How a Truck Driver’s Poor Health Can Put Yours at Risk

Each time you get behind the wheel, you place considerable trust in the safe driving abilities of other people—whether or not you consciously realize it. Although auto accidents happen every day around Atlanta, it’s often assumed that most drivers are generally responsible. But all it takes is one truck driver with certain health problems to jeopardize the safety of everyone sharing the road with him or her. You can protect yourself from serious truck accidents by proactively scanning the traffic all around your car. Pay particular attention to big rigs, and give these vehicles plenty of space.

The Risks of Multiple Medical Conditions

Researchers from the University of Utah School of Medicine recently published a study that points to a double to quadruple the risk of truck accidents when the truck driver has three or more medical conditions . The researchers combed through the medical records of nearly 50,000 truck drivers and found that 34% of them had at least one medical condition that could compromise the ability to drive safely. After adjusting to account for the truck drivers’ age and commercial driving experience, the researchers also found that drivers with three or riskier medical conditions had a crash frequency of 93 per 100 million miles traveled. This is substantially higher than the average crash frequency of 29 per 100 million miles traveled, which is applicable to all truck drivers.

The Ways a Trucker’s Poor Health Can Compromise Safety

So how exactly can a truck driver’s poor health put other drivers at risk? Two of the high-risk medical conditions that the researchers identified are diabetes and heart disease. Diabetes can jeopardize driving ability by causing blurry vision and vision loss. It can also cause a hypoglycemic event, which can cause the following problems:

• Confusion
• Fainting
• Lightheadedness
• Vomiting

Heart disease raises the risk of an accident because it can also cause fainting and because these patients are at risk of having a heart attack or stroke behind the wheel of a massive vehicle. Since commercial big rig operators drive for a living and spend long hours behind the wheel, these individuals may be more likely to have a heart attack while driving than the average person with heart disease.

Attorney Big Al has a reputation for negotiating generous truck accident settlements on behalf of his injured clients. Call our office at 1-800-HURT-123, and let us know how we can help you.

In Georgia, personal injury law defines wrongful death as the passing of a person due to another person’s negligent, reckless, criminal, or intentional actions. In auto accident claims filed near Decatur, lawyers will most often seek compensatory damages on the basis of negligence. However, accident claims filed based on intentional torts may be appropriate, depending on the situation. Regardless of the basis for filing the lawsuit, it’s always advisable for the surviving loved ones of the accident victim to consult an accident attorney promptly.

In most cases, a wrongful death lawsuit must be filed within two years of the date of the death. However, if the incident that caused the individual’s death also resulted in criminal proceedings, the statute of limitations does not begin until the criminal case is resolved. When filing a wrongful death lawsuit, be sure to tell the accident attorney about all of your family’s losses, including the decedent’s medical expenses and funeral costs. Your attorney can help you demand justice on behalf of your loved one.

Call Attorney Big Al at 1-800-HURT-123 today and let our law office assist your grieving family.

Far too many auto accidents occur in the Atlanta and Decatur areas each year and quite often they’re the result of driver errors. Along with drunk driving and distracted driving, aggressive driving is among the most dangerous behaviors to engage in. Unfortunately, everyone driving near an aggressive driver is at risk of a serious car crash. If you do become involved in a crash despite taking precautions, be sure to contact a personal injury lawyer promptly.

Give Aggressive Drivers a Wide Berth

The safest way to deal with aggressive drivers is to get out of their way as soon as you are able to do so. If you have more than one lane available to you, move into the right-hand lane. If traffic is blocking your access to this lane, put on your right-hand turn signal to let the aggressive driver know that you intend to let him or her pass you as soon as possible. Sometimes, no other lane is available. In this case, you may need to turn into a parking lot or pull over to the shoulder to let the aggressive driver pass you.

Remain Calm and Avoid Retaliatory Actions

Even if you survive your encounter with an aggressive driver , you may still be at risk of becoming involved in a crash. Since aggressive driving can be contagious, auto accidents can occur long after an aggressive driver has sped off. Stop yourself from adopting aggressive behaviors behind the wheel by reminding yourself to stay calm and take some deep breaths. If the aggressive driver is still in your proximity, avoid making eye contact with him or her. Do not use offensive gestures, avoid yelling, and avoid honking your horn unless you’re in imminent danger of a car crash.

Consider Calling Your Local Police Department

Aggressive drivers often take their frustrations out on multiple drivers. If you’ve pulled over to let the other driver pass you, consider calling your local police department to report the dangerous behavior. It’s definitely a good idea to call the authorities if you suspect that the driver may have been intoxicated as well as enraged.

Injured in an auto accident? Attorney Big Al is available to review possible accident claims. Call 1-800-HURT-123.

Many factors can contribute to auto accidents that occur in the Atlanta area. To reduce your risk of having to file accident claims, make sure your car is in good working condition. One routine maintenance task is to replace the wiper blades, which should generally be done about every six months. If they’re wearing out, however, you should replace them sooner than this.

Watch this video for some quick tips on how to tell when your wiper blades need to be replaced. If the wipers aren’t moving smoothly on the windshield, they’re leaving streak marks, or the rubber of the blade has split, it’s time to replace them.

Thinking of filing car accident claims? Call 1-800-HURT-123 for Attorney Big Al-a seasoned auto accident lawyer.