Many people rely on prescription medications to treat a wide range of conditions. While prescription drugs can be helpful, they often cause side effects. Some side effects are mild, but others are debilitating. If a driver who is impaired by prescription medications gets behind the wheel of a car, it can result in an accident that can have devastating consequences for others.
If you were involved in a collision that was caused by another driver who was under the influence of prescription drugs, you might have been treated for whiplash, head trauma, broken bones, and other serious injuries.
Your injuries, the inability to do things you used to enjoy, chronic pain, financial difficulties, and worries about the future may be taking a severe emotional toll. You may be struggling to sleep or are experiencing anxiety or depression. The entire situation may be straining your relationships with other members of your family.
A car accidents caused by prescription drugs lawyer may be able to help you seek justice. Ben Crump Law, PLLC can investigate to find out what role the other driver’s medication played in the collision. We may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit to seek compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. Call us today at (844) 730-0233 to discuss your case and to learn more about how we may be able to help you.
Why Driving under the Influence of Prescription Drugs May Be Dangerous
Prescription medications can cause a wide range of side effects. Some, such as drowsiness, dizziness, blurred vision, nausea, slowed reaction time, and impaired cognitive function, can make driving dangerous.
A person who suffers from those types of side effects may be unable to concentrate, accurately perceive distances between vehicles, navigate safely, and respond quickly to drivers’ and pedestrians’ actions. A motorist who is impaired by prescription medication may weave from one lane to another, drive significantly faster or slower than other vehicles, or run red lights or stop signs.
An impaired motorist can endanger the lives of other people on the road. Driving while impaired is illegal, whether the impairment is caused by alcohol, recreational drugs, or prescription medication. A person who takes a prescription should not drive unless they can do so safely. Some prescription medications, including opioids, can double a driver’s risk of crashing, according to a study in Accident Analysis & Prevention.
Prescription medications come with information on potential side effects. Those that could impair the ability to operate a vehicle have warning labels on the pill bottle. A patient who is taking a new medication should wait to see what types of side effects it causes before trying to drive a car.
This is important since prescription drugs can affect individuals in a variety of ways. A medication that causes no discernible change in one individual may cause another person to be exhausted. Individuals’ different body compositions and genetics, as well as other medications and herbal supplements they take, can influence the side effects they experience. Alcohol can intensify the side effects of many prescription drugs.
How Another Driver’s Prescription Drug Use May Affect Your Personal Injury Case
A person who operated a vehicle while impaired by one or more prescription drugs and caused a crash may be held liable. A car accidents caused by prescription drugs lawyer may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against the other driver to seek compensation for your losses.
A motorist who was impaired by prescription medication may also face criminal charges for driving under the influence. The local police and the state’s attorney will decide whether to pursue a criminal case against the driver.
How Prescription Drugs Can Affect Liability for a Collision
Motorists owe a duty of care to other drivers and passengers. They must exercise a reasonable amount of care and do their best to avoid accidents. A person who operates a vehicle while under the influence of a prescription drug that causes debilitating side effects, or who drives after taking a new medication without knowing the side effects it may cause, may be found negligent.
If the other driver was under the influence of prescription drugs, that does not automatically mean that they were liable for the collision. Some people do not suffer any negative side effects that affect their ability to drive safely. The accident may have had a completely unrelated cause, such as mechanical failure.
Your actions may have also contributed to the crash. For instance, you may have been speeding or using a cellphone just before the accident occurred. If the other driver was impaired by prescription drugs, but you were also partly liable for the collision, you may be entitled to a reduced financial award. Many states have comparative negligence laws that are designed for these types of situations. You may be able to obtain compensation, as long as your level of liability did not exceed a threshold set by your state’s law.
Contact a Car Accidents Caused by Prescription Drugs Lawyer
Ben Crump Law, PLLC, has represented many people across the United States who were injured by negligent drivers. Our team can investigate to find out if the other driver’s prescription medication caused the crash.
We can review the accident report, interview you and eyewitnesses, and review the other driver’s medical records. If we conclude that they drove while impaired by prescription drugs and that led to the accident, we may file a personal injury lawsuit to seek compensation for you.
You should not worry about how you will afford legal fees because Ben Crump Law, PLLC, operates on contingency. We do not charge clients who seek help with personal injury cases any money upfront. Our firm only gets paid if we obtain compensation on behalf of a client.
You do not have a lot of time to act. Each state has a statute of limitations that requires people who have suffered personal injuries to file a lawsuit within a specific period of time. If you do not act by the deadline, you may be unable to obtain compensation. Statutes of limitations vary from state to state.
A member of our staff can discuss what you have been through and explain your legal options. Call Ben Crump Law, PLLC, today at (844) 730-0233 to get the process started.
