Call Today Toll Free 866-660-7220

Interested in working with us? Call us on 866 660-7220 or fill out this quick form and we will contact you immediately.

Practice Areas

Testimonials

"Mr. Young and his entire staff made me feel like I was their only client. If I needed anything, all I had to do was ask..." (Read more from Rosalie Chapman)
"The Young Firm did a great job for me and I would highly recommend them..." (Read more from Wade Gisclair)
"Any time some one mentions a need for legal services I give them your name and number along with how you and your staff professionally handled my case to my complete satisfaction..." (Read more from Robert Hanna)

Truck Accidents

Finding Fault in a Louisiana Truck Accident Claim

Posted on 5/10/2011St.John the Baptist Parish Truck Wreck Injures One
Posted on 4/23/2011Bush Louisiana Wreck Kills One
Posted on 4/22/2011Fatal Car Wreck in Desoto Parish Louisiana
Posted on 4/11/2011Satsuma, Louisiana wreck kills One

Truck Accidents

Louisiana Truck Accident Attorney Explains How Driver Distractions can Warrant a Claim (Part B)

Detention Of Truck Drivers By Shippers Creates Safety Issues

A study conducted by the Government Accountability Office found that 65 percent of 300 surveyed truck drivers reported undue detention by shippers in a one-month period. Motorists are well aware of the fact that tired, exhausted truck drivers, having waited many hours to unload their cargo, will get on the road as fast as they can to make up for lost time. Truck driver fatigue is one of the causes of devastating tractor-trailer crashes in Louisiana.

Wasting time

Many shippers, receivers and brokers routinely detain truck drivers at their premises, creating a string of problems for the idle drivers:

Truck drivers on interstate haulage are paid by the mile, which means they, not the motor carrier or the shipper, are footing the bill;
Wasting time at loading docks is a source of immense frustration for drivers who, most of the time, cannot rest, eat, wash or work while they wait;
Waiting truck drivers miss opportunities to haul other loads, cannot plan anything in advance and have no idea when they will be back home with their families;
Long waiting times mean that truck drivers earn less, which they will want to make up by driving longer and farther.

Fighting back

Earlier this year, U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio, D-OR, filed a bill aimed at holding shippers and receivers accountable for the time that truck drivers are unnecessarily detained at the docks. In early May of this year, the chairman of the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee, David Parker, wrote a letter to the Federal Motor carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) asking the FMCSA to seek federal authority to take action against parties who have the power to unduly detain drivers during the loading and unloading of trailers, sometimes for days on end.

These delays, Parker said, can potentially affect a truck driver's ability to make deliveries on time or comply with hours-of-service regulations. Parker also recommended the FMCSA set up a complaint line for drivers unduly detained, and develop a "Truck Driver's Bill of Rights" that would include compensation for lost time trying to find roadside amenities like access to showers and food.

When a truck driver causes an accident that kills or severely injures motorists, the motor carrier should take responsibility. This is why motor carriers ought to do whatever they can to support the proposed bill and FMCSA authority to end the abuse of truck drivers' patience.

If you have been hurt in a Louisiana truck crash, contact the New Orleans accident attorneys of the Young Firm in New Orleans immediately for a free, no-commitment evaluation of your case.