Crash Rates Decrease when Physicians Report Unfit Drivers

A recent study by the School of Medicine at the University of Toronto has showed some interesting results. When physicians report a patient is medically unfit to drive, drivers actually heed the warnings. As a result, crash rates are reduced, and fewer accidents happen on the road.

Patients were given warning about their inability to drive due to medical conditions.

For the research study, physicians Donald Redelmeier, Robert Tibshirani, and their colleagues studied over 100,000 patients over a four year period. The patients had all been given warnings about their inability to drive due to medical concerns.

It turns out when physicians tell their patients not to drive, patients actually listen. Road crashes were reduced by 45 percent. The data suggests that doctors have an influence on the choices their patients make regarding driving. Doctors could theoretically help reduce the number of car crashes yearly.

1.2 million people die every year in car crashes

Every year, an estimated 1.2 million people die in traffic accidents. About a third of those crashes involve a driver suffering from a chronic medical condition. In Ontario, physicians were required to start reporting whenever they felt a patient might be unfit to drive. And it seems as if those reports are affecting traffic habits in a positive manner.

Doctors should report unfit drivers to reduce crash rates

Surprisingly, in the U.S., only six states have a mandatory reporting requirement for physicians. Doctors don’t have to report patients who are medically unfit to drive in the majority of the U.S. This means that about 21 percent of American drivers have been diagnosed with chronic conditions that make them a dangerous liability on the road.

Unfit drivers continue to endanger roads

Some drivers should be deemed unqualified to drive because they suffer from conditions like:

• Alcoholism
• Epilepsy
• Dementia
• Stroke
• Sleep apnea

The study conducted at the University of Toronto has showed that physicians reporting unfit drivers have a strong influence on the number of crashes every day. Unfortunately, until the same mandatory reporting system is in place in the U.S., Americans will continue to see an influx of car crashes.  

Accidents happen for many reasons, and they can result in serious injury and even death. No one can stop accidents from happening, but it doesn’t change the injustice of it if someone is seriously hurt as a result of negligence.

If you’ve been injured in an accident, you may be able to sue the other party for negligence or wrongdoing. Talking to an attorney is the best thing you can do, whether you think you have a claim or not.  Unfit drivers should not be allowed on the road, and filing a claim against them is the first step to preventing them from harming other innocent victims.

$20 Million Hit-and-Run Wrongful Death Case Filed in Washington Pike

Recently, a hit-and-run crash killed a man, a pregnant woman, and her unborn child in Washington Pike. The crash was allegedly caused by a driver who was driving while intoxicated.

The deceased, a man named Nelzon Soto, 45, had been driving to the rescue of a friend who ran out of gas. In the car with him had been Chasity Elaine Thornell, 24, who was pregnant at the time.

Authorities say the drunk driver, Curtis Scott Harper, 22, was intoxicated and had been given the keys of the 2004 Ford Explorer by his parents. It is alleged that Harper's parents knew about Harper's previous drunk driving records and drug abuse. However, they irresponsibly allowed him use of their car anyway.

The plaintiff also accuses the bar where Harper had been present before the crash. Most surprisingly, the attorney also names as defendant the friend who had called Thornell when she had run out of gas, thus causing Thornell to be involved in the accident.

The attorney is suing for $10 million in compensatory damages and another $10 million in punitive damages.

Harper is currently awaiting trial.

Have you been the victim of a car accident that resulted in a wrongful death?

Though accidents are impossible to avoid, you should always be on the lookout. Be careful and take preliminary cautions on the road and anywhere else.

If you have suffered the tragedy of a fatal accident, don't despair. You are not alone.

Seek legal advice

Like Thornell's surviving family members who decided to sue on her behalf, don't let your loved one's death be suffered in vain. Contact legal advice and seek damages for the pain you've endured.

After a tragedy, the last thing you need to worry about is money--but often, this is the most problematic consequence of an accident. Not only will you have to pay the bills left behind by your loved one, there will be medical costs and damage repair you will need to handle.

Don't suffer alone. 

You don't have to handle any legal claims when you speak to an attorney. There are several reasons why legal advice would help you.

1.   You could earn more money for your damages. Attorneys know how to fight your battles and make the person responsible for your grief pay. It's not about revenge--it's about gaining the necessary funds you need to move on with your life.

2.   Attorneys will handle court proceedings while you get your life back in order. It's difficult to see how things can resume to the way they were after such a tragedy. But the best thing you can do after an incident like this is to move on. Get back to the normal routine of things. Your attorney can handle all the legalities while you try to put the tragedy behind you.

3.   You seek justice for your lost. Why should you suffer quietly when someone was responsible for the death of a loved one? Filing a lawsuit will not only gain you compensation and justice, but it will also warn others as to the dangers and risks of other people's negligence.

If you've been a survivor of a serious accident or have suffered from the wrongful death of a loved one, you must speak to an attorney.