Can You Sue the Trucking Company for Driver Fatigue?

It’s late at night. You're driving home after a long day, maybe heading down I-35 near Dallas, weaving through late-night traffic on the Downtown Connector in Atlanta, or making your way down the Eisenhower Expressway outside Chicago. You spot a semi-truck drifting just slightly in its lane.

At first, it just looks like a momentary swerve. But then there's no correction. The truck crosses the line. And in an instant — it’s barreling into your lane with 80,000 pounds of steel and zero reaction time.

Later, you find out the truck driver had been on the road for nearly 16 hours straight. No rest. No real sleep. Just a deadline and a dispatcher on their back.

That’s not just carelessness. That’s a system that pushed a tired driver too far. And yes — you can sue the trucking company for it.

At 1-800-Truckwreck, we’ve been fighting for truck wreck victims in Dallas, Fort Worth, Atlanta, and Chicago for over two decades. We know how this industry works — and we know exactly how to expose it when driver fatigue is swept under the rug.

What Causes Driver Fatigue in Trucking and Why It's So Dangerous

Most people assume fatigue just means “tired.” But in trucking, fatigue can mean unconscious behind the wheel — and it’s one of the leading causes of catastrophic truck crashes.

So, why does it happen? Because trucking companies:

  • Set unrealistic delivery schedules
  • Use pay-by-the-mile compensation, pushing drivers to skip rest
  • Apply dispatch pressure to “keep moving,” even when drivers are over their hours
  • Look the other way when drivers falsify logbooks
  • Don’t provide proper places or time to rest

Imagine trying to drive a loaded rig through downtown Fort Worth traffic, or down the congested Dan Ryan in Chicago, while your eyelids are physically closing. That’s what some truckers face — day after day.

When you're behind the wheel of a commercial truck, being tired isn’t just risky — it’s deadly.

When the Trucking Company Can Be Held Liable

Federal law limits how long drivers can be on the road, and requires mandatory rest periods. But companies that care more about profits than people find ways around it. And when they do, they can be held responsible for the crashes that follow.

If a fatigued driver caused your wreck, you may be able to sue the trucking company for:

  • Forcing or encouraging violations of federal rest rules
  • Turning a blind eye to falsified logbooks
  • Creating a culture of overwork or unsafe expectations
  • Failing to properly monitor driver compliance

You’re not just suing because someone was tired. You’re holding a company accountable for knowingly putting unsafe drivers on the road — in cities like Dallas, Atlanta, and Chicago, where traffic is dense and mistakes are costly.

Digging for the Truth: How We Prove Fatigue

At 1-800-Truckwreck, we don’t take the company’s word for it. We dig until we find the truth.

That’s where our Digging for Dirt program comes in. Our legal and investigative team uncovers:

  • Falsified or missing driver logbooks
  • DOT safety violations and inspection failures
  • Records of company pressure to skip rest breaks
  • Internal policies that ignore federal regulations
  • Histories of prior fatigue-related crashes

We use federal data, subpoenas, and hard evidence to prove what the company won’t admit. And that evidence makes all the difference when it’s time to negotiate — or go to trial.

Contact 1-800-Truckwreck Today. Don’t Let Them Get Away With It.

Contact 1-800-Truckwreck today for a free consultation with a team that’s handled thousands of serious truck wreck cases across Dallas, Fort Worth, Atlanta, and Chicago. We’ll explain your rights, investigate the fatigue angle, and build a case that holds the right people accountable.

You don’t have to take on the trucking industry alone. We’ve got your back, and the expertise to win.

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