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“It’s not my fault. It was the medicine. I’m sick,” explains the driver. Well, then maybe you shouldn’t be driving when you’re on that medicine, you think.
If you’ve recently been injured in a Maryland truck accident where prescription medications are said to be at fault, you may be hearing one excuse after another from the driver responsible for your injuries. Just because the driver had a doctor’s note for a particular medication does not mean that he or she can sidestep fault for your accident. A truck driver who has health issues must still meet certain criteria to continue being eligible to drive commercially. When you strip away all the excuses, what’s left is the simple fact that the truck driver is responsible for his or her own actions while on the road. That includes knowing when to stop taking medications that are interfering with his or her driving capabilities.
Any of the following could be relevant factors in a civil lawsuit regarding a Maryland truck crash where prescription drugs were a contributing cause:
- The driver was taking a prescription medication that is banned for truckers.
- The driver started a new medication without reading up on the side effects.
- The driver failed to notify his or her superiors of current or new medications.
- The driver overdosed on a prescription medication.
- The driver took a prescription medication in combination with an over-the-counter drug that was not to be taken with that particular medication.
- The driver did not have a letter from a licensed doctor stating that he or she was safe to drive while on the medication.
If a prescription drug did adversely affect the driver’s ability to perform his or her job, then you may be able to recoup damages from the driver, the trucking company and potentially even the doctor who prescribed the medication. For more information on how to pursue a Maryland truck accident lawsuit, fill out our online contact form or start an online chat with one of our representatives.