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Truck driver texting rules are strict for a reason. Research conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shows that the odds of being involved in a safety-critical event increase by 23.2 times for truck drivers who text while driving when compared with their counterparts. Safety-critical events include crashes, near-crashes and unintentional lane deviations, which are all a danger to other travelers on the roadways.
Truck drivers who were texting while driving remove their eyes from the roadway for an average of 4.6 seconds, which, while traveling at 55 miles per hour, is the length of a football field. Traveling the length of a football field while not looking at the roadway is, of course, dangerous. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulates the trucking industry and restricts the use of hand-held cell phones and texting while driving. Texting includes manually entering a text or reading a text from an electronic device. The definition of texting is fairly broad.
Texting while driving can be considered negligent behavior that truck drivers and trucking companies may be liable for when a truck accident results from this activity. Negligent truck drivers and trucking companies may be liable to compensate injured victims for their physical, financial and emotional damages. Damages can include medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering damages. When truck accident victims need help with their damages, a personal injury claim for damages may be able to help.
Victims of truck drivers who were texting while driving may need help with the unexpected damages they suffer in a truck accident. As a result, truck accident victims should understand the legal protections available to them and what legal recourses they could take.