Lately, my office has received numerous hardship license inquiries from people who have had their licenses indefinitely taken away due to Immediate Threat Medical and Complaint Medical revocations. Unfortunately, under these circumstances, no hardship or Cinderella license is available. The rationale for denying hardship relief on immediate threat and medical suspensions is that if a particular driver represents a danger or threat to public safety, he or she should not be driving at all. Therefore, the only way to regain your right to drive is to obtain a full license reinstatement.
In many cases, as soon as a driver is notified that the Registry of Motor Vehicles has indefinitely revoked his or her right to operate due to an immediate threat medical complaint, the driver asks his or her physician to write a letter to the Registry stating that the person is medically fit to safely operate a motor vehicle. This is the wrong approach. The Registry has specific forms that address medical problems, psychological and mental health issues, vision, and loss of consciousness. Instead of writing a generic letter, the driver’s treating physician, psychiatrist, optometrist, or psychiatric nurse practitioner should complete the appropriate forms. Additionally, the medical professional should only complete the forms after he or she has carefully read the immediate threat complaint. A letter written or form completed by a treatment provider who is unfamiliar with the facts and circumstances alleged in the complaint will carry little to no weight at a reinstatement hearing.
Dealing with immediate threat and complaint medical suspensions can be frustrating and confusing. Hiring a lawyer can simplify the process and increase your chances of getting your Massachusetts Driver’s License fully reinstated. The first step in these situations is to obtain a copy of the report which was filed with the Registry. In most cases, these reports are filed by police officers who witness dangerous driving, accidents, or other incidents which give rise to a safety concern. Although these indefinite license suspensions are not supposed to be punitive, getting them resolved can often be difficult and time consuming. The Registry errs on the side of caution and hearings officers are largely unsympathetic regarding the difficulties associated with the unexpected loss of a driver’s license.