Munley Law Blog

Truck Driver Safety Policies Will Have Life and Death Consequences

Legislation passed last week to prevent a government shutdown effectively blocked federal regulation of truck driver rest rules. This is the third time Congress has suspended driver rest rules requiring truckers to get two full nights of rest between work weeks.

Truck Driver Rest Rules

Hours-of-service regulations limit when and for how long truckers can remain on the road.

Under current law, truck drivers may drive up to 11 hours a day, and up to 70 hours over an 8-day period. A 34-hour break is required between work weeks.

The recent legislation suspended regulations that would require the 34-hour rest period to include two nights (1am-5am) before another work week can begin. The defeated regulations also prevented truckers from working 60 hours, taking a 34-hour break, and resuming another work week within a 7-day period.

The rest rules aimed to ensure that truck drivers get the rest required to do their jobs safely. […]

Feds Urge Smartphone Makers to Help Fight Distracted Driving

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) faces an uphill battle against distracted driving. Deadly car accidents are on the rise, and electronic distractions – apps, social media, and texting behind the wheel – are to blame.

Car accident fatalities are at their highest since 2009, and 2016 has seen a nearly 10% jump over last year.  Insurance companies and safety experts point to driver distraction as the most likely culprit.  And it’s easy to see why. In a world where we are almost never disconnected from our phones, many smartphone apps are practically designed for use while driving. To see what an epidemic distracted driving has become, simply look to your left or right when stuck at a traffic light, observes Nick Kurczewski at Cars.com. You will more than likely see one of your fellow drivers looking down at their phone. […]

Some Valuable Information about Nail Gun Accidents

Nail guns are extremely valuable tools to both the construction industry and regular consumers. Unfortunately, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that nail gun accidents account for approximately 37,000 emergency room visits each year. Of those injured, nearly seventy percent were injured in the course of their employment. The balance of the people were consumers using the nail guns for non-business related tasks.

It’s not difficult to imagine how a nail gun accident might occur. For those who are injured while at work, it is important to file a workers’ compensation claim. You can find answers to many of your questions concerning workers’ compensation procedures here.

What if there was a problem with the nail gun? Whether you were injured in the course of your employment or not, you may have another type of claim. […]

Signs your teenager isn’t ready to drive unsupervised

Just because they passed the test doesn’t always mean teen drivers are ready to take on the open road.

In fact, many state laws place limitations on newly licensed drivers under the age of 18. And for good reason: young, inexperienced teen drivers are the age group most likely to be in a car crash.

Pennsylvania Teen Driver Laws

In Pennsylvania, the law prohibits junior license holders from driving between 11 pm and 5 am hours without a parent or guardian (fatal nighttime crash rates for new drivers are double the rate of daytime fatalities). And, during the first 6 months of holding a junior driver’s license, a teen may not drive with more than 1 unrelated passenger under age 18, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. After the first 6 months, teens may not drive with more than three unrelated passengers, […]

October Car Care Tips: Part 2

October is AAA Car Care Month. Earlier this month, we shared some tips on how to keep your vehicle in good working condition. We covered some of the basics, like checking your tires, battery charge, oil, and windshield wiper blades.

But those aren’t the only things you’ll want to check, especially as the temperature drops and winter is just around the corner. We’ve got four more car care tips to help keep your car or truck safe on the road.

Four (More) Seasonal Car Care Tips

Engine – The coming cold weather will make any existing engine issues worse, so this is a good time to have a good mechanic check any drivability problems. Replace air filters as needed, and pay attention to any warning lights. If the “check engine” light comes on, there may be a problem with the exhaust emissions.   […]