On August 10, 2026, Dr. Fletcher spoke in Indianapolis at the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association’s Third Annual Winning Truck Wreck Cases Seminar, sponsored by David W. Craig and Craig, Kelley, and Faultless LLC. The program brought together leading attorneys and experts involved in catastrophic trucking litigation. Dr. Fletcher had the privilege of serving as the only physician on a distinguished panel that included Cedar R. Abadie, Esq., founder of Iron Resolution Services, LLC, a nationally recognized mediator specializing in catastrophic trucking and personal injury cases.
His presentation focused on:
- Medical fitness for duty in commercial drivers
- The legal and regulatory responsibilities of medical examiners and motor carriers
- Human factors that contribute to trucking crashes
- Methodologies for evaluating crashes involving medical impairment
- The role of medical evidence in trucking litigation
One of the central themes of his presentation was the fragmented nature of the commercial driver medical certification system. Significant gaps in certification, oversight, and accountability can allow medically unsafe drivers to continue operating commercial vehicles. The commercial driver qualification system differs markedly from the FAA aeromedical certification system, in which fewer than 3,000 physicians can perform aviation medical exams. Under FMCSA regulations, medical examinations may be performed by any examiner listed on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME) pursuant to 49 C.F.R. § 390.103. Although the NRCME was intended to improve consistency, substantial variability remains in examiner experience, training, and assessment quality. Of the 46,000 NRCME medical examiners, fewer than one-third are physicians, and a large percentage are chiropractors.
