Truck Accidents in Indiana
Indiana is common route for truck drivers traveling through the Midwest. Unfortunately, though, there are far too many cases in which the drivers of these trucks do not have the training or qualifications that are legally required. Driving a truck is not as easy as it might seem, and the lack of qualification or training is a common cause of accidents.
Contact us today online or by telephone at 800-269-3443 to speak with an experienced Indiana truck accident attorney.
Do not wait. If you or someone you love has been hurt in an accident involving an 18-wheeler, talk to one of the experienced Indianapolis lawyers of Doehrman Chamberlain. We are nationally board-certified trial lawyers with more than 60 combined years of experience handling truck accidents and other motor vehicle accident cases for clients throughout the country. Your personal injury case is too important; make sure you trust your litigation to the hands of experienced professionals.
Trucking Companies' Obligation to Only Use Qualified and Competent Drivers
In our article, Understanding the Federal Motor Safety Regulations, attorney Daniel S. Chamberlain outlined some of the essential guidelines for trucking companies regarding qualifying drivers for over-the-road duty. To be qualified and competent, a driver must:
- Be physically qualified to drive: This includes adequate vision and hearing, blood pressure, freedom from blood pressure, epilepsy, insulin-dependent diabetes and alcoholism.
- Pass a driving test: This test is much more intensive than the test administered to non-professional drivers.
- Pass an intensive application and background test process: A trucking company is required to obtain detailed information about a prospective driver's prior employers, addresses for the past 10 years and driving record from every state in which the driver was licensed for the previous three years.
CSA 2010: Compliance ∙ Safety ∙ Accountability
These are just the precautions taken before the driver begins to work for the trucking company. Once the driver is on the road, the company is obligated to supervise and monitor that driver's performance and qualifications.
The new body of regulations, called CSA, is an intensive program rolled out in December 2010 with the goal of measuring, evaluating and intervening more effectively with trucking companies to ensure that safety measures — including the requirement to only use qualified and trained drivers — are followed to the letter. Motor carriers are required to make sure drivers are qualified on a daily basis. As soon as a driver has a violation or other cause to be considered an unfit driver, that driver should be taken off the road immediately.
We have handled many truck accident cases. In almost every case, there is almost always a violation of some kind. Typically, the driver is not fully competent or qualified, or there is some physical problem with the vehicle itself like a broken headlight, inadequate brakes or an improperly prepared logbook. There is almost always some kind of federal violation going on, and we can find it.
Serious Personal Injuries
In the vast majority of cases, the size and speed of the trucks cause severe and catastrophic injuries that can include:
Victims of truck accidents who have suffered any of these injuries often experience lingering effects and medical needs for many years after the accident, sometimes even for life. We work hard to make sure our clients get compensation for the immediate medical expenses and damages, as well as compensation for the long-term injuries that they suffer. We have been corporate sponsors of the Brain Injury Association of Indiana for more than 30 years. Our AV-rated* attorneys are qualified and experienced with handling brain injury litigation, and we have written many articles on this complicated area of law.
Let Us Help You
If you or someone close to you has been injured in by an incompetent truck driver, we are here to help. Contact us today online or by telephone at 800-269-3443 to speak with an experienced Indiana personal injury attorney.
*CV, BV, and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards, and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell ratings fall into two categories - legal ability and general ethical standards.
