While we’ve discussed truck driver fatigue recently and what a danger this in for Missouri and Illinois residents, one item we haven’t talked about in-depth is falsified trucker logbooks. Trucker logbook tampering is a growing problem across the country. Often, workers or companies doctor falsified trucker logbooks in an effort to disguise the true hours that a driver has worked. This is often done in an attempt to make it look like the driver and/or company are complying with federal regulations. The unfortunate side effect is that this can often, at least temporarily, mask truck driver fatigue.
Authorities have linked a recent deadly truck accident in Illinois to suspected falsified trucker logbooks. According to them, the driver accused of causing the fatal collision not only drove more hours than allowed by law, he also doctored his logbook entries to make it appear he started driving later in the day than actual reality. On the date of the crash, officials believe he had been on the road since at least 2:30 a.m., despite the fact his logbook apparently said he started driving at 6:00 a.m. that day.
The recent tractor-trailer crash occurred southwest of Chicago in late July. Reports indicate that multiple vehicles were at a standstill on I-55 in a construction zone when the 51-year-old truck driver approached in his tractor-trailer. Police investigators say that the man was traveling at least 15 mph above the speed limit posted in that particular construction area. According to them, they could find no signs that he tried to apply his brakes to avoid the collision. The semi-truck reportedly slammed into several of the stopped vehicles, resulting in the deaths of four people. Those victims who died included three individuals in their 40s and 50s and one 11-year-old child.
As a result of the investigation, the truck driver was booked on charges that include failure to reduce speed along with making willfully false entries in his logbook. One official has indicated that other charges, such as reckless homicide, may be forthcoming. This case sharply illustrates just how critical the issues of falsifying trucker logbooks and truck driver fatigue are. The unfortunate truth is that innocent victims are often the ones to pay the price when these situations occur.
Take a recent slew of inspections which occurred in the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska State Patrol conducted surprise inspections of many commercial vehicles, including trucks and vans, which generally travel in the local area so might not be subject to weigh station regulations. The inspections resulted in 21 trucks being ordered off of the roadways and a reported 168 violations of commercial vehicle regulations. At least one of the truck drivers was accused of violating the hours of work service/logbook regulations. He and three other truck drivers, who were accused of other types of violations like having no operator’s licenses, were ordered to cease driving.
This could just be the tip of the iceberg, considering that only 59 inspections were conducted and this applied only to local commercial vehicles in that part of Nebraska. It does serve to highlight the fact that trucker logbook tampering does occur throughout the country, including in Missouri and Illinois. And as the fatal Illinois truck accident shows, innocent victims often pay the ultimate price when these violations occur.
Those who have suffered either injury or the loss of someone they love due to falsified trucker logbooks or truck driver fatigue do have legal rights. They may be eligible to pursue a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit in a civil court. My St. Louis personal injury law firm can be reached, toll-free, at 1-888-586-7041, to discuss potential options. Please consider calling us today to find out what rights you have, and what steps you can take to strengthen your case.
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Source Article: http://www.tribtown.com/view/story/c0d8238b571b48c49a6d642e649edea8/IL–Illinois-Fatal-Accident and http://www.northplattebulletin.com/index.asp?show=news&action=readStory&storyID=28280&pageID=3