New Study Reveals Many Truck Drivers are Medically Unfit to Operate Commercial Vehicles
A recent study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported by Associated Press (AP) revealed that approximately half a million commercial drivers throughout the United States qualify for full disability. This means over 500,000 drivers on the road have medical conditions that could possibly affect their driving ability. Although not all of these individuals' disabilities create unsafe driving conditions, several thousand do, such as seizure disorders.
The study further found that 7.3 million commercial driver violations were recorded in 2006, and every state had some medical violations. Violations by commercial drivers are a weighty issue because simple violations can turn into tragic tractor trailer truck accidents, which injure over 100,000 individuals in America every year and kill thousands as well.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) created by the federal government regulates driver medical history and conditions to serve truck accident prevention. Drivers with medical conditions such as poor vision or hearing and disabilities causing seizures, to name a few, are to be strictly monitored or possibly prohibited from driving.
However, the study found that several of these medical regulations were overlooked, whether purposefully or not, and caused accidents. When the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations are overlooked or purposefully violated and cause an accident, liability can be placed on the trucking company.
If you or a family member are involved in a Missouri truck accident, it is crucial that you contact a reputable tractor trailer crash attorney. Even if you feel the damage is already done, you need to contact an attorney before settling with a trucking company to make sure you receive that which you are legally entitled.
Trucking companies may try to hide any wrongdoing on their part by destroying documents and hiding any proof of regulation violations to avoid liability. They may also try to settle with you for pennies on the dollar” before you speak to an attorney. You need a tractor trailer crash lawyer to thoroughly assess your situation and all arising damages to aggressively represent you and ensure you are properly remedied.
As a truck accident attorney and senior partner at the Page Law personal injury law firm, I have successfully handled tractor trailer lawsuits for the entirety of my career. I send out my own accident investigation team, just like the trucking companies do, to thoroughly examine each truck crash and secure the evidence needed to successfully represent my injured clients.
If you are affected by a tractor trailer crash, I am more than happy to sit down and discuss your case with you. I offer free consultations to assess your situation and discuss your legal options with you.
I can be reached 24 hours a day at 314.322.8515 or toll free at 1.800.500.INJURY (4658). Call me personally and I will answer all the questions and concerns you may have. There is no fee unless we recover for you.
You can also email me at john@pagecagle.com or visit my website, www.MissouriTractorTrailerCrash.com for more information.
