The SAAQ required him to drive trucks with a single eye

Photo Magalie Lapointe
Guy Smiley has finally won its long struggle against the SAAQ who wanted to return to it truck driving with only one eye.

Magalie Lapointe

Wednesday, 16 August, 2017 22:50

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Wednesday, 16 August, 2017 22:50

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SAINTE-BARBE | A truck driver blind in one eye will not have to drive again the truck as wanted to compel the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec.

In 1982, Guy Smiley was stung in one eye by a horse while hitching a ride on a motorcycle.

He has not been able to work for five years and has received indemnities from the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) until 1987.

He was then able to continue driving trucks until 2004, the year of his relapse. He has never been able to drive a truck afterwards.

Allowances

But in 2015, the SAAQ has eased its criteria for allowing a blind eye to truck driving. Thus, it has cut the allowances to Mr. Hoe, telling him to return to work.

The 60-year old man then began a battle of a year and a half against the SAAQ, which cost him 22 $ 500 of miscellaneous expenses, because he could not see himself driving with one eye.

All the more that the United States has more stringent criteria and that it would not have been able to cross the border with a truck in this state.

“How do you want that I lead a truck ? It is said that a trucker must have eyes all around the head and I, I lack one. It is completely illogical and ridiculous ! ” has launched the trucker angry.

Call

A first decision had given reason to the SAAQ, but Mr. Smiley has appealed. At the beginning of August, two administrative judges have given him win the case and the SAAQ will now have to compensate her retroactively.

“It’s scary to fight against a giant like the SAAQ. These are large machines. But I had to do, it was just not common sense “, said the trucker.

According to Mr. Smiley, if it was folded to the requirement of the SAAQ to return to work, he would eventually lose his permit to the trucker during a medical test because of its poor peripheral vision.

But the battle against the SAAQ has left traces. Without any income from January 2016, Mr. Smiley has been forced to put his house on sale in January 2017. By the time he sold in June.

Home

“I’ve had a visitor, I accepted the offer. My house was worth $ 500,000, and I sold 325 000 $. I couldn’t wait and take the risk of not being able to make the payments “, he told.

Since he was self-employed when he made his relapse in 2004, he had no insurance to pay.

His lawyer, Marc Bellemare, believes that the case of Mr. Smiley is not unique.

“This story shows a side scabrous of the SAAQ who module his beautiful speech of road safety to the drop when it comes time to compensate a truck driver blind in one eye, and deprived of binocular vision. It gives cold in the back, ” added the lawyer.

$ 650 per week

The SAAQ will have to pay approximately $ 650 per week, and up to the 68th anniversary of Guy Smiley (68 years being the maximum age to receive compensation from the SAAQ).

The compensation to the SAAQ shall be retroactive to January 2016. Mr. Smiley earned about $ 1500 gross per week when he was a truck driver.