Missouri Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration oversees tractor trailers and other large shipping vehicles all over the county. You can find a listing of every federal motor carrier law on their website.

Each individual state, however, can legislate their own specific rules that can tweak the laws set by the FMCSA. Here in Missouri, there are a few notable exceptions to the federal laws.

The first has to do with the Hours of Service laws that govern how long a driver can be behind the wheel. These laws are designed to make sure drivers are not driving on short rest when they are more prone to causing a truck accident that could result in serious personal injury or death.

Missouri has adopted many of the Hours of Service laws, but they make an exception for farmers and agricultural supply transporters during the harvesting seasons. If you are traveling within a 100 mile radius within the state lines during this period there is no maximum number of on-duty hours.

Missouri also says that a driver must be at least 18 years of age to get a trucking license (CDL or Class E) but this requirement is raised to 21 years of age if the driver is moving hazardous chemicals or other dangerous material. This varies from the federal law and several other states’ laws.

With all the subtle changes in laws from state to state, it’s important to find someone who is well versed in Missouri’s specific laws. If you are injured in an accident with a tractor trailer, be sure to find an experienced Missouri truck accident attorney who can navigate the states unique laws

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is tasked with providing oversight to the tractor trailers and the trucking industry as a whole. One of the areas that is heavily regulated is the inspection, repairs, and maintenance of tractor trailers.

Regulations require that all large trucks and commercial shipping vehicles be meticulously inspected to prevent any sort of potentially dangerous mechanical failure. Before driving a tractor trailer, the driver must sign an inspection report saying that the vehicle is in safe operating condition. A full inspection is required every year and documentation of each inspection and any repairs must be kept by the carrier company for at least a year.

One of the most common types of tractor trailer accidents on Missouri’s roadways is the jackknife accident. This occurs when the cabin of the tractor trailer is violently shifted to the side of the cargo trailer. A mechanical failure in the braking system is often the cause of these accidents. Jackknife tractor trailer accidents have the potential to injure not only the truck driver, but any Missouri driver is at risk for personal injury if they are following a truck that jackknifes.

Missouri truck drivers are also required to do spot inspections of emergency systems, lighting, and doors every 90 days.

If you or someone you know is injured in a tractor trailer accident, the most important thing to do is to contact an experienced Missouri tractor trailer attorney as soon as possible. If a mechanical failure due to lax inspection standards is to blame, these inspection records will be invaluable evidence, but motor carrier companies will destroy these files after a year. This is especially true if the carrier was negligent and did not follow the Federal inspection standards.

With thousands of big rig tractor trailers crossing America’s highways everyday, the number of injury accidents involving these large vehicles has increased. That’s not to say all truck drivers are negligent. Just the opposite, in fact, as most drivers are very safe. Still, the size and power of tractor trailers means accidents usually result in serious injury or death.

To help regulate the trucking industry and prevent these catastrophic accidents, the government has mandated that all truck drivers keep meticulous logs of their driving. By documenting all of their driving, authorities can be sure the driver is not breaking any Federal Motor Carrier Regulations.

A truck driver’s log must contain the following information:
- Total miles driven daily
- Tractor trailer ID number and carrier
- Driver certification
- Information on co-driver (if applicable)
- Total hours driven daily
- Shipping/cargo information

In the event of an accident, these logs can be examined by a personal injury lawyer to see if the driver was driving longer than his mandated limit.

Anybody involved in an accident with a big rig should contact a trucking accident attorney as soon as possible so that these log books can be obtained before they are manipulated or destroyed. Again, most drivers and their carriers are honest people, but some will try to cover up violations. Also, carrier companies are only required to keep the logs on file for 6 months, after which they can be destroyed.