Personal Injury and Wage Attorney in Sylmar, CA

The high demand for truck drivers in the US led many professionals to become overloaded with work yet inadequately paid. Aside from wages, insufficient breaks and days off, as well as low insurance coverage are among the biggest issues truck drivers in the US face.

Knowing your legal rights – especially your personal injury rights and wages – is a must for truck drivers in the US and especially truck drivers in Sylmar, CA. Join us as we shed light on the topic.

How Much Is a Truck Driver’s Wage?

The average yearly salary of truck drivers ranges around $71,489 and increases with working experience. The average weekly wage is $1,183, but this depends on various factors (e.g., whether you drive locally or regionally).

Below, we’ll discuss a few more factors that affect how much a truck driver earns:

• Location is important since some areas have higher truck driver demands than others. Generally speaking, areas with more factories and e-commerce companies have higher demand.

Some areas have seasonal needs for truck drivers, so they offer a higher salary for the duration you will be working in that area.

• Experience. It is a rule of thumb that an experienced employee will earn more. Truck drivers who have spent more time on the road earn higher salaries than entry-level drivers.

• Various licenses are available to truck drivers, including oversized loads, transporting hazardous materials, etc. A truck driver can own more than one license, and each additional one gets the driver a higher salary.

• Whether the driver engages in long or short hauls will affect the salary they get. Long hauls are more tiring and less desirable since they keep the individual away from home for longer, which is why drivers going for long hauls earn more compared to short hauls.

• Your wage can vary depending on what kind of cargo you transport. Specialized cargo can require specialized insurance, which has potential risk – but is better paid.

Hazardous materials are also dangerous for transportation, but they are compensated for it through higher salaries.

Truck Driver’s Personal Injury Rights

Truck drivers are prone to personal injuries since they are always on the road. Most US states have mandatory compensation insurance for truck drivers, including California. If you live in Sylmar, CA, and suffer a personal injury, the employer can authorize up to $10,000 to assist you in covering hospital expenses.

If you get in a traffic accident and cause a personal injury to someone else, the circumstances will be evaluated by legal experts. If the accident occurred because of a truck malfunction or a factor not in the driver’s power, the employer’s company would be held guilty for the accident.

Risks Associated with Truck Driving

Being a truck driver is anything but an easy job – it takes long hours on the road, away from your loved ones, and trading nights for days.

Spending hours behind the wheel of a truck can result in negligent driving, which can sometimes be the cause of accidents.

There is a pool of risk factors associated with driving a truck. Some of them are as follows:

Health Issues

As a truck driver, you spend countless hours sitting, with hardly any chance to stretch your legs or walk off the dullness in your limbs. Constant sitting leads to many health concerns, such as poor circulation, pain and discomfort in the spinal area, and so on.

Fatigue remains the main health concern for a lot of truck drivers. An energy-drained truck driver can easily be held liable for an accident or an equipment failure.

If a truck driver is overtaken by fatigue, they are unable to remain efficient and pay attention on the road, leading to fatalities involving other vehicles. Additionally, an overly tired truck driver might not notice a loose bolt or a flat during driving, which can be accounted for as their fault.

After truck drivers arrive at their destination, they are already tired from driving for several hours, which might prevent them from eating regularly or exercising even a little. Due to being time-efficient and job-compliant, many truck drivers resort to fast-food joints for a meal during their shifts, neglecting their health.

Serious health problems like obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal injuries, and high blood pressure are no strangers to truck drivers.

Some of the other health risks of truck driving include exposure to toxic materials, heavy lifting, exposure to exhaust gasses leading to respiratory issues, and a whole lot more

Sleep Deprivation

The lack of sleep is a major contributor to the deteriorating health of a truck driver. Namely, the majority of truck drivers do not get enough sleep to ensure a healthy working day on the road. The irregular sleep patterns are becoming a part of the job, and drivers accept it as it is.

With every change in the working schedule, drivers must adapt to a new driving routine, which can mean staying awake when they should be sleeping, and vice versa. Moreover, in many cases, truck drivers won’t even leave their trucks to sleep, which is yet another sad fact about truck drivers.

Now, federal regulations enable truck drivers to stop driving after a certain amount of time has passed, ensuring they are prepared for the road. Plus, a well-rested truck driver is less likely to cause or be a part of an accident.

Lack of Healthcare

Most truck drivers in the U.S. are self-employed, which means they cannot access proper healthcare since they do not have insurance.

However, even if the truck driver has insurance, they will still have difficulty scheduling appointments with their healthcare provider because they are almost always working. Due to long working hours during the day, truck drivers rarely have the time to follow up on medical examinations, which translates to them missing out on routine medical care.

Not being able to perform regular check-ups can mean failing to discover potential health hazards that might impact a truck driver’s professional performance.

Truck Driver’s Rights: The Best Legal Support for Sylmar, CA Truck Drivers

Don’t let your personal injury rights cases go unresolved – and don’t settle for a lesser wage than you deserve. At Truck Driver Rights, we help you demand all legal rights concerning wage and personal injury compensation.

We offer legal assistance to Sylmar, CA truck drivers and work on a contingency basis, so we will do our utmost best to ensure you win your case. Schedule a free consultation today to get the legal support you need.