Due to a shortage of drivers, some freight companies have lowered hiring standards, rushed training, or failed to properly screen applicants. When trucking companies skip proper vetting, supervision, or medical review, unsafe drivers can end up on the road.
If you suspect that the truck driver who caused your serious injuries was not fit to operate a commercial vehicle, you may be able to seek compensation. Call the Virginia Beach truck accident lawyers at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp to set up a free consultation.
Have Freight Companies Been Forced to Change How They Hire People?
Even though this new research offers some hope for the trucking industry, many problems remain. These issues are likely to continue to harm trucking companies and force them to make major changes. One of the biggest challenges is making sure all drivers, regardless of age, are medically and physically able to drive safely.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average commercial truck driver is about 55 years old. This means many drivers will retire in the next few years. Because so many drivers are leaving the workforce, trucking companies are trying to hire younger drivers or offer better pay and benefits to keep older drivers working longer. Hiring younger drivers can raise concerns about a lack of experience. At the same time, keeping older drivers on the road raises an important question: Are companies properly checking each driver’s health, alertness, and driving ability?
There are rules that allow a commercial driver’s license to be taken away for medical reasons, but this does not always happen soon enough. If a truck driver with known medical or safety limits caused your injuries, you should talk to an experienced Virginia Beach truck accident lawyer. You may be able to recover meaningful compensation.
What Safety Issues Are Common With Some Commercial Truck Drivers in Virginia?
Certain health and ability limitations at any age can pose safety risks if companies ignore them. Understanding these issues can help explain how fatigue, vision limits, or cognitive problems may increase the risk of serious truck accidents in Virginia.
Fatigue
Driver fatigue is a major cause of truck accidents. That is why truck drivers are required to take regular breaks. These rules, called hours-of-service laws, are meant to make sure drivers get enough rest and do not cause accidents because they are too tired.
However, HOS regulations are based on drivers who are generally healthy. Some drivers may need more frequent or longer breaks due to medical or sleep-related conditions.
Delayed Reaction Times
Medical, neurological, or physical conditions can slow reaction time. Truck drivers often need to react very quickly to avoid crashes. It can be hard to stop a large truck in time when traffic suddenly slows or a light turns red. Drivers with slower reaction times are much more likely to cause rear-end accidents.
Impaired Vision
Many drivers keep their commercial licenses by using glasses or contact lenses. If a driver’s vision is not properly corrected or monitored, they may not clearly see hazards or traffic changes, which can lead to serious accidents.
Confusion
When any driver starts having moments of confusion or memory problems, it is no longer safe for them to drive a truck. Companies are expected to remove drivers from service when these warning signs appear. Even a brief moment of confusion or disorientation can quickly lead to a deadly truck accident.
Are Medically Unfit Truck Drivers Involved in More Crashes?
While experienced drivers bring many benefits, evidence shows that crashes involving drivers with medical or functional limitations are increasing each year.
As mentioned earlier, a news investigation found that drivers aged 65 and older accounted for about 10% of commercial drivers in the United States. Over a three-year period from 2013 to 2015, there were more than 6,600 crashes involving older drivers in 12 states, which was a 19% increase.
Age alone does not make someone unsafe to drive. The real issue is whether the company knew, or should have known, that a driver had health, alertness, or ability problems and still allowed them to operate a truck. Teen drivers also have very high fatal crash rates. Understanding the risks tied to trucking company decisions can help everyone stay more alert and safer on the road.
Is There An Age Limit for Commercial Truck Drivers?
This issue is complicated by the fact that federal rules do not set a maximum age limit for commercial truck drivers. Instead, the focus is on medical fitness and functional ability. As a result, more drivers who pass medical standards are likely to stay on the road.
Even though there is no age limit for holding a commercial driver’s license, federal rules still require all drivers to pass a medical exam. This exam must be completed by a medical professional and is usually valid for up to two years. Drivers must meet certain health standards, such as having full use of their limbs and not having serious medical conditions like severe arthritis, epilepsy, or breathing problems.
Federal rules also require that a truck driver be able to see at least 20/40 in each eye, with or without glasses or contacts. If a company ignores warning signs that a driver’s vision has declined between exams, that may support a negligent retention claim.
A person’s eyesight can change a lot in two years. This raises concerns about whether the current federal vision rules are strict enough if not properly monitored by the employer.
Did An Unfit or Improperly Screened Truck Driver Cause Your Accident?
Truck accidents often cause very serious or deadly injuries because of the size and weight of these vehicles. Problems can arise when safety rules are ignored or when companies fail to follow existing rules. This can allow drivers who are not medically or physically fit to stay on the road longer than they should. When a truck accident causes injury or death, there are often several people or companies that may be legally responsible and required to pay compensation to injured victims or surviving family members.
If you were hurt in a truck accident involving a driver the company should not have put or kept on the road, talk to an experienced Virginia Beach truck accident lawyer as soon as possible. The attorneys at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp have more than 100 years of combined experience helping people harmed by unsafe trucking practices. We have secured results like a $3.5 million wrongful death settlement for a family after a truck driver caused a fatal rear-end crash.
You can schedule a free consultation by calling (833) 997-1774 or filling out the contact form on our website. Our offices are located in Virginia Beach, Hampton, Portsmouth, and Norfolk.
