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I rechecked and UNDER THE CURRENT DOT REGS if you take any kind of anti seizure medication regardless of what you take it for and some of them are used for bipolar and other types of syndromes the doctor MUST REPORT YOU IMMEDIATELY to the State and Federal FMCSA AND DOT and REVOKE YOUR MEDICAL CARD.
Only six states require the medical provider to report epilepsy or a seizure or the use of anti-seizure medication. It is up to the
driver to contact federal DOT and state DOT in the states that do not require the doctor to make the report. It is at the doctors discretion in the states that do not require it. That is one of the reasons these drivers can get away with falsifying medical reports for seizure disorders. Any driver that has had a seizure is not supposed to drive, but if the driver licence was not revoked or punched by the doctor he/she is "legal" to drive. The regulations say if you have had a seizure or on medication your health card is void. Until it has been reported, it has not been revoked but you are not supposed to drive. If the driver has an accident for any reason and it is found out that the driver did not report the seizure condition to DMV, It is at the insurance co. discretion to cover the driver or not. You can hold a CDL / health card wile taking anti-seizure medication, if it is for
other than seizure or mental. Anti-seizure (antiepileptic or anticonvulsant drugs) are used for other treatments such as, occipital neuralga, social anxiety disorder, migraines, multiple sclerosis and trigeminal neuralgia to list only a few. When a CDL holder has a seizure they do not lose their licence until diagnosed epileptic or put on anti-medication permanently. If a driver has a single unprovoked seizure he must remain seizure free for six months and off anti-seizure medication. Then that driver must under go a complete neurological exam to be able to drive a cmv. Unless the seizure was caused by high fever, drug interaction, etc. If the driver has a current diagnoses of epilepsy he/she must be seizure free for ten years off medication. A driver may apply for a exemption from any of the standards 49 CFR 381.300. A small amount of states have exemptions or intrastate waivers for drivers with controlled seizures on anti-seizure medication. Laws very from state to state. The FDOT urges states to follow federal regulations, but it up to the state. In some states, a person can have a seizure and drive his/her self home from the hospital. In some states you must be seizure free for three months to two years. Some states all that is needed is a letter from your doctor. Other states it can take years for the DMV to reinstate a driver licence.
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Time is the true test
True. The longer a person goes without having a seizure the grater the chance of a seizure not reoccurring. Medical knowledge and treatment of epilepsy has made great strides in the last twenty years, and there are many people with a history of seizures who are no more likely to have a seizure while on medication than anyone in the general population. Indeed, DOT, in its 1988 Task Force recommendations, conceded that persons on medication with demonstrated long-term seizure control may be at a minimal risk of future seizures, possibly at or even below baseline rates for seizures in the general population
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Its true alot of DOT laws need to be looked at and redrawn but this administration will not do it
The United States Supreme Court, found to the fact that an individualized assessment is mandated under various sections of the ADA, and therefore, a blanket exclusion policy is unlawful.
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was forced to establish the Medical Review Board (MRB). The MRB is composed of seven of our Nation's most distinguished and scholarly practicing physicians.The MRB listened to findings about seizure disorders and driving. A representative from the Seizure Disorders Medical Expert Panel (MEP) presented the current findings of the panel, but the panel’s final recommendations for seizure disorders are still in progress. The MRB will await a final report from the MEP before making a recommendation on seizure disorders and driving. The final decisions will be made in January 2008.
No I did not lose my CDL! No I did not lose or falsify my medical card! I had an unprovoked seizure from two possible causes. I am not diagnosed with epilepsy. All neurological tests are normal. I spent my forced time off trying to figure out the safety risks of drivers on anti-seizure medications and drivers that are getting false medical cards. I have just been trying to help keep the roads safer for us all. I with others, have been trying to help drivers get back on the road that are proven safe on anti-seizure medication. I will not get into all of the different seizure disorders. It is not fair to compare someone that has uncontrolled seizures to someone who had seizures that were just goose bumps that run down one side of the body and is controlled by anti-seizure medication.