Drunk Truck Driver Accident Lawyers

If you’re facing serious injuries in or Texas due to another person’s or corporation’s negligence, recklessness, dangerous actions, car or truck accident, or faulty products, it’s crucial to get legal representation from Dunham & Jones, the Trusted Texas Personal Injury Attorneys. Dunham & Jones can help you recover compensation for medical costs, income losses, pain, suffering, and other damages through a meticulously crafted personal injury or wrongful death claim in Texas. Call 888-222-9746 now for your free injury case review and discuss your case in detail.

Truck Drivers Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol

If you were injured in a truck accident, and feel the driver may have been impaired due to drugs or alcohol, it’s critical that you act quickly before valuable evidence is lost or destroyed. An experienced lawyer with Dunham & Jones, Attorneys at Law, can discuss your legal rights and options during a free case review.

Dangers of Driving a Truck While Impaired

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the following effects of alcohol on driving:

• Slowed reaction time
• Reduced concentration
• Impaired depth perception
• Blurred vision
• Decreased hand-eye coordination
• Greater likelihood of falling asleep behind the wheel
• Difficulty maintaining speed and lane
• Poor judgment
• Memory loss

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that marijuana and other drugs can slow coordination, reaction times, and impair judgment. While cocaine, methamphetamine, and other stimulants can make drivers more aggressive and reckless. The use of two or more drugs and alcohol at the same time can amplify theses effects. These impairments, combined with the already difficult task of operating a vehicle that weighs tens of thousands of pounds, can have catastrophic results.

How Common Are Truck Accidents Caused by Drugs or Alcohol?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3% of the 16,918 total fatal drunk driving crashes in 2021, involved drivers of large trucks. However, it is likely that these numbers are under-reported because truck drivers and their employers often want to avoid claiming responsibility, and the victim is unable to provide their version of events.

Employer Responsibilities Regarding Impaired Truck Driving

Employers are responsible for testing their drivers for drugs and alcohol. This includes all CDL drivers who operate a commercial motor vehicle on public roadways. These drivers must be drug and alcohol tested at the following times:

• Pre-employment: New drivers must receive a negative test result before an employer can allow them to operate their commercial motor vehicle.
  After an accident: Truck drivers must be drug and alcohol tested after they have been involved in a fatal accident or they have received a citation for an accident that resulted in an injury or disabled vehicle. Alcohol tests must be taken within eight hours, and drug tests must be taken within 32 hours from the time of the accident.
• Random testing: Commercial motor vehicle drivers are also subject to random testing, which can occur even when the driver is at home and off duty for drug tests. Alcohol testing can occur while the driver is on duty or immediately before or after they are on duty. The driver must immediately report for testing.
• Reasonable suspicion: If an employer has reasonable suspicion that one of their drivers is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they can direct a driver to be tested.
• Return-to-duty: After a driver has tested positive for drugs or alcohol, they must complete return-to-duty tests, which require direct observation.
  Follow-up: Additional follow-up drug and alcohol tests may be required by the substance abuse professional after a driver tests positive for drugs or alcohol.

Employers may be held responsible for a driver’s negligence. Additionally, they may be held responsible for their own negligence, such as hiring drivers with known safety risks or not following DOT rules for drug and alcohol testing.

Call Dunham & Jones at 888-222-9746 to schedule a free consultation with an injury attorney and learn how we can help you with your Impaired Truck Driver Accident case. Dunham & Jones was established in 1989 and is dedicated to helping it’s clients get the best results.

How Can the Accident Attorneys at Dunham & Jones Law Firm Help After an Accident Involving an Impaired Truck Driver?

If an impaired truck driver crashed into your vehicle, one of our experienced injury lawyers can conduct a thorough investigation into the accident, explore all options for your financial recovery, and gather all of the evidence to prove your claim, including:

• Personnel records
• Drug and alcohol test results
• Black box data from the truck
• Accident reports
• Photos or videos of the accident scene
• Witness statements

Contact Dunham & Jones, Attorneys at Law for Help with Your Truck Driving Accident Case

If you were injured in a truck accident caused by an impaired truck driver, you should not have to bear the financial burden. Our Texas injury attorneys can fight for your compensation. Call us today at 888-222-9746 for a free, no-obligation consultation.