Missouri DUI Truck Accident Lawyers

Drug and Alcohol Related Semi Truck Accidents

Truck drivers are deemed with the responsibility of having to successfully maneuver large trucks on America's roads and highways. Truck drivers are required to hold a Commercial Driver's License, and are all entered into a national database. The importance of being a cautious truck driver is imperative to the safety of all roads and highways, especially those roads and highways in Missouri.

However, when truck drivers neglect safety precautions, and choose to drive while under the influence of an illicit substance, it is important to know your rights as a motorist in the event of a truck accident. You'll need a Missouri big rig crash lawyer on your side to ensure that truck drivers who drive while under the influence are held accountable for their actions and the proper compensatory damages are paid to you.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety discusses past studies which showed that 12 percent of truck drivers tested positive for over-the-counter stimulants. These stimulants are used mostly to help keep weary drivers alert and awake. However, some of these drivers are weary in the first place because they are recklessly choosing to drive longer hours than they are legally allowed to.

Current rules state that drivers are not permitted to drive longer than 11 hours, or continue to drive after 14 hours since beginning their delivery without first taking a 10-hour break. The maximum number of hours that a commercial truck driver is allowed to log during a one-week period is 77 hours. Drivers use substances to log longer hours on the road, often longer than the 77-hour work week allows. In fact, the IIHS also reports that "about a third of drivers interviewed by the Institute in 2003, 2004, and 2005 admitted to often or sometimes omitting hours from their log books."

Truck drivers have also tested positive for illicit drugs and alcohol too. Alcohol restrictions for drivers of commercial trucks are stricter than the national guidelines for motorists of smaller vehicles. Truck drivers cannot have a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) greater than 0.04%, as opposed to all other motorists who are permitted to have a BAC of no greater than 0.08%. Truck drivers are required to take random alcohol and drug testing. If a commercial truck driver under the influence is found to have a BAC higher than the allowed limit, or is found to be under the influence of illicit drugs, then that truck driver's commercial truck driving license may be revoked. However, procedure is not always followed, and some drivers may find ways to circumvent their revoked license.

There is significant pressure on truck drivers to make deliveries at a faster rate. There is data supporting the idea that truck drivers do in fact resort to taking alcohol and/or drugs as stimulants to help keep themselves alert, but these substances impair their judgment nevertheless. At PageŚCagle, our skilled attorneys are prepared to expose truck driver negligence and substance abuse while on the job. Please call our knowledgeable St Louis trucking accident injury lawyers for a free consultation, and we will get you the compensation for wrongdoing that you deserve.