Driving Licence Medical Appeals - More Information Why choose us? Our team is led by Philip Somarakis, Partner and National Head of the Regulatory and Crime Department at Irwin Mitchell. Philip has over 20 years of experience and has appeared in the Magistrates’ Courts for clients on a range of complex DVLA matters. Philip has also spearheaded an effort to change the law to make the DVLA’s treatment of drivers with visual defects fairer, in line with that of European countries. One of Philip’s appeal cases resulted in an investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman (PHSO), which found failings in the way that Department made decisions either to revoke driving licences, or to refuse to grant driving licences to people who had reported medical issues. Philip’s case was reported in the Sunday Times. We’ve offices around the UK which makes sure there’s an expert at the nearest office to you. Our team can also be fully flexible to your needs. If you prefer us to come to you, we can. If you prefer a video or phone call, we’ll do that for you. We actively avoid using legal jargon which can confusing to people outside the world of law. Our lawyers will explain everything to you in plain English and also be on hand to answer any questions you may have. I lost my driving licence for drink-driving, and now I’m ready to reapply. Will I need to undertake a blood test? This will depend on certain factors. If your reading was two and a half times above the legal limit, you’ll be treated as a high-risk offender. This means you’ll need a medical. You’ll also need to have a medical if you’ve been disqualified twice within 10 years, or if you failed to give a sample. I had an eyesight test recently and my Optician told me I had a problem with my visual fields. Is my licence going to be revoked? There are minimum standards for field of vision. We can advise you on whether you satisfy the minimum standards. Visual field defects that infringe within 20° of the point of fixation may be acceptable. The DVLA will accept scattered single missed points or a single cluster of up to three adjoining points, but not both. A cluster of four or more adjoining points that is either wholly or partly within the central 20° area is not acceptable. If you’ve got clusters of four or more missed spots, the DVLA won’t let you drive. If you can’t meet the minimum standards, it may be possible to get your licence back if you’re considered as an “exceptional case”. Our lawyers have lots of experience in helping people prove that they are eligible for relicensing consideration as exceptional cases. What are the categories of medical conditions? A “relevant” disability where the condition is prescribed by a doctor. This is a medical condition that’s diagnosed by a doctor (such as epilepsy, severe mental disorder, or significant visual field loss). A “relevant” disability where the medical condition is such that it considers it likely to render the person a source of danger while driving. The DVLA gives the example of a visual field defect as a medical condition that’s likely to affect someone’s driving. This could be grounds to refuse or revoke a licence. A prospective disability is any medical condition, which, because of its progressive or intermittent nature, may develop into a prescribed or relevant disability in the course of time. A driver with a prospective disability may usually only hold a driving licence subject to medical review in one, two or three years.
