December 12, 2012 (Press-News.org) Motorists need to be particularly aware of large trucks when traversing the nation's roadways, especially along busy commercial routes such as I-40, I-24 and I-65 in Tennessee. After all, a negligent or inattentive truck driver operating a several ton vehicle at such high speeds can easily cause serious, or even deadly, trucking accidents.
Fortunately for other motorists, the Department of Transportation (DOT) requires those with commercial drivers' licenses to get medical physicals every two years in order to keep their licenses. Given the physical demands of driving commercial trucks - not to mention the severe consequences if the driver is not up to the task - these physicals help ensure those physically incapable of handling the rigors of truck driving are not permitted to continue getting behind the wheel of a truck.
DOT medical exam regulations
In the past, DOT medical exams could be performed by a variety of providers such chiropractors or medical doctors, according to a statement by Kodjo Bossou - a doctor in the Mayo Clinic Health System - to the Republican Eagle. However, new federal regulations will require many truck drivers with commercial licenses to obtain their medical physicals from physicians with proper certification.
According to Bossou, there were instances under the previous regulations in which commercial drivers would be denied medical cards by one physician because of medical issues, only to check out several other physicians until they were able to get their medical approval - mainly because some physicians don't truly understand the DOT medical requirements, Bossou continued.
Unfortunately, given that the new medical exam regulations will not go into effect until May 2014 - meaning drivers can still currently go to the physician of their choice to obtain their medical cards - it remains to be seen whether or not these new regulations will ultimately have a large impact on trucking safety and reduce trucking accidents.
However, hopefully the new standardized exams will be better at screening for medical issues that are detrimental to truck drivers, such as sleep apnea.
Basically, sleep apnea is a medical breathing disorder in which the inflicted experience pauses in breathing while sleeping. Many studies have found that drivers who suffer from sleep apnea are significantly more likely to cause motor vehicle accidents than other motorists.
Seek help if injured
If you have been injured by a truck driver who should not have been behind the wheel because of a medical condition, it is important to protect your rights by speaking with a knowledgeable trucking accident attorney. An experienced attorney may not only be able to provide helpful advice, but also help the victim collect and evaluate important evidence.
Article provided by Kinnard, Clayton & Beveridge
Visit us at www.kinnardclaytonandbeveridge.com
Tennessee's Busy Highways Provide Ripe Landscape for Trucking Accidents
New federal regulations will require many truck drivers with commercial licenses to obtain their medical physicals from physicians with proper certification, thus hopefully improving roadway safety and reducing trucking accidents in the process.
2012-12-12
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Medical Marijuana in Florida: is it a Possibility?
2012-12-12
After the legalization of recreational marijuana use in Colorado and Washington in the 2012 election, Florida residents may be wondering about similar laws passing in Florida. Florida's legislature has considered the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes in the past but those bills have never made it very far in either the state's house or senate.
After the 2012 election, the Florida Cannabis Action Network made plans to meet with Florida's attorney general to advocate for the reclassification of marijuana -- changing it so that is recognized as having medicinal ...
New Louisiana Informant Law Leads to Prisoner Release
2012-12-12
Last year, Louisiana adopted a law that allows judges to reduce the prison sentences of inmates who provide information that helps resolve unsolved crimes. In November, Jefferson Parish officials released information about a former Angola inmate who was the first to be released under the new law.
The law creates the potential for reduced sentences for inmates who provide "substantial assistance" to prosecutors. A similar program has been available for years to people incarcerated for federal crimes. The man who was released had been serving a life sentence ...
Michigan Acknowledges the Problem of Distracted Driving
2012-12-12
According to Hand-free Info's website, 96 percent of Michigan drivers acknowledge that texting and driving is dangerous behavior; however, approximately 17 percent of these motorists say that they read texts while behind the wheel. Unfortunately, the desire to be connected often seems to outweigh traffic safety.
Distraction.gov reports that in 2010, more than 3,000 people were killed in distracted driving crashes, which included texting, talking on a cellphone, eating and other similar activities. According to the Department of Transportation, the problem appears to ...
Pennsylvania Study Highlights Nurse Fatigue and Infection Risk
2012-12-12
A recent study out of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing casts light on a serious problem in American healthcare. Thousands of nurses studied showed high levels of burnout or fatigue, which can lead to otherwise preventable medical errors with potentially life-threatening consequences.
The study's researchers surveyed more than 7,000 registered nurses in 161 Pennsylvania hospitals. They combined that data with information about those facilities' rates of hospital-acquired infections from the Pennsylvania ...
Medical Malpractice Claims in the Wake of Missouri Decision Striking Down Damage Caps
2012-12-12
Caps on medical malpractice awards were part of an aggressive tort reform platform in the mid-2000's. One rationale behind the damage cap legislation was to lower insurance premiums in an effort to attract and keep physicians. Unfortunately, even after states passed damage caps, liability insurance premiums did not decrease and the caps have harsh unintended consequences for some injured by the negligence of medical professionals.
In 2005, Missouri passed legislation capping non-economic damages at $350,000. Non-economic damage awards compensate victims for pain and ...
North Carolina Drivers: Take Care When Driving by Highway Work Zones
2012-12-12
Construction work zones on highways and surface streets are necessary to maintain our infrastructure, but provide increased dangers for motorists and workers alike. When driving by or working in such an area, it is imperative for everyone to take certain safety precautions, to prevent serious injuries or even fatalities.
In 2009, there were a total of 667 accidents in work zones that resulted in at least one fatality, according to the Federal Highway Administration. In 2010, 72 percent of the fatal injuries for workers on the job occurred in road construction zones caused ...
Wisconsin Pedestrian Accident: Car Strikes College Students In Milwaukee
2012-12-12
In mid-November 2012, an automobile hit two 20-year-old engineering students on the urban campus of Marquette University in Milwaukee while they walked on a sidewalk early on a Monday morning. The women were hospitalized with serious, but nonfatal, injuries. Reportedly, the driver proceeded to strike another car, a hydrant and a pole in an apparent hit-and-run, before being stopped by law enforcement.
State statistics
According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, which defines a pedestrian as anyone walking or using a mobility device like a wheelchair, ...
Pending Changes to Federal Estate and Gift Taxes for 2013
2012-12-12
While the media has focused on the so-called "fiscal cliff" since the presidential election, estate planning attorneys have been advising clients all year about pending changes to estate and gift taxes if Congress fails to act before the end of the year. Significant increases could have serious implications for those with existing estate plans that are based on expiring tax provisions.
The exemption level on federal estate taxes and lifetime gifts has been at $5 million for years, but will revert to $1 million if the sunset provision in the bill that authorized ...
Two Brothers Guilty of Federal Money Laundering Charges in Texas
2012-12-12
In a prominent case, jurors found two of the three Yassine brothers guilty of the federal white collar crime of money laundering in October 2012. The Yassine family is well known for its downtown Austin, Texas, network of nightclubs that included bars Pure, Fuel, Malaia, Treasure Island Bar, Kiss & Fly, Roial, Hyde and Spill, owned and operated through its business Yassine Enterprises. Allegedly, they used their commercial venture to launder money from illegal drug deals.
The convicted brothers, Mike and Hadi, should be sentenced within 60 days of the conviction, ...
After Discharge, Lenders Continue to Make Mortgage Mistakes
2012-12-12
During the recession and its accompanying mortgage crisis, it was discovered that many of the major lending institutions had treated their borrowers unfairly. Last winter, five of the largest banks in the United States paid $25 billion to settle state and federal claims over improper mortgage practices.
As part of that settlement, the banks agreed to help out struggling borrowers. In exchange, the government said it would give the banks credits towards forgiven mortgage debt.
Unfortunately, though, it appears that the bank errors have not stopped. According to a recent ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
JSCAI article at THT 2025 sets the standard for training pathways in interventional heart failure
Engineering biological reaction crucibles to rapidly produce proteins
Minecraft: a gamechanger for children’s learning
Presidential awards spotlight naval research excellence
SETI Institute names first Frank Drake Postdoctoral Fellow
From photons to protons: Argonne team makes breakthrough in high-energy particle detection
Cancer’s ripple effect may promote blood clot formation in the lungs
New UVA clinical trial explores AI-powered insulin delivery for better diabetes care
New technology could quash QR code phishing attacks
Study reveals direct gut-brain communication via vagus nerve
MSU expert: Using light to hear biology
“I can’t hear you, I’m too stressed”: Repeated stress in mice reduces sound perception
Chronic stress affects how brain processes sound in mice
Insilico Medicine announces developmental candidate benchmarks and timelines for novel therapeutics discovered using generative AI
A wealth of evidence: PIK compiles 85,000 individual studies about climate policy
New fish species with ‘face paint’ named after Studio Ghibli character
Mechanical heart valve replacements have better long-term survival, study finds
Sandra Diaz and Eduardo Brondízio, scholars of human-nature interconnection, win the 2025 Tyler Prize with call for policies, business models and individuals to recognize humanity’s 'entanglement' wit
Kessler Foundation in partnership with Overlook Medical Center is first in NJ to implant novel spinal stimulator
Study reveals how physical activity impacts sleep quality in older adults during COVID-19 pandemic
ADHD symptoms and later e-cigarette and tobacco use in youths
Prepandemic prevalence of dietary supplement use for immune benefits
Born to heal: Why babies recover, but adults scar, after heart damage
SNU researchers develop soft robot that crawls, climbs, and shape-shifts to move in new directions
Mystery solved: New study reveals how DNA repair genes play a major role in Huntington's disease
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute announces launch of Center for Sepsis Epidemiology and Prevention Studies (SEPSIS)
New perspectives for personalized therapy of brain tumors
IEEE researchers provide mathematical solutions to study 2D light interaction in photonic crystal lasers
New joint project to investigate quantum repeaters designed to provide for secure quantum communication networks of the future
PhRMA Foundation welcomes two board members
[Press-News.org] Tennessee's Busy Highways Provide Ripe Landscape for Trucking AccidentsNew federal regulations will require many truck drivers with commercial licenses to obtain their medical physicals from physicians with proper certification, thus hopefully improving roadway safety and reducing trucking accidents in the process.