Experienced Missouri Truck Accident Attorney
I have been representing truck accident victims for the duration of my career. Injuries from truck crashes are usually significant due to the violent nature of these accidents. The extreme force of tractor trailer accidents has spurred the Federal Government to enact laws governing the trucking industry.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has created the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). This is an extremely detailed list of rules that govern the tractor trailer industry. To understand the FMCSRs, you need to understand some basic terminology.
What is a Motor Carrier?
FMCSR 390.5 defines a Motor Carrier as a for-hire motor carrier or a private motor carrier. A motor carrier includes the carrier´s agents, officers and representatives as well as employees responsible for hiring, supervising, training, assigning, or dispatching of drivers and employees concerned with the installation, inspection, and maintenance of motor vehicle equipment and/or accessories.
As you can tell from 390.5, the definition given to a motor carrier is rather broad. The regulations don’t just cover the driver of the truck. The truck company and most of its employees are bound by the detailed set of regulations. By following the regulations, truck companies are able to operate their business more safely, in turn, making our roads safer from dangerous St. Louis Auto Accidents.
What is a Broker?
FMCSR 371.2(a) defines a broker as a person who, for compensation, arranges, or offers to arrange, the transportation of property by an authorized motor carrier. Motor carriers, or persons who are employees or bona fide agents of carriers, are not brokers within the meaning of this section when they arrange or offer to arrange the transportation of shipments which they are authorized to transport and which they have accepted and legally bound themselves to transport.
Essentially, a “true” broker arranges a load of freight between a shipper and a motor carrier. It is common to see brokers doing more than just brokering loads of freight. Often times, brokers are so involved in the process, they are often found to be performing the acts of a “motor carrier.” Although the broker will rarely admit they were acting as such at the time of a St. Louis Auto crash.
As an experienced Missouri truck accident lawyer, I am happy to discuss your case with you and answer any questions you may have. If requested, I will immediately alert our truck accident team and begin taking the same action as the truck company and their insurance company.
The call and consultation are free. I can be reached 24 hours a day at 314.322.8515 or toll free at 1.800.500.INJURY (4658). Call me personally and I will answer all the questions and concerns you may have. There is no fee unless we recover for you.
If you don’t want to call or you can't call, you can email me at john@pagecagle.com. I look forward to speaking with you and helping you through these trying times.
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