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Truck Wreck Justice 

During the initial peak of the coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA) temporarily changed trucking industry safety guidelines and restrictions. Changes included letting drivers with learner’s permits drive without their CDL and changing the hours of service guidelines so truckers could drive longer than they would be allowed to otherwise.

Advocates said these changes would make it easier for truckers and trucking companies to supply the vital goods our community needs during this public health crisis. However, when safety regulations change, even for a short time, it opens the industry to dangerous possibilities and potentially permanent regulatory rollbacks.

Safety Changes During COVID-19 Could Dismantle Regulatory Oversight

Trucking companies have been pushing for regulatory rollbacks for years. While the recent changes are supposed to be temporary, the coronavirus pandemic may have given trucking companies and their lobbyists the excuse they needed to eliminate critical regulatory oversight.

Here are a few of the changes have rolled out as a result of the pandemic:

Trainee drivers who don’t have their CDL yet are allowed to drive semi-trucks for three months as long as there is a certified driver in the truck with them. This measure was intended to prevent driver shortages.

For the first time since the Hours of Service law was passed in 1938, truckers may drive for more than 11 hours without a rest break. Under normal circumstances, truckers can drive up to 11 hours per 14-hour work period, followed by a mandatory 10-hour rest period.

During the emergency period covered by the pandemic measures, drivers must still comply with other safety measures, like drug testing, maintaining records, or insurance requirements.

Supporters of the COVID-19 measures argued that they allowed truckers to get critical supplies to the communities that need them. However, the measures put drivers at a higher risk of fatigue-related crashes. Worse, they may give trucking companies leverage to push for permanent changes to the hours of service rules and other critical safety regulations.

Lifted Restrictions Could Increase the Risk of Fatigue-Related Crashes

Driver fatigue has been a national concern since the 1930s. The first Hours of Service (HOS) regulations were signed into law in 1938 and have undergone several changes to protect long-haul truck drivers from driving while fatigued.

The March 13 emergency declaration made it easier for trucking companies to overwork drivers in the name of getting supplies to their destination as quickly as possible. This temporary change was meant to last until the end of June 2020 or until the White House declared an end to the coronavirus emergency.

However, with no end to the pandemic in sight, these dangerous exemptions could simply become standard procedure in the trucking industry. These changes would put Washington motorists at risk as trucking companies exploit the loosened restrictions.

Truckers Are Providing For Us During the Coronavirus Outbreak, but the Industry Needs to Prioritize Safety

Based on official data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the reported number of crashes that cite fatigue as a contributing factor is surprisingly low. In 2013, 1.5 percent of truck crashes that involved a fatality were identified as being caused by driver fatigue.

However, the reporting system used to analyze truck crash causes is flawed and not particularly good at detecting fatigue. The reports rely on truckers to identify fatigue as a factor, and truck drivers have little incentive to admit they were driving while drowsy or exhausted. There is a well-documented connection between fatigue and truck crashes, and almost all trucking attorneys and trucking safety experts agree that fatigued driving is a problem that borders on an epidemic within the trucking industry.

If you or someone you love was hurt in a crash with a tractor-trailer or other large truck, you need an experienced truck accident lawyer who can help you uncover the true causes of the accident, including driver fatigue.

Injured in a Truck Crash in Washington? Call Seattle Truck Law Today

At Seattle Truck Law, we have extensive experience handling complex truck crash cases. Our team of dedicated truck accident attorneys knows how to investigate devastating crashes with precision, expertise, and a critical eye for detail. We find the crash factors that less experienced attorneys might miss.

If you need help after a semi-truck crash, call the Seattle Truck Law team. We can meet with you remotely to help you understand what happened, what your options are, and what to do next. To schedule your free consultation, call us today 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. (2020, March 13). 

US Department of Transportation Issues National Emergency Declaration for Commercial Vehicles Delivering Relief in Response to the Coronavirus Outbreak

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/newsroom/us-department-transportation-issues-national-emergency-declaration-commercial-vehicles

Miller, E. (2020, March 31). FMCSA Issues COVID-19 Waiver for Truck Drivers With Learner Permits. 

https://www.ttnews.com/articles/fmcsa-issues-covid-19-waiver-truck-drivers-learner-permits

Panel on Research Methodologies and Statistical Approaches to Understanding Driver Fatigue Factors in Motor Carrier Safety and Driver Health; Committee on National Statistics; Board on Human-Systems Integration; Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education; Transportation Research Board; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2016, August 12). 

Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Fatigue, Long-Term Health, and Highway Safety: Research Needs.

 7, Fatigue, Hours of Service, and Highway Safety. Washington, DC: National Academies Press Retrieved from 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK384974/

Trucking Rules Changed Under Coronavirus. What Does That Mean for the Future of Trucking Safety?

Oak Harbor Freight Lines is one of the oldest 

 in the Pacific Northwest. Established in 1915, they transport a wide variety of products, including motor vehicles, mobile homes, chemicals, oilfield equipment, and more.

However, the company has been involved in crashes in recent years, some of which have been fatal. Accidents with big trucks are some of the most devastating and confusing for victims. If you or someone you love was harmed in a crash involving an Oak Harbor Freight Lines truck, you should understand your legal options and what to do next.

Oak Harbor Freight Lines Has a History of Dangerous Behavior

Oak Harbor Freight Lines has a fleet of roughly 500 trucks and 1,900 trailers. While the company maintains its reputation as an established freight company operating across the West Coast and county, Oak Harbor Freight is not without accidents.

Between 2018 and 2020, crashes involving Oak Harbor Freight Lines trucks injured nine people and killed two. In addition, Oak Harbor Freight Lines has a history of prioritizing delivery over safety. In 2010, they fired a driver who called in sick, citing poor attendance. The driver was ill and taking a prescribed narcotic cough syrup, which would have compromised their ability to drive safely.

During a whistleblower investigation, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found Oak Harbor Freight Lines in violation of the driver’s right to refuse an assignment. The agency ordered the company to pay the driver’s lost wages and remove the incident from the driver’s permanent record.

Hurt in a Big Truck Wreck? Here’s How Liability Works

Truck accidents are incredibly complicated. Commercial trucks are massive vehicles that haul heavy cargo over thousands of miles. The drivers of these trucks often drive many hours without a break, sometimes in violation of federal regulations.

When a tractor-trailer or other large truck crashes, the wreck often results from more than one factor. Common factors that contribute to crashes include:

Driver inattentiveness, distraction, or fatigue

Cargo that’s loaded in an unsafe manner

Poor maintenance of critical truck parts such as braking systems

Once you understand the exact causes of the accident, you can begin to hold the negligent parties accountable. However, it can be difficult or even impossible to identify every contributing factor to the crash without the help of an experienced attorney. Determining liability in truck wreck cases often requires in-depth industry knowledge and the resources to go head-to-head with the trucking company and their insurance carrier.

Insurance companies are notorious for denying innocent victims the financial compensation they deserve. An insurance adjuster may pressure you into accepting a settlement that’s not sufficient, or they may use other underhanded tactics to try to avoid paying you for your injuries and losses.

However, when you work with an experienced truck accident attorney, they should be able to compile your medical bills and secure expert testimony that establishes the extent of your losses and disabilities due to the wreck. If the insurance company refuses to offer you fair compensation, your attorney can fight back with evidence and perform a thorough investigation to prove how the truck company’s negligent behavior caused your injuries.

7 FAQs About Truck Wrecks and Victims’ Rights

Injured in a Truck Crash in Washington? Call Seattle Truck Law

If you or someone you love is suffering after a truck crash that wasn’t your fault, you shouldn’t have to pay for expensive medical bills and damaged property.

At Seattle Truck Law, we help recover compensation for victims who suffer when negligent trucking companies cause devastating crashes. Our founding attorney Morgan Adams is board certified in truck accident law, and every lawyer in our office has driven a tractor-trailer. We know the trucking industry on a level that very few law firms in the country can match.

To learn more about your options after a crash, get in touch with us today. We can speak with you in a confidential, no-risk initial consultation. During your consultation, we’ll listen to your story, answer questions about your case, and offer advice about what to do next.

To schedule your free case review today, call us at 

Company Snapshot: Oak Harbor Freight Lines, Inc. (2020, July 13). 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/query.asp?searchtype=ANY&query_type=queryCarrierSnapshot&query_param=USDOT&original_query_param=NAME&query_string=8314&original_query_string=OAK%20HARBOR%20FREIGHT%20LINES%20INC

Magoci, J. (2017, January 6). Top 10 Trucking Companies in Washington. 

https://www.fueloyal.com/top-10-trucking-companies-in-washington/2/

Smith, S. (2014, January 3). Carrier in Hot Water for Firing Driver Who Refused to Drive While Taking RX Narcotic. 

https://cdllife.com/2014/carrier-hot-water-firing-driver-refused-drive-taking-rx-narcotic/

How Do I Sue Oak Harbor Freight Lines After a Wreck?

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