Truck accidents can be extremely dangerous and caused injury to approximately 95,000 people and resulted in nearly 4,000 deaths in the U.S. in 2013 alone. A large number of commercial truck accidents happen due to a negligent act or omission on the past of the truck driver. Following such a collision, a truck driver may face civil liability for the losses they caused to injured victims, as well as criminal liability in some cases.
One commercial truck driver faced multiple criminal charges and will almost certainly face numerous civil claims after crashing into bus and killing four college students and seriously injuring five more. After an investigation of the accident, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that officials believed the driver had used synthetic marijuana prior to getting behind the wheel. Since this discovery, the NTSB has taken steps to try to regulate synthetic drug use in the commercial truck industry and to hopefully prevent a number of truck accidents from occurring.
Call To The FMCSA
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is the organization in charge of issuing and enforcing regulations to be followed by drivers of commercial vehicles, as well as anyone else in the industry. The regulations prohibit operating a truck while under the influence of any substance and requires drug testing at random times, as well as after an accident that causes bodily injury or other serious damage.
Unfortunately, synthetic drugs do not have the same compounds as most natural drugs and, therefore, may not be detected in a standard drug test. Recently, in light of the above tragic accident, the NTSB reached out to authorities of the FMCSA to urge the administration to do the following:
- Begin testing truck drivers for synthetic drugs after an accident in addition to other substances;
- Conduct research to determine the extent of the synthetic drug use among commercial vehicle drivers;
- Create a plan to lower the amount of synthetic drug use among drivers; and
- Partner with large trucking industry leaders and companies to work on methods of lowering the use of drugs, synthetic drugs, or other possibly intoxicating substances.
Contact a Boca Raton Truck Accident Attorney For A Free Consultation
Truck accidents can happen for many different reasons, many of which that can be challenging to identify and/or prove. If a drug test following an truck accident does not test for synthetic drugs, it may be more difficult–though not impossible–for injured victim to hold the truck driver specifically liable for their actions. However, if you have a highly experienced truck accident lawyer handling your case, you can trust they will use every resource possible to help you recover for your losses. If you have sustained any injuries in a truck accident, please contact an experienced truck accident attorney at the law office of Lavalle, Brown & Ronan as soon as possible. We have helped many individuals receive the compensation they deserve, so please call for a free consultation at 888-646-1315 today.