Michigan Truck Accident Attorney Applauds Family’s Effort to Change FMCSA Hours-of-Service Rules

A Michigan girl’s parents suffered a tragic loss when their daughter died in a truck accident involving a fatigued truck driver. Their recent journey to lobby Congress for changes in trucking regulations is an admirable undertaking, says Bloomfield Hills lawyer Thomas Stroble.

Bloomfield Hills, MI (PRWEB) August 17, 2011

A Michigan family’s recent trip to Washington, D.C., to encourage stricter rules regarding driver fatigue in the trucking industry is a courageous and much-needed move, Bloomfield Hills truck accident attorney Thomas L. Stroble said today.

The parents of Janelle Durk, a 15-year-old girl who was killed in an accident involving a fatigued truck driver in 2006, are urging Congress to pass legislation that would make truck drivers rest more during shifts and between driving shifts, according to a recent column in The Detroit News.

“Janelle’s death is a tragedy,” says Stroble, a personal injury and wrongful death attorney who represents victims of truck driving accidents in Oakland County and other parts of Michigan.

“But it’s heartening to see that a family is taking proactive steps to increase awareness so that others do not suffer the same fate that Janelle did,” the Michigan lawyer says. “Teaching others about truck driver fatigue is a key step towards making change.”

In May, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration began reviewing its hours-of-service requirements for operators of tractor-trailers, 18-wheelers and other large commercial trucks.

The Durks traveled to Washington as part of a national conference on trucking legislation earlier this month, The Detroit News reported. Stroble says his Michigan personal injury law firm is pleased to see such follow-through on the part of the federal government.

“At the Stroble Law Firm, we regularly see cases involving truck driver fatigue, and it’s vital for the FMCSA to strengthen rules so that truck drivers and the companies that employ them protect motorists nationwide,” he says.    

Each year, more than 750 people die and another 20,000 are injured in truck accidents due to driver fatigue, according to data from the FMCSA. There were 3,491 large truck crashes in Michigan in 2009, the agency reports. Of that number, more than 60 people died and another 876 were injured.

“Truck journeys are long by nature, and fatigue is inevitable,” Stroble says. “Other motorists can only rely on faith that truck drivers will take the responsible action of complying with the FMCSA regulations and get the necessary sleep they need.”

Current regulations in Part 395 of the FMCSA Rules and Regulations detail the hours-of-service requirements that drivers of trucks, 18-wheelers, semi-trucks and other big rigs must follow.

The rules specifically denote how many hours truck drivers must rest based on the type of commercial motor vehicle that they are driving, what their work schedules are like and how they are allowed to split up sleeping shifts in the sleeper compartment of their rigs.

“It’s easy to think you can handle another 30 miles or so when you start feeling sleepy on the road,” Stroble says. “But the fact is that more likely than not, you can’t stay awake.

“If tighter hours-of-service laws are what it takes to save lives, then The Stroble Law Firm is all for it.”

About The Stroble Law Firm, P.C.

The Stroble Law Firm, P.C. is a full-service law firm based in Bloomfield Hills, MI, which represents car accident victims and their families throughout the state of Michigan, including Macomb County, Oakland County, Warren, Clinton Township, Sterling Heights, St. Clair Shores, Mount Clemens, Utica, Roseville, Troy, Farmington Hills, Waterford, Southfield, Pontiac, Birmingham, Rochester Hills, West Bloomfield and Bloomfield Hills. The firm’s personal injury practice areas also include truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, medical malpractice, birth injuries, slip and falls, dog bites and wrongful death cases. To learn more about The Stroble Law Firm, P.C. call (248) 454-0800 or (888) 454-0801 or use the firm’s online contact form.

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Thomas L. Stroble
The Stroble Law Firm, P.C.
(248) 454-0800
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