Driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol is dangerous in any vehicle, but is especially deadly when a truck driver is the one who is impaired. Driving a large truck requires intense concentration, and consuming even a small amount of alcohol can have dire consequences. That’s why the rules for impaired driving are different for commercial motor vehicle operators.
If you or someone you love was hurt in a truck crash caused by a drunk driver, you need a trusted advocate to help you take legal action.
The St. Louis truck accident lawyers at Drafahl Law firm have significant experience handling cases involving commercial vehicles. We understand how to subpoena police reports and BAC test results, have access to experts who can testify about the impact of impairment, and know the drunk driving laws inside and out.
Our firm will fight for you if your life was changed or your loved one was lost because of a trucker who was driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Give us a call today to learn more.
DUI is a Leading Cause of Truck Accidents
Around 3% of all commercial truck drivers involved in fatal accidents have a blood alcohol content above the legal limit, while close to 30% of all deadly motor vehicle accidents involve impaired drivers. Truckers who were driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol also caused many more injury crashes that were not fatal, but that still resulted in serious harm.
Being intoxicated behind the wheel can significantly increase the risk of a collision for many key reasons. As the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration explains, here are some of the consequences of having alcohol in your body while driving:
- Loss of judgment
- You become more relaxed and less focused when you are impaired
- Visual functions decline, and rapid tracking of objects becomes more difficult
- It becomes harder to perform more than one task at a time
- Coordination is reduced, making steering more difficult
- Drivers become slower to respond, making it harder to avoid a crash
- It becomes more difficult to maintain your lane position
The more intoxicated you are, the greater the loss of vehicle control and the greater the loss of attention to the driving task.
Drunk driving laws are different for truck drivers
Because drunk driving is so much more dangerous for truckers, there are different rules for driving a truck while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. While the BAC limit for most motorists is 0.08%, it is just 0.04% for truckers. This means even if the driver of a truck has just a few drinks, that driver is in violation of the law.
After an accident occurs, police will usually perform a BAC test if there is a reason to suspect intoxication. Toxicology tests are also the norm after any fatal accident. If the trucker who hurt you or your loved one tested positive for alcohol or drugs, this can create a presumption that they were negligent, which makes it easier to prove your claim and recover compensation for losses.
Getting Help from a St. Louis Truck Accident Lawyer
St. Louis truck accident lawyers at Drafahl Law firm are here and ready to help you if you were hurt in a crash with a trucker who was driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Give us a call today so we can hold the trucker, and potentially the trucker’s employer, responsible for the damage their irresponsible actions caused.