General Information on Commercial Driving and Diabetes
This page provides extensive information on how diabetes can affect individuals who hold or seek commercial driving positions. It explains federal Department of Transportation safety regulations and the process for seeking exemptions to the diabetes medical standards which are part of those regulations. Attorneys should consult the materials available at this link before using the other materials on this page.
Diabetes and Driving: A Statement of the American Diabetes Association
This advocacy statement provides an overview of existing licensing rules for people with diabetes, addresses the factors that impact driving for this population, and identifies general guidelines for assessing driver fitness and determining appropriate licensing restrictions.
Case Materials
Visit our Litigation Materials from Diabetes Discrimination Cases to find information, including opinions and pleadings, in the following cases which addressed issues relating to commercial driving.
Izzi v. UPS
UPS refused to permit plaintiff to drive any of its delivery vehicles because he used insulin. The court held that UPS had failed to prove that providing the plaintiff with work in smaller vehicles he was able to drive would be unreasonable.
Klise v. UPS and Steigauf v. UPS
In two separate cases, plaintiffs were removed from their positions as mechanics because they use insulin and therefore cannot receive DOT medical certification for commercial drivers, even though they rarely, if ever, drive commercial vehicles on the job.
Samson v. Federal Express Corp.
Defendant withdrew plaintiff’s job offer for a mechanic position because plaintiff could not meet federal medical standards to drive commercial motor vehicles, even though the job did not require driving in interstate commerce and even though a process was available to get an exemption to the standards.
