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Collect important data

Gather some information about the situation before calling the authorities. The authorities will question you have contacted. Providing detailed and comprehensive responses increases the trucking firm’s likelihood of facing penalties for its carelessness or misbehavior.

• The transportation company’s name (often found on the cab)
• Number assigned by the U.S. Department of Transportation
• The number of the motor carrier
• The truck’s and the driver’s description
• The accident’s date, time, and place

Make a list of everything you can about the car, the driver, and the firm. If the whole trucking firm name was not shown on the cab, look it up on the internet. It is important to note that the logo or print on the trailer does not necessarily belong to the trucking business; instead, it belongs to the firm that owns the goods that the trucking company is hauling. Look for corporate information on the cab of the car.

To file a complaint, go to the National Consumer Complaint Database.

Consumers may complain about commercial trucks, cargo businesses, buses, and moving cars via the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) database. Both consumers and drivers may use the National Consumer Complaint Database to file complaints against businesses.

By completing a few basic questions concerning the occurrence, such as the type of the complaint: truck safety, cargo tank facility, hazardous chemicals, operating authority, or property brokerage, you may file a complaint online utilizing the database.

Complete the accident description with as much information as possible before submitting your complaint. Getting in touch with the federal transportation agency could be a good idea.

If your lawsuit includes interstate transportation, it may be relevant. Otherwise, find the nearest FMCSA field office and make a local complaint.

To access the Safety Violation Hotline and register a complaint with the FMCSA over the phone, dial 1-888-DOT-SAFT. You may contact a representative at this number Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time to hear your complaint. If you file with the FMCSA within 60 days of observing the infraction, you may trigger an inquiry against the trucking firm.

Send a message to the trucking company.

The trucking business should also be notified of the suspected safety infringement to address the problem and, if required, sanction the driver. Telling the trucking firm of the accident may help avoid future accidents involving an inexperienced driver or car. If you know the trucking company’s name, you may search it up online to obtain a phone number.

Some businesses provide online complaint platforms where you may make a safety complaint. Otherwise, contact the firm and explain the situation. The majority of businesses will move quickly to remedy the problem.

Make a 911 call.

Call 911 to report the safety violation if you believe it is an emergency. A drunk or sleepy truck driver, risky truck movements, unsecured cargo loads, or a truck that does not look roadworthy are all valid reasons to call 911 and report the accident to police authorities. Your call will be answered quickly by the police, who will hunt down the unsafe truck and execute a traffic stop.

The truck driver might face criminal charges for intoxicated or irresponsible driving, as well as consequences including having his or her commercial driver’s license suspended or revoked. Notifying the authorities might prevent a truck accident from occurring

Truck accidents continue to wreak havoc on American highways. Truck accidents have been on the increase over the previous decade, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the federal organization that supervises the trucking sector.

Over 100,000 heavy trucks are engaged in traffic accidents each year, resulting in casualties. At least one person is killed in more than 4,000 truck accidents.

Many of these collisions are caused by inexperienced truck drivers. Truckers who drive dangerously put everyone else on the road at risk of an accident or injury. Reporting a motorist breaking the law on the road might save lives.

Our expertise with truck accident litigation has given us a unique perspective on everything that may go wrong when drivers are driving recklessly.

We’ll go over why you should report a trucker, how to report a dangerous truck driver, what information you’ll need to make a complaint, and what to do if you’ve been injured in a truck accident in the sections below.

Trucking Practices That Aren’t Safe

Some driving habits may result in serious accidents. If you see a trucker indulging in these, you may assist in averting a calamity by reporting them to the authorities. Any of the following should be reported:

Passing Illegally

Professional drivers are prohibited from passing on a slope, a bend, or right in most states.

Due to their sheer size, trucks might reduce other motorists’ vision on the road. Illegal passing exacerbates the hazard by obstructing visibility at critical times when drivers need unobstructed sightlines to prevent collisions.

A typical danger of unauthorized passing is an accident involving a semi-truck driving another car off the road while trying to pass another car.

Speeding

Commercial drivers work long hours and are under constant pressure to fulfill pick-up and drop-off dates.

Although some trucks have speed restrictions that prevent them from exceeding a set speed, most do not. Truckers in a hurry often travel too fast for the road, weather, and traffic circumstances, putting the general public in danger of disastrous collisions.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, truck collisions that occur faster produce more damage and have a higher risk of catastrophic injury or death due to the increased force involved in the crash.

Swerving

When a truck swerves, it might indicate a potentially hazardous scenario.

The trucker might be experiencing a medical issue, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, preoccupied with a mobile phone, or tired.

Each of these conditions has the potential to cause a trucker to lose the capacity to respond effectively to risks and/or lose control of a car, resulting in severe and tragic truck wrecks.

Failure to Produce

Some truck drivers drive as if they own the road and don’t care about the other cars on the road. They assume that all other drivers will yield to them, even if they do not have the right of way.

Others are in danger of severe and deadly injuries due to these drivers’ actions. Failure to yield may result in hazardous head-on and t-bone crashes, among other things.

Too much resemblance

If a loaded semi-truck is moving at 65 miles per hour, the FMCSA predicts that it will take up to two football fields to halt. Truckers that tailgate other cars in a rear-end accident may inflict serious property damage and casualties.

Even at speeds below 65 miles per hour, if the car in front of a truck makes an irregular maneuver, slows unexpectedly, or stops abruptly, the trucker simply does not have the time or space to avoid a collision.

In heavy traffic and severe weather, the chance of a fatal collision is very high.

In the Left Lane, Camping

Slow cars are prohibited from camping in the left lane of the interstate or another multi-lane highway in several places. Passing lanes are located on the left side of the road.

Truckers that insist on driving solely in the left lane obstruct traffic flow, particularly when they lack the strength to sustain their pace as they climb a slope.

The habit of using the left lane as a default driving lane is risky because it pushes cars to pass trucks on the right, where they have large blind areas. If a trucker chooses to return to the right lane, he risks triggering a serious car accident by forcing other cars off the road.

Dangerous Driving

Many of the driving habits listed above are considered risky driving. Reckless driving is a moving infraction that a trucker might obtain if he or she shows a deliberate disregard for the safety of others on the road.

Report any irresponsible activity by a truck driver, regardless of whether it fits into one of the categories listed above.

What Is the Best Place to File a Report?

If you or others are in imminent danger due to a dangerous driver’s actions behind the wheel, contact 911 to report it as an emergency. How you report a dangerous trucker in non-emergency situations depends on your location and the circumstances.

Report your concerns to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration if you have seen risky driving behaviors by a commercial car driver on an interstate highway or if you have concerns regarding the transportation of hazardous items and chemicals.

Trucks, as professional drivers, must always follow the laws and regulations of the United States Department of Transportation. Call the Department of Transportation’s Complaint Hotline at 888-368-7238 or 1-888-DOT-SAFT to report any dangerous driving habits to the FMCSA.

On the FMCSA’s National Consumer Complaint Database (NCCDB) website, you may also make a complaint.

Federal standards apply to all truckers and trucking firms, but state governments also impose their own rules and regulations on truck drivers and corporations.

You may register a complaint with your state’s regulatory body if you see a dangerous truck driver on state roadways. You’ll need to contact the Department of Transportation in most states.

If you don’t want to contact 911 to report a dangerous driver or car, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) suggests dialing the Kentucky State Police’s non-emergency phone number: 1-800-222-5555.

What Should You Report?

A complaint to the authorities regarding a dangerous truck driver should ideally contain the following information:

The truck’s description;

Any information that may be used to identify a trucking firm (such as a logo or a company name);

On the car or trailer, visible license plate numbers and/or DOT numbers;

The driver’s description;

The place where the safety infraction was detected;

Your observation’s date and time; and

A description of potentially dangerous activity.

Remember to prioritize your safety when reporting a dangerous semi-driver to authorities. If you wish to gather information to the police, don’t speed, tailgate, or participate in any other risky driving behavior. You can end up creating your crash.

It’s extremely difficult to get a driver description if you’re in a passenger car and the other driver is driving a truck that sits considerably higher above the road.

Make a list of any unique qualities you can think of to substantiate your complaint; nevertheless, safety comes first.

The name or number of the road, highway, or interstate on which you were going, as well as any cross streets, crossroads, mile markers, or exits that someone may use to locate your specific position, can all be included in the location information you supply.

However, they are just recommendations. Do your best to report what you notice while staying safe from the inattentive motorist and other traffic dangers.

Have you been injured in a trucking accident?

Suppose you were injured in a semi-truck accident due to a hazardous commercial driver or a negligent trucking firm. In that case, you should not have to bear the physical, emotional, or financial consequences on your own.

You are entitled to compensation for your injuries and losses under the law.

You may be able to collect considerable money damages to help you restore your health and reconstruct your life by filing a lawsuit against the negligent motorist, the driver’s employers, and others.

On the other hand, Truck collisions can entail complex factual and legal considerations. Trust only an experienced truck accident lawyer to represent you in all phases of researching, negotiating, and fighting your claim to safeguard your rights and offer yourself the greatest opportunity of collecting the money you deserve.

Jeremy D. Earle, JD, a Colorado-based attorney, has been fighting for wounded accident victims for over a decade, particularly in instances involving dangerous semi-truck drivers and catastrophic accidents.

His expertise in negotiating, settling, and litigating personal injury lawsuits has resulted in settlements and jury judgments totaling tens of millions of dollars for his clients.

For a free consultation and case review to discuss your truck accident, your injuries, and the best course of action moving forward, contact Warrior Truck Accident Lawyers now online or at 719-300-1100.