As thousands of people across Louisiana and the entire U.S. are killed or suffer serious injuries in truck accidents each year, Louisiana residents may be interested about a news release from the National Transportation Safety Board. In its Jan. 13 release, the agency called on Congress to tighten regulatory laws and implement more than 100 recommendations made to them.
The recommendations all involve the NTSB’s concerns regarding truck drivers and commercial carriers. The number of fatalities increased for the fourth year in a row between 2009 and 2013, yet the 2014 Congress weakened regulations on the industry instead of tightening them. In 2013 alone, 3,964 people were killed in accidents involving large trucks. Congress still relaxed regulations designed to combat truck driver fatigue, including those limiting drivers to driving no more than 82 hours in an eight-day time period.
In addition to recommendations aimed at driver fatigue, the NTSB is also calling for tighter regulation on commercial carriers’ safety practices. According to the agency, more than 20 percent of large trucks are found to have safety violations when they are inspected in mandatory vehicle inspection sites.
When a person is involved in a semi-truck accident, he or she is much more likely to suffer catastrophic injuries than are people involved in other types of vehicle accidents. In the event a person is seriously injured in a collision involving a negligent truck driver, he or she may have lifelong disabilities requiring ongoing treatment as well as significant medical and other expenses. A personal injury attorney might aid his or her client in seeking compensation for such injuries by filing a personal injury civil lawsuit against both the negligent driver as well as the carrier for whom the driver works. Through a lawsuit, injured victims may be made financially whole.
