Report Links Medically Unfit 18-Wheeler Drivers with Increased Accident Rates
An investigation conducted by a television station has revealed what 18-wheeler accident lawyers have suspected for years - "tens of thousands" of 18-wheeler drivers continue to drive, despite suffering from serious medical conditions that could impair their driving ability and cause serious accidents.
These medical issues include health conditions you do not want the person at the helm of an 80,000 pound vehicle to have, including:
The investigation, conducted by Scripps television station, found that the problem is not only serious, but rampant.
Last year, federal investigators reported that more than 560,000 commercial truck operators were receiving full medical and disability benefits.
Also, last year, another investigation found that medical certificates carried by 18-wheeler drivers are notoriously hard to verify. Drivers are required by law to have a copy of their medical certificate to present as proof they have passed a medical exam. However, in nearly one of every three cases, the doctor whose signature is on the certificate is mysteriously non-existent or, when contacted, the doctor often denies having ever examined the driver.
It is very difficult for overworked inspection officers to verify a certificate, which means that possibly thousands of drivers are able to slip through the cracks with phony medical certificates. Fake certificates are ridiculously easy to obtain. All a driver has to do is download a blank certificate from the internet, fill it out, and sign it himself, and voila! He has a medical certificate that confirms he is fit to drive. This kind of falsification is a serious problem, and one that places drivers of smaller vehicles at risk of injury.
Several 18-wheeler accidents in recent months have been linked to medically impaired drivers. In Ohio, one 18-wheeler driver had almost 27 prescription drugs stashed in his cab during an accident. In 2007, federal officials estimated that approximately 4,000 18-wheeler accidents between 2001 and 2003 were caused by drivers suffering from heart attacks behind the wheel. The number of drivers who dozed off at the wheel during the same period was 5,000. Sleep apnea; a condition traced to frequent waking up during sleep, resulting in fatigue and sleepiness the next day; is a major factor in 18-wheeler drivers falling asleep at the wheel.
Federal Trucking Regulations
Federal authorities have been taking steps to deal with the problem of phony certificates. A national database, that will record copies of truck drivers' medical certificates, is expected to be in operation by 2012. Unfortunately, that is still 3 years away and, until then, highway safety inspectors have few means of verifying whether the truck driver in front of them is medically fit to be driving or not. That means millions of people will continue to be at risk of accidents and injuries as they share the road with big rigs possibly driven by people suffering from serious heath conditions.
If you or a loved one has suffered from injuries sustained in an 18-wheeler accident, contact an 18-wheeler accident lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free evaluation.
