Oklahoma Drunk Driving Truck Accident Attorneys

Help for Those Injured by Intoxicated Truck Drivers

Large commercial trucks can weigh 20 to 30 times as much as passenger vehicles. They also have higher ground clearance, which can lead to smaller vehicles to underride in a crash, usually with a fatal outcome. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), most fatalities in traffic collisions between passenger vehicles and large trucks are occupants of passenger vehicles – not commercial truck drivers.

The legal limit for most drivers across the U.S. is blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08%. However, truck drivers who operate big rigs and spend their days on the road are held to a higher standard of .04%. When they violate the law by drinking and driving, truck drivers can cause serious injuries to other motorists and their passengers who are sharing the roadways. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 68 large truck drivers with BAC of .08% or higher were involved in fatal wrecks, accounting for 2% of all alcohol-impaired drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes in the U.S. in 2014.

If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a drunk driving truck accident, it is vital that you speak with a knowledgeable truck accident attorney as soon as possible. Truck accident cases are complex, involving multiple potential liable parties. An investigation must be conducted, and the supporting evidence must be quickly obtained and preserved. Our Oklahoma truck accident lawyers at Car Accident Help have the skills and resources to aggressively pursue the settlement you deserve. If a settlement agreement cannot be reached, you can rest assured that we will be well prepared when we take your case to trial, and fight for your rights in court.

Truck Driver Penalties for Drunk Driving

Truck drivers face serious penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol. Under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations, a truck driver can lose the license to operate a commercial motor vehicle after a conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol, with BAC of .04% or higher, or for refusing to take a blood alcohol test, as required under state implied consent laws.

A commercial driver's license will be suspended for one year for the first conviction and revoked for life after a second conviction. As truck drivers are held to higher standards and face serious penalties that directly affect their livelihood, drunk driving is not as common among truck drivers as it is among passenger vehicle drivers. Nevertheless, an alcohol-impaired driver behind the wheel of an 80,000 lb fully-loaded 18-wheeler has the potential of causing a devastating collision, resulting in serious or fatal injuries.

Call the Drunk Driving Truck Accident Attorneys in Oklahoma at Car Accident Help

A passenger vehicle collision with a large commercial truck can cause severe, catastrophic, or fatal injuries. When those injuries are caused by a driver operating a big rig under the influence of alcohol, that driver and any other responsible parties must be held accountable for the harm their actions have caused.

Our Oklahoma drunk driving accident attorneys at Car Accident Help can help you seek justice and compensation for the losses you have suffered. Contact our firm at (405) 285-4357 as soon as possible for a free case evaluation.

Additional Information

• Who is Responsible in an Accident with a Truck Driver Under the Influence?
• BAC Standards - FMCSA
• Overview of Drug and Alcohol Rules - What CDL Drivers Need to Know
• Impaired Driving: Get the Facts
• Drunk Driving - NHTSA

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