Could The Trucker Who Hit You Have Been High On Drugs?

This week a New York truck driver was found guilty of three counts of vehicular manslaughter after attorneys revealed that the trucker was high on marijuana and had illegal steroids in his blood. An investigation of his truck cabin after the fatal accident turned up illegal steroids, pipes for smoking marijuana, and marijuana joint butts. The shocking discovery has many wondering: how common are high truck drivers in New York, and could my truck accident have been caused by a trucker taking illegal drugs?

According to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), who runs drug and alcohol checkpoints for truckers, one out of 100 truckers are high on drugs or under the influence of alcohol at any time while on the road. That means that just under 100,000 truckers on American’s highways and interstates are high or drunk while driving. However, many truck accident safety experts believe this number is very low: because trucker checkpoints are usually advertised far before truckers are tested, and because truck companies are often wily enough to avoid drug testing altogether, very few truckers are caught using drugs or alcohol by the CVSA.

One large problem that keeps drug and alcohol dependent truckers on the roads is that trucking companies often help their drivers stay out of trouble. Some even go as far as providing their drivers with information on how to avoid testing positive for drugs and alcohol when tested or when involved in an accident. Another large problem is that the Department of Transportation’s process of testing commercial drivers for drug and alcohol users is somewhat easy to trick. Finally, because commercial truck companies are not required to do a background check on potential employees, they can easily hire truck drivers who have drug arrests, drug crimes, and drug problems in their past.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a truck accident that could have involved drug or alcohol use, call a truck accident attorney today. Truck companies are notoriously good at preventing the people they have injured from seeking compensation, but we can help you build your case and fight back.