| Commercial Truck Accident Lawyer
Denver, Colorado Big Rig Accident Injury Attorney
Trucking Accidents and Drug Use:
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) strives to reduce trucking accidents, injuries and fatalities by strictly enforcing a variety of rules, regulations and safety initiatives. The mandatory drug and alcohol testing regulations are just a few of the many rules put in place to ensure the safety of all those who drive on America's roadways.
Drug Testing- It's the Law:
According to the FMCSA, all truck drivers who are required to have a commercial driver's license, must submit alcohol and drug testing. Drug testing is performed randomly, to discourage truck drivers from taking drugs at any time. Unfortunately, the Government Accountability Office found that up to 75% of all drug testing sites performed these tests inaccurately. Truck drivers were often unmonitored during the tests and had access to numerous products that are known to contaminate urine specimens, essentially rendering the results invalid.
If you are injured in a trucking accident, it is important to contact a Colorado Trucking Accident attorney immediately. Truck drivers who pass their drug tests may still be guilty of driving under the influence of drugs. In fact, the FMCSA 3 year trucking accident causation study found that prescription drug use was the #1 abused drug of choice in all trucking accidents (26.3%). Only 17.3% of truck drivers were under the influence of an OTC drug and only 2.3% were under the influence of an illegal drug at the time of their accident.
Prescription Drug Use:
Prescription drug abuse is growing throughout the population. Truck drivers may begin to abuse these drugs to stay awake, reduce pain, get high and lift their mood. Unfortunately many of these drugs can have long lasting effects that can significantly reduce a truck driver's reaction time in emergency situations. Some of the most commonly abuse prescription drugs are:
- Pain killers such as Vicodin. Percocet, Lortabs and Methadone
- Benzodiazepines such as Klonopin, Xanax and Valium
- Muscle Relaxants such as Soma and Flexeril
When mixed with even a little alcohol these prescription drugs can produce a powerful effect that can cause significant impairment in truck drivers.
If you or someone you love was injured in a trucking accident, it is important to contact an experienced and aggressive Colorado trucking accident attorney immediately to discuss your case. If you believe that the driver was under the influence of drugs at the time of your accident, your attorney will need to investigate your accident carefully to determine if prescription drug abuse may have contributed to your accident. Trucking accident cases can be extremely complex, therefore, it is important to have an experienced Colorado trucking attorney in your corner from the very beginning.
Safety and sleep experts continue to recommend that truck drivers get no less than 7 hours of sleep a night, yet a study conducted by the NHTSA found that the average truck driver slept for only 5 hours! Drivers who are routinely sleep deprived have difficulty concentrating, focusing and staying alert.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found that episodes of truck driver fatigue occurred most commonly between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. Even though the U.S. Department of Transportation strictly prohibits long distance truck drivers from driving over 11 hours a day, many truck drivers continually break these rules in an attempt to make more money. In addition, many trucking companies routinely urge their drivers to drive longer hours than necessary in order to increase company profits. As a result, many truck drivers are out on Colorado’s roadways…tired and dangerous.
If you or someone you love was injured in a large trucking accident, it is important to contact a Colorado trucking accident attorney immediately. Your Colorado trucking accident attorney will need to aggressively investigate your case and negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf. If your attorney suspects that truck driver fatigue was a reason for your accident, you may be entitled to recover money for damages and any injuries you sustained.
To speak with a Denver semi truck accident lawyer about a truck accident injury or loss, please call our office at 303-759-3300 or contact us online. We do not charge a fee to discuss how we can help you meet your needs.
Big Rig Accident Attorney Saul Sarney
4643 South Ulster Street, Suite 980
Denver, CO 80237
Telephone: 303-759-3300
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Denver personal injury attorney Saul R. Sarney represents semi truck accident clients facing personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits, and denial of insurance coverage claims throughout the greater Denver metropolitan area and areas north, including the cities of Lakewood, Aurora, Englewood, Littleton, Arvada, Greeley, Morrison, Boulder, and Broomfield, as well as Douglas County, Denver County, Jefferson County, and Arapaho County. We also represent clients in other states including Kansas, Nebraska and New Mexico. | 
