The trucking industry is very important for commerce in Pennsylvania. Trucks transport goods in and out of the state as well as provide many jobs for truck drivers and others who help run the trucking companies. However, when these trucks are operated incorrectly or are not in proper working order, they can be very dangerous for the other vehicles on the road. Due to the massive size difference, tractor-trailer trucks can inflict large amounts of damage and cause catastrophic injuries when they cause truck accidents.
Therefore, the trucking industry and the truck drivers must follow many regulations that are designed to help ensure that the trucks are driven correctly thus reducing the potential damage they can cause. However, as people are aware these trucks travel to many different states while shipping goods to different places. So, there are federal regulations that they must follow, but states may also have their own regulations while the trucks are travelling in that particular state.
However, federal regulations mandate that state laws must be compatible with the federal regulations. So, states must periodically review their state regulations to ensure they are in fact compatible. This means that a state cannot have laws that place less stringent regulations on truck drivers and truck companies. It also means that if the state law is more stringent than the burden is on the state to show why there are legitimate safety concerns for the more stringent regulation. If the state law is not compatible due to this reason then the state cannot enforce that state law whether the law is more or less stringent than the federal regulation.
There are many different trucking companies in Pennsylvania and many others who operate within the state. These trucking companies and the drivers must follow all the federal regulations regardless of what the state law may state. If the trucking company or driver causes an accident based on the fact that they were not following the regulations, then they may need to compensate the victims of the accident for all damages that they cause. Experienced attorneys understand these laws and may be able to help victims receive the compensation they deserve.