Do state or federal regulations govern truck drivers and trucking companies?
Yes, both state and federal regulations govern truckers and trucking companies, and their failure to follow these rules can establish how their negligence and recklessness caused an accident.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations apply to interstate traffic. Many states have adopted similar rules to govern intrastate traffic. These regulations impose obligations on truckers and trucking companies for the hiring and the supervision of drivers as well as the maintenance and inspection of their commercial motor vehicles (also called CMVs, big rigs, semi-trucks, and 18-wheelers).
For instance, trucking companies must conduct a thorough background check of a driver’s criminal and driving history, and they must ensure the driver has passed a driving test and physical examination and does not have a history of using drugs or alcohol behind the wheel. Companies must also make sure that their vehicles are properly maintained and inspected, including the emergency equipment on board, while truckers must regularly keep logbooks that document how many hours they have been driving to ensure that they have complied with regulations that are aimed at preventing drowsy driving.
These regulations also require commercial trucks to carry certain levels of insurance coverage, depending on the nature of the materials hauled. They protect victims of large truck crashes from truck owners who lack financial resources to pay damages out of pocket.
The tractor-trailer accident attorneys of Munley, Munley & Cartwright, P.C. have more than 50 years of experience in securing favorable verdicts and settlements, including numerous multi-million dollar recoveries, for truck accident victims throughout the Northeast, including Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Our truck accident lawyers are nationally known for their expertise in state and federal regulations and have been recognized by Martindale-Hubbell®, Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and the National Board of Trial Advocacy, among others.
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