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South Dakota Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyer

If you are seriously injured because a semi-truck collided with you, you may be seeking damages and wish to consult with several different South Dakota Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyers before you make the decision to have a Tractor Trailer Accident Attorneys in South Dakota represent your case.

Be aware that while a Tractor Trailer Accident Attorneys in South Dakota may have had years of experience handling automobile accident cases, not all Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyers in South Dakota have dealt with many cases involving semi-trucks. South Dakota Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyers should know the laws and regulations unique to truck accident cases pertaining to subjects such as drug and alcohol testing, heavy duty truck systems, and the transportation of hazardous materials. For example, all South Dakota Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyers should be aware that about one in four semis that are inspected are out of service, but only one in sixteen semis carrying hazardous materials are out of service—in essence, it's possible for the average over-the-road truck to operate more safely if the driver and the truck company carrying non-hazardous materials were to take the same time to inspect and maintain their vehicles as hazmat carriers routinely do.

If you've been injured in a catastrophic semi-truck collision, you may need a Tractor Trailer Accident Attorneys in South Dakota to help you hold the responsible party liable. Make sure that the South Dakota Tractor Trailer Accident Attorneys you choose is familiar with Title 49, parts 350-399 of the Federal Safety Regulations pertaining to the state where the accident you were involved with occurred. These laws and regulations would apply in a situation where a truck operates locally within state lines.

Before talking to a South Dakota Tractor Trailer Accident Attorneys, familiarize yourself with certain laws specific to your state and specific to tractor-trailer accident law. For example, it would be to your advantage to know that truck drivers must comply with hours of service regulations. These rules were established to prevent trucking companies from over-working their drivers, but many drivers either choose to violate the rule or are intimidated into driving illegally for longer hours than permitted and become fatigued while behind the wheel. The hours of service regulations were changed January 4, 2004. Drivers may now drive up to 11 hours out of 14 hours on duty and are now required to have 10 hours off-duty. The regulation still does not permit a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle after being on-duty for 60 hours in a seven day period or 70 hours in an eight day period. This on-duty cycle may be restarted whenever a driver is off for 34 consecutive hours.

The South Dakota Department of Public Safety abides by the majority of Title 49, Parts 382-384 and 390-399 of the federal regulations.

To learn more about federal laws that apply to all commercial semi-trucks to aid you in your research on South Dakota Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyers, click here.

The following paragraphs document certain regulations which apply only to vehicles operating within South Dakota. Our South Dakota Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyers have compiled an overview of
these regulations for your convenience.

Driver Qualification:

South Dakota has adopted Part 391 of the Federal Regulations with some modifications on the age requirement. An intrastate driver not transporting hazardous materials can be as young as 16, rather than 21. All drivers transporting hazardous materials must be at least 21.

Hours of Service:

South Dakota has adopted Part 395 of the Federal Regulations with one notable exception. The maximum driving and on-duty requirements can’t apply to intrastate transporters of agricultural commodities or farm supplies if the transportation is limited to an area within a 100-air-mile radius from the source of the commodities or farm supplies when such transportation occurs during planting and harvesting seasons.

Loads:

South Dakota has adopted Part 393 of the Federal Regulations dealing with projecting and shifting or falling in its entirety.

Crash reports are available from:

Department of Public Safety
Office of Accident Records
700 E. Broadway
Pierre, SD 57501-2586
(605) 773-5275In the event you have been entangled in a South Dakota semi-truck accident, you will need a qualified Tractor Trailer Accident Attorneys in South Dakota to help you represent your case. To contact our Tractor Trailer Wreck South Dakota directly, click here to find out more about out South Dakota Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyers or to make further inquiries to a South Dakota Tractor Trailer Accident Attorneys via telephone.


If you have been involved in a truck accident in South Dakota, contact one of our South Dakota lawyers or attorneys to help you with more information or to answer any questions you have.

In the event this material is not deemed to fully comply with the provisions of the rules of professional conduct of any particular state, this firm will not accept clients or representation that derive from the distribution of this material within those jurisdictions.

"If each time a rig is inspected it is done in an identical fashion the driver will be less likely to omit a key element of the process during a future inspection."

Learn more about State and Federal Trucking Laws