Texas Truck Accident Lawyer

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations were drafted as a way to regulate commercial vehicles and promote safer roadways. The state of Texas has its own special conditions and an addendum of types of vehicles to which the violation applies. The federal regulations blanket all employees, employers, and commercial motor vehicles transporting property or passengers in interstate/intrastate commerce.

Generally, commercial vehicle operators are excluded from having to adhere to both the state and federal regulations in the event of an emergency situation. The emergency can either be a situation in which the driver is assisting, or a state of emergency as pronounced by state or federal officials.

Texas Trucking Regulations

Vehicles that can be categorized by the following standards must adhere to Texas commercial vehicle regulations. Exempt from the following list are school buses, concrete pumps, and transportation performed by federal, state, and local government. The rules apply to trucks that:

• Have an actual gross weight in excess of 26,000 pounds
• Transport hazardous material requiring placards
• Transport 15 or more passengers, including the driver

What they Require

Truck and commercial vehicle drivers involved in an accident that resulted in a fatality, bodily injury to a person, or disabling damage to one or more vehicles requiring them to be towed away from the scene, must for three years after the incident maintain an accident register. The accident register must contain the date and location of the accident, driver’s name, number of injuries and fatalities, and hazardous materials released.

If you have been injured in an accident involving a large truck or commercial vehicle, contact the Texas truck accident lawyers of Williams Kherkher at 866-905-9000 to discuss your case and further legal options.