Truck Driver Drug Usage

When a commercial truck driver injures or kills a person in a trucking accident and they are found to have alcohol or drugs in their system, the truck accident lawyers at Gordon & Elias, L.L.P. will seek for their client not only gross negligence on the part of the truck driver, but also punitive damages. Gordon & Elias, L.L.P. attorneys are dedicated to seeking the highest compensation possible for our clients when injured or killed in a truck accident due to the truck driver alcohol or drugs usage.

Federal regulations prevent truck drivers from operating their commercial vehicles if they take a medication, whether it is a prescription, over-the-counter, or illegal, that affects their ability to drive safely. Twelve states prohibit commercial truck drivers from getting behind a vehicle's wheel if they have any detectable amount of a prohibited drug, or its metabolites in their system. In fact trucking regulations have zero tolerance for truck drivers driving under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. Other states define "drugged driving" as operating any vehicle when a drug renders the driver incapable of driving safely, or causes the driver to be impaired. When a truck driver gets behind the wheel of a fully loaded 18 wheeler he becomes a potentially devestating danger to anyone sharing the roads with him including pedestrians. A psychoactive drug or psychotropic substance acts on the brain. A truck driver's perception, coordination, cognitive behavior, attention, and balance that is required for safe driving can be drastically altered. Psychoactive substances include painkillers such as narcotics with morphine and codeine, NSAIDs, aspirin, and anesthesia. Psychiatric prescription medications are antidepressants and stimulants as well as drugs that are used as mood stabilizers, depressants, and anti-anxiety medications. In addition there are also recreational drugs like marijuana, cocaine, and meth. The buffet of drugs available to truck drivers is staggering.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a serious truck crash due to the trucker’s use or abuse of legal and non legal drugs, you need experienced, qualified truck accident attorneys who can send specialists to the accident site to collect evidence, analyze all of the facts of the case, and build a strong case you will be awarded the compensation you deserve.

Call the law offices of Gordon & Elias, L.L.P.for expert legal advice regarding your options. Our TOLL FREE is 800 - 773 - 6770 OR fill out the Free Case Evaluation Form on this page.

Truck driver drug usage symptoms vary between drivers, but all drugs act on the brain and can alter perception, cognitive behavior, attention, balance, and coordination, all of which are required for safe driving. When an employee is operating a company-owned vehicle and an accident occurs, the Department of Transportation drug screening and breath alcohol test must be administered within three hours of the event. These restrictions are not negotiable for commercial truck drivers even if their injuries are severe. Although urine drug testing became mandatory for commercial truck drivers in 1989, with the addition of an amendment in 1994 to add breath-alcohol testing in certain circumstances, additional laws vary from state to state. The results of these tests will be used as evidence a lawsuit.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a serious truck accident due to truck driver drug usage, contact one of our experienced truck accident lawyers at Gordon & Elias, L.L.P. Call toll free at 800 - 773 - 6770!

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