Truck driver fatigue is a substantial factor behind the many car accidents on the road; in fact, truck driver fatigue accounts for more fatal traffic accidents than does either alcohol or drugs. If you or a loved one has been injured due to an accident stemming from truck driver fatigue, seek an experienced Michigan truck accident lawyer in order to get properly compensated for your damages.
Commercial truck drivers face arduous hours of work: driving back and forth across the country, often with strict deadlines to meet and profit-driven employers to be held accountable to, they rarely have time to rest. As a result, it is common to see sleep-deprived truck drivers fall asleep at the wheel, veer off the road, speed, or engage in other forms of reckless driving. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports that each year, there are over 20,000 injuries and 750 deaths on the road because of truck driver fatigue. According to FMCSA, the risk of a traffic accident doubles from the eighth to tenth consecutive hour of driving alone. This statistic doubles yet again from the tenth to eleventh hour of driving. .
In order to address these concerns and reduce truck injuries and fatalities, FMCSA instituted the Hours-of-Service regulations, which limit the amount of time and the manner in which commercial truck drivers may drive on the road. Among those regulations: truck drivers may only drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty (or a maximum of 10 hours after 8 consecutive hours off duty if there are passengers in the truck). Violations will result in heavy civil penalties. New changes in the December 2011 revision of the rules include a mandatory 30-minute rest break at least every 8 hours or less on the road and limitations on minimum “34-hour restarts.”
In addition, truck drivers must document their compliance with trucking regulations by keeping logs or records of expenses.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a trucking accident, get the legal advice and representation of a caring and dedicated Michigan truck accident lawyer who will fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact experienced Michigan truck accident lawyer Chris Trainor today to schedule a free initial consultation.