Truck Accident Lawyers

Medically Unfit Drivers

Truck drivers are often faced with long hours and unrealistic delivery schedules. In addition, there are truck drivers who compensate for these things with alcohol and drugs. While there are many things out of the control of a truck driver, being medically unfit and still driving is something that a driver can control.

There are hundreds of thousands of people in the United States that hold commercial truck drivers’ licenses. Of those people, thousands qualify for full federal disability payments and still drive. These disability payments are have been given out for people who have suffered seizures, heart attacks, or unconscious spells, according to a recent United States safety study obtained by the Associated Press.

The health problems faced by many drivers are serious issues that can cause a person to become incapacitated unexpectedly. This is a serious problem considering the amount of weight a truck driver controls.

The problems that are threatening highway travelers still exist despite years of warnings from the government and hundreds of deaths and injuries blamed on commercial truck drivers who have blacked out, collapsed, or suffered major health crises while behind the wheel.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the agency responsible for monitoring the trucking industry and cracking down on unfit drivers, admits that it hasn’t met any of the eight recommendations that United States safety regulators have created since 2001. Of the eight recommendations, one would set a minimum standard for officials who are responsible for determining if a trucker is medically fit to drive. Another recommendation prevents truckers from “doctor shopping.” Doctor shopping entails finding and then using a physician who is likely to overlook risky health conditions.

Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer

If you have been injured in a truck accident, contact the truck accident injury lawyers of Williams Kherkher at 1-800-220-9341 today.