Tennessee Distracted Driving Truck Accident Lawyers
The Tennessee distracted driving truck accident lawyers of Terry, Terry & Stapleton see a growing problem in our connected age. Many truck drivers are distracted by cell phones. In turn, they can cause serious injuries and deaths. In fact, the problem has become so bad that the U.S. Department of Transportation now bans truck drivers from using hand-held mobile devices while driving. Unfortunately, accidents still continue to happen.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving a distracted truck driver, this federal rules violation can be used to establish negligence and a legal claim for compensation. To learn more, call Terry, Terry & Stapleton today at (877) 478-8527 or use our online contact form.
We have helped clients recover some of the largest legal settlements or courtroom verdicts in East Tennessee and the Southeast, including in Hamblen, Hawkins, Greene, Sevier, Knox, Washington, Sullivan and Cocke counties of Tennessee.
Cell Phones and Truck Drivers: A Dangerous Combination
Every day, the news reminds us of the dangers of truck drivers using cell phones behind the wheel. One horrific report from March 2010 involved a tractor-trailer that crossed the median on I-65 south of Munfordville, Tennessee. A van slammed into the truck, and 10 people were killed. The National Transportation Safety Board determined the crash was likely caused when the truck driver lost control while talking on his cell phone.
A tractor-trailer driver distracted by dialing a cell phone is six times more likely to be “involved in a safety-critical event,” the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and DOT said in their final rule banning cell phone use while driving a truck. “These increases in risk are primarily attributable to the driver’s eyes being off the forward roadway,” the FMCSA says.
Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Are Banned From Using Cell Phones
In November 2011, the DOT issued a ban on commercial drivers using hand-held mobile phones while operating commercial trucks or buses. The FMCSA in September 2010 issued a regulation banning text messaging while operating a commercial truck or bus.
Drivers who violate these distracted driving rules can face fines or lose their commercial driver’s licenses. The driver and his employer could also be held liable for injury or death caused by a distracted truck driving accident. A lawyer from Terry, Terry & Stapleton can help you determine your legal options for seeking compensation for your losses if you have been injured in a distracted driving truck accident involving cell phone use.
Our Tennessee Distracted Driving Truck Accident Lawyers Can Help You
Terry, Terry & Stapleton’s distracted truck driving accident lawyers have decades of experience in researching truck accidents. We can collect cell phone records, driver logs, tachometer records, police accident reports and other records truck drivers must maintain. We know how trucking companies and their insurers try to hide these records and obscure facts. We can get to the facts.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one to a truck driver distracted by talking on a cell phone, Terry, Terry & Stapleton can help you. We provide free initial case evaluations. To learn more, call us today (877) 478-8527 or use our online contact form.
We serve clients throughout East Tennessee and the Southeast, including in Hamblen, Hawkins, Greene, Sevier, Knox, Washington, Sullivan and Cocke counties of Tennessee.
