Missouri Truck Accidents and Safety
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has systems in place to help ensure truck companies operate their equipment safely and in a well maintained condition. Safe truck drivers and well maintained tractor trailers reduce the number of truck accidents on our nation’s highways.
The FMCSA defines “safety management controls” as the systems, policies, programs, practices, and procedures used by a motor carrier to ensure compliance with applicable safety and hazardous materials regulations which ensure the safe movement of products and passengers through the transportation system, and to reduce the risk of highway accidents and hazardous materials incidents resulting in fatalities, injuries, and property damage.
To help keep our highways and roadways safe, the FMCSA has developed and implemented a safety rating system for motor carriers. The FMCSA rates trucking companies as satisfactory, conditional, unsatisfactory, or unrated.
The ratings are defined by the FMCSA as follows:
(1) Satisfactory safety rating means that a motor carrier has in place and functioning adequate safety management controls to meet the safety fitness standard prescribed in § 385.5. Safety management controls are adequate if they are appropriate for the size and type of operation of the particular motor carrier.
(2) Conditional safety rating means a motor carrier does not have adequate safety management controls in place to ensure compliance with the safety fitness standard that could result in occurrences listed in § 385.5 (a) through (k).
(3) Unsatisfactory safety rating means a motor carrier does not have adequate safety management controls in place to ensure compliance with the safety fitness standard which has resulted in occurrences listed in § 385.5 (a) through (k).
(4) Unrated carrier means that a safety rating has not been assigned to the motor carrier by the FMCSA.
The rating system is not fool proof. I have handled many Missouri truck accident cases in which the trucking company did not have a safety rating. New trucking companies are not rated immediately. There has to be a history of conduct for the FMCSA to give a rating.
A specific rating is determined by looking at the conduct of the trucking company and its drivers. The FMCSA reviews specific data from each trucking company, including but not limited to driver citations, driver violations, equipment defects, record keeping, and crashes.
I have handled cases against trucking companies that were a couple of years old and still did not have a rating. In sum, the rating system is a good tool, but it is one of many to use when investigating a trucking company defendant.
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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