Drowsy Truck Driver Causes Missouri I-70 Truck Accident
A Missouri truck driver fatigue crash occurred on Interstate Highway 70 on January 24, 2012. The Missouri truck crash occurred when Ohio truck driver James E. Buford fell asleep at the wheel of a large truck. The 1993 Freightliner drifted off the right side of the interstate highway as Buford slept. Travelling off the interstate highway, the Freightliner overturned. Buford was the only person who suffered personal injury the accident. Buford was transported by EMS to the University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri for the medical treatment of his moderate personal injury. The Freightliner sustained extensive damage.
Drowsy driving is a major safety hazard in the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy driving causes roughly 1,550 deaths each year. More than 71,000 people are injured because of drowsy driving. Drowsy driving committed by commercial motor drivers carries a greater potential for wrongful death and personal injury than standard drowsy driving. Commercial motor vehicles are larger and heavier than typical passenger vehicles. When a drowsy commercial motor vehicle driver steers a truck or bus into a smaller vehicle, the smaller vehicle’s occupants are put in grave danger.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) enacted stricter hours-of-service regulations to counteract the negative impact of drowsy driving. Hours-of-service regulations restrict when and how long truck drivers can operate commercial motor vehicles. The FMCSA issued a new hours-of-service rule on December 22, 2011. The new rule will take effect in February. The new rule was promulgated after extensive research and includes tighter restrictions and higher penalties for negligent truck drivers.
The new hours-of-service rule will help truck accident victims show that Missouri truck drivers are liable for the drowsy driving accidents that they cause. When a negligent driver causes an accident while violating a traffic safety statute, the accident victim can used that statute violation against the truck driver in court. Truck accident victims should contact Missouri truck attorneys for advice about drowsy driving accidents and hours-of-service regulations. Our experienced Missouri personal injury lawyers provide free legal consultations to accident victims.
