Texas Truck Accident Lawyers Call for Firm Action To Eliminate Driver Fatigue

Texas truck accident lawyers have consistently highlighted the need for more efforts to prevent accidents caused by truck driver fatigue. Drowsy drivers are a serious risk not just to the truckers driving these massive vehicles, but also to the motorists who are driving around the truck. A recent truck accident in Newton County is being linked to possible driver fatigue.

The accident involved a logging truck which crashed on highway 87 near Deweyville in Newton County this week. Preliminarily investigations indicate that the accident occurred when the tractor trailer was rounding a corner, and the driver lost control of the rig, causing the truck to flip over. As the truck rolled over, the driver was ejected, and trapped beneath the falling logs. Investigators believe fatigue may have been a factor in the driver's loss of control over his rig.

As Texas truck accident lawyers, we also noted the fact that there had been at least three serious accidents on the exact same curve in 2009. Other truckers have pointed out that the curve seems to come up suddenly without any warning.  It makes sense that a sleepy trucker wasn't able to see the curve in time, or react appropriately.

The Texas truck accident attorneys at SMSH have supported mandatory sleep apnea screenings and testing for all drivers. Sleep apnea is a medical condition in which there are pauses in breathing during sleep. These pauses may be very frequent in a single night. As a result, the person is sleep deprived, and very tired and sleepy the following day.

There have been enough studies to show that truckers are at a higher risk for obesity, which is one of the biggest contributing factors for sleep apnea.  In the absence of diagnosis for their condition and lack of awareness about this disorder, truckers simply continue to operate these massive vehicles.. When you consider that the fatigued and sleepy operator is in charge of a massive tractor trailer or 18-wheeler that can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, you understand the great risk to the trucker, as well as to other people in the vicinity.

The Texas trucking accident attorneys at Schechter McElwee Shaffer & Harris represent injured victims of truck accidents in and around the state of Texas.  For more information about our free legal consultations, please email us at info@smslegal.com or call (800) 282-2122.