Truck accidents can cause serious harm to victims and their families. Skill, experience and other factors contribute to truck driver safety. According to a recent study, minor health issues can lead to an increased chance of truck accidents when truck drivers have three or more even minor medical issues. Truck drivers who have three or more medical issues double to quadruple their risk of being in a truck accident when compared to healthier drivers.
The new study, from the University of Utah School of Medicine, reviewed medical records of 50,000 and found 34 percent of truck drivers that were part of the study had at least one of several medical conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and lower back pain, that have been linked to driving performance. Truck accident histories were then compared to medical histories. The study found that truck drivers with three or more of the medical conditions in question had an increased likelihood of being involved in a truck accident.
While having one medical condition may be a manageable situation, having several in combination may be a cause for concern. Truck drivers with major health concerns are currently are not permitted to drive under commercial motor vehicle guidelines but the cumulative effect of multiple medical conditions, even minor ones, is not currently considered. Different types of truck driver negligence, including truck driver fatigue, speeding, negligent truck maintenance and other forms of negligence, may result in a truck accident and liability for the truck driver to victims.
Truck accidents can result in catastrophic injuries and harm to victims. As a result, legal resources are available to help victims recover compensation for the physical, financial and emotional damages suffered in a truck accident.
Source: Gobytrucknews.com, “Study Shows Drivers With Multiple Medical Issues Higher Crash Risk,” Feb. 15, 2017