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Trucking Accidents

Commercial Drivers’ License Standards (Part A)

If you or someone you love has been the victim of a Chicago truck accident you may be wondering what types of driver or truck company negligence could have been involved in your accident. Contact a Chicago truck crash attorney who can help you determine who is at fault and should be held responsible.

One place to start is to look at the commercial drivers' license standards and training requirements that must be followed for both truck drivers and the employers who hire them. It may help to understand what some of the training requirements are in order to determine negligence in a Chicago truck accident.

Special Training Requirements for Entry-Level Truck Drivers

There are 4 areas of instruction that must be provided for entry-level truck drivers. These 4 areas include:

Requirements for Driver Qualification - There are specific federal rules that must be followed concerning medical examination procedures, medical certification, general qualifications and responsibilities, and disqualifications that are based on a variety of orders, offenses and the loss of driving privileges.
Drivers' Hours of Service - There are limitations on the number of hours that a truck driver can drive, along with requirements to be off-duty for a particular period of time, record of duty status preparation and exceptions. In order to prevent truck accidents, fatigue countermeasures are also addressed.
Driver Wellness - Training on basic health measures that incorporate a healthy diet along with exercise. Avoiding the excessive use of alcohol is also addressed.
Whistleblower Protection - An employee has the right to question any safety practices of an employer without the risk that they will lose their job or that they will face retaliation of any kind for raising up concerns of safety.

Employers' Responsibilities for Truck Drivers

Employers of truck drivers have certain responsibilities that must be met. These include:

Cannot employ a truck driver who is not qualified and has not received driver training;
Must use instructors who are qualified (accredited) to train truck drivers; and
Be able to provide evidence of the truck drivers' certifications.

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As a service to the residents of Chicago, Aurora, Rockford, and Illinois in general, the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. will frequently publish blogs about local traffic accidents. We do this to raise awareness about the common types of motor vehicle accidents that occur in Illinois and can result in serious injuries and/or fatalities.

Common accidents include, but are not limited to:

-- single-car accidents such as SUV rollovers;
-- accidents due to hazardous road conditions; and
-- accidents caused by distracted, aggressive, and/or drunk drivers.

If you have been named in this blog or you are the victim's family member or friend and would like the blog removed from our website, please feel free to contact us and we will promptly accommodate your request.