Injured by a Drunk CDL Commercial Truck Driver in WV?
Morgantown, WV Personal Injury & Wrongful Death Lawyers
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It is illegal for anyone to drive while drunk or under the influence of an illegal or driving-prohibited prescription drug – especially commercial truck drivers. Unfortunately, many professional CDL drivers make the decision to get behind the wheel while inebriated or impaired. Dozens die across the country every day as a result of this poor decision. If you were injured or lost a loved one as a result of an accident involving an impaired commercial truck driver in West Virginia, contact the Morgantown firm of Angotti & Straface Attorneys at Law: 304-292-4381.
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Federal CDL Drug and Alcohol Restrictions for Commercial Drivers
Under federal regulations established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), commercial (CDL) drivers are held to a much higher standard regarding impaired driving. Because commercial drivers are often responsible for transporting sensitive, dangerous, or large loads which may include hazardous materials that may pose a serious threat to the public, the use of alcohol, habit-forming, and impairment-inducing substances, as well as anti-seizure medications, is strictly prohibited. Interestingly, the Department of Transportation (DOT) physical exam for medical certification does not require drug testing.
DUI Restrictions for Truck, Bus, Government & For-Hire Drivers
Commercial drivers are banned from consuming alcohol within four hours of driving (with a max allowable blood-alcohol concentration of 0.04 for DUI) and forbidden from consuming illicit and prescription drugs, including opiates, cocaine, marijuana, Methadone, amphetamines, and phencyclidine (PCP), at all times. FMCSA DUI regulations apply to a wide range of commercial drivers, as well as their employers, across the United States, including:
- Commercial Truck Drivers
- Bus Drivers
- Private & For-Hire Motor Carriers
- Transport Providers for Civic Groups (Boy Scouts, Veterans, Churches, etc.)
- All Local, State, and Federal Governments
- Owners/Lessors/Dispatchers of Commercial Vehicles
If a driver holding a CDL is found guilty of violating federal DUI laws, he faces criminal penalties, license suspension, job termination, and civil liability.
Civil Liability for Commercial DUI – Your Right to Financial Compensation
If you are a victim of a DUI commercial truck driver, you may be eligible for significant financial compensation. Civil liability includes the possibility of recovery for a wide range of losses including past and future medical and hospital bills, lost wages, property loss, pain and suffering, and other financial and emotional damages resulting from the accident. You have a right to file a lawsuit against all potentially liable parties. In West Virginia, these liable parties may include any third parties, such as bartenders, liquor stores, drinking establishments, and any other individual or business who sold or served the individual alcohol while he was intoxicated.
Trial-Ready DUI Personal Injury Attorneys in Morgantown, WV
If you suffered serious injuries in an accident involving a DUI-impaired CDL driver, you must take action as soon as possible. Because the stakes are so high for commercial drivers suspected of DUI, there may be significant motivation for these drivers to take extraordinary measures to conceal their alcohol or illicit/prescription drug use. Contact the trial-ready personal injury lawyers at Angotti & Straface Attorneys at Law in Morgantown, WV to request a free, confidential case evaluation. Let us know what happened to you. Call: 304-292-4381. You owe us nothing unless we win a financial award on your behalf.