If you believe that a trucking company is engaging in negligent or dangerous behavior, you have options to report these unsafe practices. If you have been a victim of a trucking accident and suffered injuries due to a truck driver or trucking company’s negligence, you should contact an experienced injury attorney as soon as possible.
To report unsafe driving by a truck driver, follow these steps:
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Call 911
If you witness a dangerous or emergency situation on a roadway that involved a semi-truck or other commercial truck, call 911 immediately. This is important not only for your safety but for everyone else on the roadway. Make sure to give the 911 dispatch operator as much information as you can regarding the dangerous and unsafe behavior including a license plate number, if possible.
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File a Complaint with the FMCSA
After calling 911, or if the behavior you see is not an immediate emergency but is still unsafe or negligent, you should file a complaint with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) as soon as possible. The FMCSA is a division of the Department of Transportation (DOT) and has the authority to enforce federal trucking regulations and laws.
Some of the types of complaints you can file against an unsafe trucking company is as follows:
- Speed
- Distracted Driving
- Driving While Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol
If you are a truck driver and want to file a complaint with the FMCSA against your trucking company employer, you may be able to do so for the following reasons:
- Hours of Service. Requiring you to drive over the legal amount of time and not allowing rest breaks
- Maintenance and Inspection. Failing to maintain trucking vehicles in proper working order and failing to perform routine inspections to ensure trucking safety
- Both drivers and trucking companies must maintain logbooks that document information such as maintenance and hours on the road. Any falsification or improper maintenance of these logbooks is a serious violation.
There is a National Consumer Complaint Database at the DOT that maintains all complaints against trucking companies. These databases are monitored so that the DOT can put a stop to any habitual violators of safety laws. By taking the time to report an unsafe trucking company or truck driver, you are helping populate the database and removing some repeat offenders from the roadways.
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File a Complaint with the California State Department of Transportation
You may also file a complaint directly with the California Department of Transportation. Every state has its own rules and requirements for trucking, and California is no different. If you believe you have seen a trucking company violate state laws, you have the right to file a complaint directly with the State of California.
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Contact an Experienced Accident Lawyer
If you, or a loved one, were a victim of a trucking accident due to an unsafe truck driver, or unsafe practices from trucking companies, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your injuries. Contact The Law Office of Daniel A. Rose as soon as possible, and our experienced accident lawyers will help you build your personal injury case. Call for a free consultation today at 415-737-5886 or visit us online.