When a Truck Accident Involves a Driver with an Undisclosed Illness
Commercial vehicles can cause significant damage and even fatalities when colliding with other drivers on the road. While certain illness should disqualify a driver from working commercially, the paperwork required for a commercial driver’s license will generally only ask a driver to disclose these conditions rather than subjecting the driver to a medical examination. In fact, when the FMCSA made use of such an exam back in 2014, 70,000 drivers lost their licenses due to health.
Because much of the screening is still performed on the honor system rather than through physical examinations, there may be times when a dishonest driver with a serious medical withholds this information and is able to get a license that he or she should never have had. If that individual is then in an accident because of the health issue, what could be the results?
Dealing with the Aftermath of Being in an Accident with a Commercial Vehicle
If you have been in an accident with a commercial vehicle, it is worth hiring a lawyer who knows to investigate the health of the driver. If a disqualifying illness is revealed, you may able to receive compensation, especially if the condition was at fault in the accident. Such compensation can include:
• Accident-related medical expenses (present and future)
• Vehicle damage expenses
• When injuries result in missed work—lost wages
• If you are injured to the point of no longer being able to pursue your past career—earning capacity losses
• Pain and suffering, both physical and emotional
It is important to have a law firm with truck accident experience in your corner to help you get the compensation that you deserve in such a situation. This is also true for one’s family should the accident result tragically in the death of a loved one.
