What You Need to Know About Truck Driver Medical Requirements If You’ve Been in a Truck Accident

 

TEXAS. Did you know that the health of your truck driver can have an impact on the outcome of your truck accident personal injury claim? The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration sets strict guidelines regarding standards drivers must meet to be deemed medically fit to drive a commercial truck. Drivers are required to submit to medical examinations before they can earn a commercial driver’s license. Certain health conditions can impact a driver’s ability to qualify for a commercial truck license. While medical examiners are required to determine whether a driver is or isn’t fit to drive a truck and must be passed before drivers can receive a license, a driver’s medical condition can sometimes change between examinations.

For example, if a driver gets ill and is prescribed a new prescription drug, this drug could have interactions with other drugs the driver may be taking, which can impact a driver’s alertness or ability to drive. Certain types of medications, like blood pressure medication, can impact a person’s alertness. Drivers may not always read the warning labels on the drugs they are taking, or they may not alert their companies that they are taking prescription drugs that could impact their ability to drive. Another issue is when truck drivers abuse prescription drugs or share prescription drugs with one another without a prescription. If you were in a truck accident, police may require drivers to submit to blood and breath tests to determine whether there were illegal or prescription drugs in your driver’s body. If your driver was taking drugs that could impact his or her alertness, you may have the right to seek damages for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering damages. The Cooper Law Firm are Texas truck accident lawyers who can investigate the causes of your accident and fight to hold drivers and companies accountable.

Even seemingly minor conditions, like a dental emergency, can impact a person’s ability to drive. According to Fleet Owner, untreated dental cavities and infections can spread and become larger medical problems. In fact, some dental infections can infect the blood, which can result in truck drivers ending up hospitalized. If truck drivers need to seek dental treatment, they also might want to take time off. Dentists might prescribe painkillers which can impact a driver’s alertness or ability to drive. Unfortunately, sometimes truck companies fail to give truck drivers the time off they need to properly care for their teeth and care for their health.

When truck drivers get behind the wheel, everyone’s life is at stake. Truck drivers have a responsibility to keep themselves in good health. If a truck driver chose to get behind the wheel despite being ill or while taking medication that could impact his or her ability to drive, victims and families who are impacted by truck accidents may have the right to fight back and seek justice. Visit the Cooper Law Firm, truck accident lawyers in Texas today, to learn more about your rights and options under the law if you have been in an accident with a truck driver and believe the driver’s poor health may have been a factor in your crash. Our lawyers can investigate your case and fight to help you get the best possible outcome permitted under the law.

Cooper Law Firm
501 N Third St,
Longview, TX 75601
Telephone: (903) 297-0037