The Trucking Law segment is a monthly feature on Overdrive, in which we pose commonly asked questions from truckers and owner-operators to legal experts. In this installment, Dr. Alex Underwood goes into what is required of truck drivers after they suffer a stroke or seizure. Find all Trucking Law installments via this link.
One of the most complex medical issues for commercial drivers is a neurological condition. Certified Medical Examiners often have to reach out to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for guidance on certifying drivers who’ve had a stroke, ministroke or seizure.
Obviously, the most important issue is whether the driver will have a sudden loss of consciousness or a sudden loss of ability to control the truck. While most circumstances require a cautious approach that in many cases involve lengthy waiting periods, the U.S. Department of Transportation has agreed with medical advisory boards that not all neurological conditions preclude a driver from a safe driving career.
STROKES. Diabetes and high blood pressure (hypertension) are significant contributing factors to the development of strokes or ministrokes, known as transient ischemic attacks (TIA). It’s no surprise that commercial drivers have an above-average incidence of TIAs and strokes, as they do with hypertension and diabetes.
If you suffer a stroke or TIA and are left with permanent disabling effects such as paralysis, severe weakness or vision loss, you will not be certifiable as a commercial driver. Otherwise, in the majority of cases, you will be able to resume your driving career if you’re willing to wait.
After initial recovery from a stroke or TIA, you must wait at least a year before being eligible for a medical certificate. If you have a more severe stroke or brain bleed that involves a middle cerebral or anterior cerebral artery, guidance to medical examiners suggests waiting five years.
If you pass the medical exam, you will be certified for up to one year at a time. Before taking the exam:
