Accidents Caused by Hours of Service Violations & Truck Driver Fatigue in Nashville
Holding Trucking Companies Responsible for HOS Violations
The National Transportation Safety Board recently reported that trucker fatigue is a widespread and potentially catastrophic issue. Experts estimate that fatigue puts millions of drivers at risk per day. It is currently one of the leading causes of truck accidents—it is a factor in no less than 13% of fatal collisions caused by truckers.
Falling asleep at the wheel isn’t just an accident; it is an act of negligence. Truck drivers can be held responsible for violating regulations, and employers can be held responsible for their driver’s actions in some circumstances.
When truck drivers fail to adhere to the hours of service regulations, they violate the law. Because their fatigue causes them to make judgement errors, they place others on the road at risk. If you or a loved one was injured because a truck driver was driving while drowsy, contact Kinnard, Clayton & Beveridge today.
If you or someone you love was involved in an accident with a semi-truck, call (615) 933-2893 for a free evaluation.
Overview of Hours of Service Regulations
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has detailed all the major HOS rules on its website, broken down by property and passenger-carrying commercial motor vehicles (CMVs).
The following must comply with hours-of-service rules:
- Trucks that weigh more than 10,000.
- Vehicles designed to transport 16 passengers or more.
- Trucks transporting hazardous materials.
The hours of service rules limit the number of hours a driver can operate their trucks.
Property-carrying drivers must abide be the following rules:
- Drivers may drive up to 11 hours after 10 hours consecutively off duty.
- Drivers may not drive longer than 14 consecutive hours, even after 10 consecutive hours off.
- Drivers may only drive if 8 hours have passed between their last end of day on duty.
- Drivers may not drive after 60/70 hours on duty for 7/8 consecutive days.
These rules are meant to protect both truck drivers and all other drivers on the road. Too often, drivers will violate these rules in order to meet their deadlines. However, when they do this, they risk making fatal mistakes. When an individual is too tired to drive, he or she is not alert and cannot respond quickly enough to potential obstacles.
Driver Logbooks
Drivers are required to log all of their driving, rest breaks, and off-duty hours in a logbook. For some companies, logbooks are digital. You can view an example of a driver logbook here. Employers are required to evaluate these driver logs to identify any HOS violations. It is also a violation to manipulate logbooks, and for employers to neglect evaluating logbooks.
Why Do Truckers Drive Tired?
Truck drivers may be under immense pressure in some situations to deliver their cargo within a small window. Some truckers are paid by how many loads they deliver, which can increase the temptation to drive faster and skip mandated resting breaks. Other drivers may be well-rested, but have to drive through the night. Driving at night or during early morning hours may contribute to fatigue just as much as sleeplessness does.
How We Can Help
Our firm has more than 100 years of collective experience on our side, and we have been voted one of the “Best Law Firms” by U.S. News in the area of Personal Injury Law for Plaintiffs. We know how to handle trucking accident cases for victims and their families effectively.
If you or a loved one was involved in an accident with a truck, we invite you to contact Kinnard, Clayton & Beveridge today for a free evaluation of your legal rights and options.

Verdicts & Settlements
Unmatched Dedication Has Led to Record-Setting Victories-
Personal Injury - Erin Andrews Lawsuit Against Hotel $55 Million
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Medical Malpractice - 62 Year Old Woman $22.2 Million
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Medical Malpractice - Largest Verdict in Weakley County History $15.2 Million
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Medical Malpractice - Davidson County $6.5 Million
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Wrongful Death of 22 Month Old $5 Million
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Medical Malpractice - 24 Year Old College Student $4 Million
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Wrongful Death - Tractor-Trailer Wreck $3.25 Million
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Wrongful Death - 16 Year Old Boy $3 Million
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Auto Accident - Rutherford County $3 Million
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Wrongful Death & Personal Injury - Auto Accident $2.9 Million

Client Testimonials
Helping the Injured Obtain Justice
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Awards & Accolades
Highly Respected in the Legal Community-
Randall Kinnard is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, a prestigious invite-only group comprised of the top 100 plaintiffs’ trial lawyers in the United States.
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The firm has received the prestigious “Best Law Firms” rating in the practice areas of Medical Malpractice Law, Personal Injury Litigation, and Product Liability Litigation.
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Randall Kinnard (since 1993), Daniel Clayton (since 2010), Mark Beveridge (since 2011) and Mary Ellen Morris (since 2017) have all been recognized for their legal skill and achievements.
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Randall L. Kinnard, Daniel L. Clayton and Mark S. Beveridge have been named as 2020 “Best of the Bar” by Nashville Business Journal.
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Our attorneys have been voted by their peers to the "Top 40 under 40" Trial Lawyers list, as awarded by The National Trial Lawyers organization.
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Randall Kinnard and Daniel Clayton have been voted to the list of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by The National Trial Lawyers organization.
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Mr. Kinnard, Mr. Clayton, and Mr. Beveridge have been voted to TN Super Lawyers®. This organization recognizes the top 5% of attorneys in their practice area.
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Our firm’s trial attorneys have been recognized among the state’s leading legal minds, and named by Business TN Magazine to its coveted “150 Best Lawyers in Tennessee” list.
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Randall Kinnard, Daniel Clayton, Mark Beveridge, and Mary Ellen Morris have received the highest rating for legal excellence by Martindale-Hubbell.
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Attorney Randall Kinnard was named the 2019 Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs ‘Lawyer of the Year’ in Nashville, TN.
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Attorney Mark Beveridge has been named a Best Lawyers "Lawyer of the Year" in Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs.
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Attorney Mark Beveridge has been named a "Lawyer of the Year" by U.S. News - Best Lawyers in Personal Injury Litigation.
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Attorney Mark Beveridge was named as "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers in the area of Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs in Nashville, TN.
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Attorney Daniel Clayton was named a 2016 U.S. News - Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” in Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs in Nashville, TN
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Attorney Daniel Clayton was named a "Lawyer of the Year" by U.S. News - Best Lawyers in the area of Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs in Nashville, TN
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Attorney Daniel Clayton was named a "Lawyer of the Year" by U.S. News - Best Lawyers in the area of Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs in Nashville, TN
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Randall L. Kinnard is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, an invite-only honorary society comprised of less than .5% of all U.S. lawyers.
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Randall L. Kinnard is a member of the invitation-only International Academy of Trial Lawyers, which is limited to 500 trial lawyers in the United States.
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The firm is a member of the International Society of Primerus Law Firms – a society of top-rated, independent, boutique law firms committed to professional excellence.
