Alcohol and Drugs
What happens if the truck driver who caused your injury was high or drunk? Unlike ordinary drivers, who can legally drive with some alcohol in their system, it is against the law for truck drivers to have any alcohol whatsoever in their system. In fact, truck drivers are not permitted to consume alcohol within 4 hours of going on duty.
Truck drivers are prohibited from using or even possessing “pep pills” (such as No Doze), “bennies,” amphetamines, narcotics, or any other substances that would render them incapable of driving safely. This often does not stop them. Many truck drivers, under pressure to make money and complete their hitches as quickly as possible, turn to drugs to “help” them finish the job. In fact, truck drivers were among the first to begin using amphetamines, to stay awake during long hauls.
Prescription drug use is a factor in 26% of trucking accidents, according to the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) 2010 Report, a study conducted over several years.
The Houston semi-truck accident lawyers at Morrow & Sheppard can help you figure out whether drug or alcohol abuse by an 18-wheeler truck or commercial vehicle driver was a factor in your accident. Further, even if you had drugs or alcohol in your system at the time of your accident, you may still have a claim. Morrow & Sheppard have the skills and experience to help you and your family secure the compensation you deserve when you or a loved one is injured in a trucking, 18-wheeler, or vehicle accident.
Contact us now for a free, confidential consultation to discuss your options. Your consultation will be kept secret, and it does not obligate you to hire our law firm or file a claim.
References
49 C.F.R. 392.5 (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations).
49 C.F.R. 392.4 (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations).
