Posted in Negligence,Personal Injury,Tennessee Accident Law,Truck Wreck on December 5, 2014
Actor Tracy Morgan’s Legal Team Says Nation’s Roads are Unsafe
Actor and comedian Tracy Morgan, best known for his time on television shows like Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock, was seriously injured in an accident on the New Jersey Turnpike involving a Walmart truck in June 2014.
According to an article from hollywoodreport.com, his attorneys say that corporations like Walmart are making the interstates unsafe due to the way they manage their truck drivers.
Morgan and several others who were injured in the accident are suing Walmart for its negligence and claiming it allowed the driver of the truck to stay on the road for a long period of time before the accident occurred.
Attorneys representing Morgan argue that Walmart’s practices of requiring truck drivers to remain behind the wheel for extended periods of time without breaks or rest “places drivers and passengers on America’s roadways in great danger of suffering similar fates to the victims in this accident: serious injury or death.”
In addition, his attorneys stated that they hoped the case will force Walmart to make changes in the way it handles its trucking and logistics operations.
How Can Corporations Better Protect Motorists and Truck Drivers?
At Matt Hardin Law, we know that corporations that rely on truck drivers to make deliveries are responsible for keeping both their drivers and other motorists who share the road safe at all times. Unfortunately, our Murfreesboro truck accident lawyers also know that truck accidents still happen in Tennessee and throughout the nation on a daily basis.
Although we dedicate our practice to helping injured truck accident victims, we’re also advocates of any movement that prevents them from happening in the first place—including increased restrictions for the industry.
Corporations that want to reduce the likelihood that their drivers cause accidents can achieve this goal by:
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has several requirements in place that limit the number of hours truck drivers can be on the road without stopping to rest or sleep. However, these limits don’t take into account each driver’s tolerance for long shifts or ability to stay focused for long stretches of time. To further increase the safety of truck drivers and other motorists, corporations could institute rest requirements that go beyond those established by the FMCSA.
Truck drivers that are rewarded for delivering goods ahead of schedule are more likely to forgo rest periods and drive for time periods well beyond those recommended or required by the FMCSA. By eliminating the need for truck drivers to bend or the break the rules to receive incentives or bonuses, they will be less likely to skip their required rest periods, meaning they’ll be better rested and more focused on the road.
In an effort to make their deliveries on time, some truck drivers may speed, run red lights, or tailgate other drivers. Although these behaviors are dangerous no matter what type of vehicle they’re performed in, they can be especially deadly when the driver is behind the wheel of a truck. In order to reduce the temptation for truck drivers to speed or drive recklessly, corporations could increase the internal fines and penalties for violating traffic laws and placing their own life and the lives of others at risk.
These are just a few of the effort that could help reduce the number of devastating truck accidents in Tennessee and throughout the nation. If you or someone you care about was injured in a truck accident caused by a corporation, truck driver, or trucking company’s negligence, we can help get compensation for any accident-related expenses.
Just dial (615) 200-1111 or complete our free online form to get in touch with our Murfreesboro truck accident lawyers today.
