That's not how it works though.
In the UK, any doctor who treats a patient who has suffered a lapse of consciousness, whether or not the cause can be diagnosed, has to inform the DVLA.

The DVLA may then suspend (not remove) the person's driving licence for a set time, usually a year. After that, if the person has had no further attacks they can re-apply for their licence.

So it's perfectly possible for an HGV driver to lose his licence for a while without any clear diagnosis, if the doctors who've examined him believe he's been unconscious without an obvious cause.

They may of course refuse to believe that the bloke had suffered a seizure and had in fact been beaten up by the police, but that's unlikely.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Wed 2 Jun 2010, 23:42, 3 replies)

Given the amount of shit the average A&E doctor would see
and consider that they'll have had safeguarding training, I think it unlikely they'd be unable to tell the difference between someone who has had the shit kicked out of them to an emergency visit level, and someone who has had an epileptic fit.
( CowJam, Wed 2 Jun 2010, 23:55, closed)

Seizures are difficult to diagnose though.
It's not a simple procedure like taking an x-ray. It's possible to have one out of the blue, with no previous history. This does happen to people from time to time and they do lose their licences.

Besides which, the 'kicking' injuries could have been acquired in plenty of plausible ways. The police could say that he already had them, or that someone he was with did them.

Arse-covering might also come into it. He MIGHT have had such a seizure, even if the evidence suggests otherwise, and the issue will come up again after any accident he may have in future.

Any doctor who disregarded the police officers' advice about it might have to defend themselves in court. Far easier to accept the police story from the start.

Of course, someone who makes a living from driving can't really afford to get publicly drunk because of the trouble they can get into.
Having his licence suspended is probably the safest thing all round.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Thu 3 Jun 2010, 0:22, closed)

that's utter bollocks

( mr horrible up yours, dickface, Thu 3 Jun 2010, 5:14, closed)

Horseshit.
I've suffered a couple of sporting injuries involving loss of consciousness. I still appear to have a driving license and the DVLA were most certainly not informed. Because the cause was fairly fucking obvious, even to a junior registrar on the arse end of an 80-hour shift. As would be the situation in the above example, too.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Thu 3 Jun 2010, 9:43, closed)