The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has strict regulations regarding the health of commercial truck drivers. Specifically, truck drivers must undergo regular medical evaluations in order to identify any potentially serious health risks. Truck drivers who have certain medical conditions are not eligible for a commercial driver’s license, as adverse health events behind the wheel can cause serious accidents and injuries. One such adverse health event that has the potential to cause accidents is a sudden heart attack suffered by a truck driver. If you have been in an accident because a truck driver had a heart attack, you should consult with a Tyrone truck accident lawyer as soon as possible to discuss ho you can recover.
Truck drivers are at a particularly high risk for heart attacks due to the following factors:
Sedentary lifestyle due to hours spent sitting behind the wheel
Poor diet due to lack of healthy options on the road
Use of stimulants to stay awake behind the wheel
Smoking cigarettes
Though of course not every truck driver has an unhealthy lifestyle, many participate in a number of behaviors that put them at a high risk for heart disease and heart attack. Truck drivers should always make sure that any potential heart problems are diagnosed and treated in order to avoid heart attacks. A heart attack behind the wheel can cause a driver to completely lose control and cause a very dangerous collision.
Contact a Fayette County truck accident attorney for a free consultation
If truck drivers do not adequately take care of their health or identify heart attack risks, they are putting all other motorists at risk of accidents and injuries. Additionally, truck drivers who know that they have high heart attack risks and continue to drive especially pose threats to everyone on the road. If a truck driver knew he was at risk and causes an accident because he suffers a heart attack behind the wheel, he should be held liable for all of the accident-related losses suffered by victims. If you have been involved in a truck accident, call an experienced truck accident attorney at Shane Smith Law for help today at (980) 246-2656.