Recently I was involved in a Tennessee semi-truck accident. Thankfully, my wife and I escaped with our lives, but she will require a long string of surgeries over the next two years. Based on the accident report, we are pretty sure the driver was taking prescription drugs that caused him to become drowsy and lose control. What should we do?

While we do not have all the facts of your case, it sounds as if the trucker was driving under the influence of dangerous, although legal, drugs that may have caused him to become overly drowsy or out of control. We know that the effects of prescription medications caused 26% of commercial trucking accidents in 2007, making this number one on the top ten list of causes for truck wrecks.

By law, the truck driver’s doctor must approve all prescription medications with a clear knowledge of the trucker’s medical history and the nature of his or her work. In addition, the federal government has banned the use of some prescription drugs for truckers.

Further, all drivers are supposed to be randomly tested for drugs and alcohol. But sometimes the drivers will cheat their drug tests, which may have revealed legal drugs with side effects that should have benched the driver. Sometimes a driver needs money bad enough that he will go ahead and drive even though he is taking prohibited medications.

If your accident can be proven to be a result of the truck driver’s negligence, you may have a strong lawsuit against the driver, the company, or both. Certainly you will be facing some big medical bills and perhaps, loss of income through the coming years.

We urge you to seek legal counsel. The Memphis truck accident attorneys at Greer Injury Lawyers understand the Tennessee trucking laws and offer a free initial consultation. Call us today toll free at 888-470-9143 to get started.