A trucking attorney or commercial trucking lawyer is a legal professional who practices transportation law. These attorneys offer legal services to commercial clients such as trucking companies and contractors. A trucking attorney can assist you if you’re a transportation business and need to understand the laws you should abide by to run your company successfully.
For example, if you’re a contractor or you work for a trucking company, and you’re involved in an accident, here are some important things you should know.
Transportation Law
Transportation law entails travel and commerce matters that take place by air, water, train, and on the roads. This type of law primarily concentrates on administration and lack of adherence to safety standards and logistics regulations. The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) are the organizations that regulate and oversee transportation law.
Truckers and trucking companies have to abide by federal laws, but individual states can also create and enforce their transportation laws. However, all states are required to follow federal laws for regulating the actions of truckers and delivery vehicles.
Do You Need a Trucking Lawyer?
Transportation attorneys are essential when you have a trucking business. The laws regarding transportation can be complicated and very technical. A specialized attorney can help your trucking business interpret the laws to ensure you’re abiding by them. A few of the companies and individuals that will likely need a trucking lawyer include:
- trucking operators
- trucking companies
- shippers
- logistics providers
- receivers
- freight forwarders
- insurance companies
The attorney will oversee the commercial trucking company’s legal benefits, liabilities, and rights and doesn’t represent private employees. However, private contractors or employees have to abide by a different set of laws, so it may be best for them to find an attorney that deals with the area of practice necessary to help the contractor win their case.
What Do Trucking Lawyers Do?
Trucking attorneys handle several types of cases; however, these lawyers mainly handle transportation and trucking regulation cases. A trucking attorney should also keep up with recent legal developments at the federal and state levels and accurately communicate these laws and changes to clients.
Trucking lawyers handle commercial vehicle accidents and damage claims. It is important to remember that insurance companies are not always on the side of the client. Truckers and trucking companies should also have clauses to handle accidents when they happen, even if major accidents don’t happen that often.
If you’re a trucker and have been involved in an accident, you should contact a truck accident lawyer right away. An attorney who has experience helping truck accident victims and truck drivers will let you know which documents and important information you should submit to the judge and parties involved in the cases. They ensure that you get the settlement you deserve and that your rights are protected throughout the legal proceedings. Hiring a qualified trucking attorney will increase the chances that you get a fair settlement if you have to go to court or settle your case privately.
A trucking attorney should also be familiar with labor law matters. Federal laws, as well as the laws of the state, regulate labor laws for truck drivers. Therefore, transportation companies should ensure that their truckers adhere to applicable labor laws to prevent accidents and protect the trucking company in the event of a wreck.
If you have to go to court, a trucking attorney will help you prepare for your case and appear in court to represent you. The attorney will also give you advice for running your business legally while protecting your rights. You can also refer to your attorney concerning contract matters. The lawyer can create and update the appropriate contracts you need to remain in compliance with state and federal laws.
You may also want to contact a trucking attorney if you work for yourself. Since you don’t have a manager, you’ll have to regulate all aspects of compliance on your own. This is why it’s important to have a lawyer on your side who will help you understand the laws you need to follow.
Comments 1
It’s good to know that truck injury lawyers can also help out when discussing things with an insurance company. I will keep that in mind because a friend and I would like to start our own touring company someday. Maybe it would be nice to be able to find a lawyer that we could count on in case there are legal matters to attend to while managing a fleet of touring vehicles.