A Sick Semi Driver May Be the Cause of Your Truck Accident

Cold and flu season is just around the corner. Soon, people across the country will be experiencing the symptoms associated with these illnesses, and that includes truck drivers and other motor vehicle operators.

Unfortunately, drivers suffering from the flu or even a cold are typically debilitated to some degree, sometimes so much so that it leads to major collisions. As you know, these accidents often come with severe or catastrophic injuries.

Cold symptoms

• Nasal congestion and sneezing

• Sore throat and coughing

• Body aches, headache and mild fatigue

Flu symptoms

• Severe coughing with sore throat

• Moderate or high fever with chills

• Nausea, sometimes with vomiting

• Severe body aches and headache

• Nasal and chest congestion

• Severe, long lasting fatigue

No one experiencing the symptoms above should be operating a vehicle, and truck drivers sick with these conditions should be resting at home or in a hotel room. However, truckers take to the road all too often when they are too incapacitated to drive despite federal regulations stating that this is prohibited. Realistically, illness could be the root cause of many of the truck accidents occurring in Tennessee.

Some studies indicate that driving while sick is just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated. One British study indicates that driving with a cold is comparable to driving after consuming “four double whiskeys.” Another study showed that the reaction time of drivers suffering a cold falls by 36 milliseconds. For perspective, that same study indicates that driving while over the acceptable intoxication limit only impairs reaction time by 15 milliseconds.

Whatever causes negligent truck accidents and subsequent injuries, victims need a way to recover enough compensation to help them heal and get back to living their lives. Legal guidance and aid from a personal injury attorney can help these victims prove their case and receive the financial benefits they deserve.