The Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FCMSA) released a statement announcing its position on the use of state-law-approved medical marijuana by truck drivers. The FMCSA will not include “medical marijuana” use as an exception to its rules prohibiting drug use by truck drivers.
Currently, truck drivers are required by federal regulation to submit to the Department of Transportation’s regulated drug testing program. The program is intended to ensure that truck drivers are not operating under the influence of any controlled substances, which endangers both the driver and any other motorists sharing the road.
Federally-mandated drug tests of truck drivers are reviewed by a Medical Review Officer (MRO), who is responsible for resolving any discrepancies in the report. The FCMSA’s regulations prohibit MROs from certifying a drug test result as “negative” based on information that the driver’s physician prescribed medical marijuana. Drug tests with a “positive” result for marijuana must be read as a positive drug test result by federal authorities even if the marijuana was prescribed by a physician under a state law.
Federal drug-testing requirements for truck drivers are intended to keep the country’s roadways as safe as possible. However, tractor trailer accidents in St. Louis still claim the lives of motorists every year, and not all truck drivers stick to the rules. If you or a loved one has been injured by the drug use or other improper behavior of a truck driver, you have certain legal rights. Contact an experienced Missouri DUI truck crash attorney at Page Law today. Our legal team will examine the details of your case and help you protect your legal rights while holding any negligent parties accountable for their actions. Call Page Law at (314) 322-8515 today for a free and confidential evaluation.
Every day, about 800,000 trucks on U.S. highways are carrying hazardous materials. Although these trucks account for only about 5 percent of all truck accidents, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the risks of a crash involving hazardous materials are much greater, and such crashes are often deadly.
One of the most common hazardous materials transported in trucks is flammable liquids, particularly gasoline. In the previous decade, gasoline-transporting trucks alone accounted for half of fatal hazardous-materials truck crashes. These trucks, which usually incorporate a cargo tank to contain the flammable liquids, are more susceptible to both rollovers and fires when hit by another vehicle, particularly when compared to trucks that are not carrying hazardous materials.
Spills are a special risk of hazardous materials being transported by large trucks. The FMCSA notes that between 1991 and 2000, trucks carrying hazardous materials were ten percent more likely to spill their cargoes in an accident than trucks carrying non-hazardous materials. Of course, spills of certain hazardous materials can result in far greater damage to the surrounding area than spills of most non-hazardous materials.
Although the overall threat to motorists sharing the road with trucks carrying hazardous materials is small, the injuries and other damages that may occur in a hazardous-materials crash is high. It is therefore particularly important for drivers transporting hazardous materials to be held to the highest standards of safety and responsibility.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident where hazardous materials were involved, please don’t hesitate to contact the experienced Missouri truck accident attorneys at Page Law. Our skilled legal team will examine the details of your case and help you seek the compensation you need to meet medical bills, lost wages, and similar expenses. Call Page Law today at 314-322-8515 for a free and confidential consultation.
