, Indiana is home to many proud working Hoosiers. From the Greenwood Park Mall to the beautiful Old Town Historic District, Greenwood visitors can be entertained for hours.

Although the vast majority of commercial truck drivers are upstanding people with exemplary driving records, accidents can and do happen each year.

When these large trucks overturn, they can cause quite a bit of havoc and devastation to others on the road as well. Indiana state law sets the maximum commercial truck weight at 80,000 lbs. Needless to say, people can sustain very serious injuries when they collide with these highway giants.

Car accidents like these can often be life-altering. No amount of money will ever be able to erase what happened, but it helps knowing that you could be eligible to receive compensation to treat your injuries.

Here at Hensley Legal Group, we will do whatever we possibly can to help you get back on your feet after a crash with a commercial truck in Greenwood. Someone from our team will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to take your call.

When you’re ready to get in touch with us, call 317-472-3333, chat with us online, or shoot us a message through our contact form. We can start your case in under an hour and want to help you fight for what’s rightfully yours.

Truckers that do not follow the rules pose a huge risk for other drivers

Federal rules for commercial truck drivers exist for a reason. Trucking companies that don’t follow them face pretty serious fines.

Over the last few years, we have seen a big demand for qualified drivers. Businesses have more online orders than ever before and need a way to successfully ship goods from one point to another. To keep up with demand, many are worried that trucking companies or even drivers could cut corners to fulfill orders on time.

This is illegal, but also incredibly dangerous.

For example, the federal regulations for truck drivers indicate that a driver “may drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty.” Truckers who have been on the road for longer than that run the risk of fatigue and falling asleep at the wheel.

But if the trucking company knows it has a thin deadline, it could pressure the trucker to keep going and violate these rules. Additionally, some truckers may skirt the rules if they are cutting the deadline too close. There are a wide variety of reasons why someone may break the rules, but that never makes it acceptable.

If you were involved with a truck driver and suspect that the other party was completely to blame, you very well could have a case on your hands. Contacting a Greenwood truck accident lawyer is your best chance at recovering compensation.

Proper licensing is also required of commercial truck drivers

On top of abiding by all the state and federal laws, commercial truck drivers must also be properly licensed to operate their rig. With the ongoing trucker shortage, it is entirely possible that some trucking companies may try to cut corners to have a fully staffed fleet.

According to the state of Indiana, you must pass both a written and skills test for the type of CDL license you want to receive. As per the state’s website, “The CDL skills exam must be taken at a BMV-authorized examination site and consists of a pre-trip inspection exam, a basic control skills exam, and the road trip exam. Authorized examination sites electronically transmit the skills exam results to the BMV to increase security and accuracy.”

On top of that, drivers must obtain either a Medical Examination Report (MER) and Medical Examiner’s Certificate (MEC). This is to ensure the driver is physically and mentally capable of handling a large commercial truck safely.

Failing to have a proper CDL license while driving a commercial truck is dangerous and against the law. When this happens, the risk of an accident happening grows significantly.

Take the matter into your own hands and contact us right away

Suffering from a personal injury as a result of a truck accident that was not your fault is terrible. But the good news is that you have a friend on your side when everything feels hopeless.

The Greenwood truck accident lawyers at Hensley Legal Group want what is best for you. When you ask for our help, you’ll get nothing but our absolute best service. We will listen to your needs and treat you the way we would treat family.

Personal injury cases can be incredibly complicated, so we can’t promise any sort of specific outcome. But we can assure you that we won’t rest until we’ve exhausted every option possible.

Get in touch with us today and let’s talk about your truck accident case. Call us at 317-472-3333, chat with us online, or fill out our online contact form 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.