The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is proposing a new rule that would require interstate commercial truck and bus companies to use Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) in their vehicles. The goal with the new rule is to improve compliance with the safety rules that govern the number of hours a commercial driver can work, thereby preventing accidents that result in personal injury and wrongful death.
“While the majority of truck and bus drivers are responsible and safety-conscious, it never ceases to amaze me how often the drivers involved in accident cases in which our clients were injured are in violation of the hours of service rules,” said Eric Hageman, a lawyer who represents clients in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits against bus and trucking companies.
“This new rule is aimed squarely at those drivers who try to get around the safety rules put in place to protect the public. Requiring Electronic Logging Devices will allow victims of truck or bus accidents to find out if driver fatigue is what caused or contributed to the accident and will prevent any tampering with log books after crashes occur.” You can contact Eric at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free).
Use of ELDs will make it more difficult for bus and truck drivers to misrepresent their driving time on logbooks. According to FMSCA this will help reduce crashes by fatigued bus and truck drivers and prevent approximately 20 wrongful deaths and 434 bodily injuries each year.
“By implementing Electronic Logging Devices, we will advance our mission to increase safety and prevent fatigued drivers from getting behind the wheel,” said Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne S. Ferro. “With broad support from safety advocates, carriers and members of Congress, we are committed to achieving this important step in the commercial bus and truck industries.”
Attorney Eric Hageman has helped many accident victims and their families successfully sue bus and trucking companies for compensation. He is a member of the of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Interstate Trucking Litigation Group. Eric represents clients throughout the United States and has offices in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Eric and attorney Fred Pritzker recently won $4 million for a family in a wrongful death lawsuit against a driver and vehicle repair company. This is one of several multimillion-dollar traffic crash cases Eric and Fred have won as a litigation team.