Many Tractor-Trailer Accidents Are Related To Drivers’ Poor Health
As a Georgia injury lawyer, I have represented a lot of truck drivers over the years in workers compensation claims, usually involving back injuries. Many of these drivers were well into their sixties and many had significant health problems which probably put the public at risk of serious injury and death had they become involved in a tractor trailer accident. It was always surprising when these older truck drivers who were clearly in bad health were able to pass a DOT physical examination. Last summer the Associated Press released a report which talked about this growing problem. Tractor-trailer and bus drivers in the Unites States are driving our highways with commercial licenses even though they qualify for full federal disability payments. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has admitted that it has fallen short in implementing the 8 recommendations that U.S. Safety Regulators have proposed since 2001. One of these would set minimum standards for officials who determine whether truckers are medically safe to drive. Truckers who have violated the medical rules set out by the government are every where but 12 states have proven to be leaders in producing violations. Texas, Maryland, Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Alabama, New Jersey, Minnesota and Ohio were all states where drivers broke the rules most often. The AP article lists several appalling cases where truck drivers have caused fatalities as a result of their medical violations. In some cases, morbidly obese truck drivers had heart attacks while others admitted to occasional blacking out and forgetting things. If you or a loved one have been injured as a result of being involved in a tractor trailer truck accident, call the trucking accident injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP for a free consultation.
