In a matter of moments, a trucker can take a motorist by surprise in a way that leads to a devastating accident. A trucker might swerve into oncoming traffic, fail to stop at a stoplight, veer into another lane, or fall to stop for slowed or halted traffic. The results of these accidents are usually nothing short of tragic, and victims are left to pick up the pieces. If these victims hope to recover compensation for their damages, which oftentimes they are warranted in taking legal action, then they need to carefully consider exactly what caused the accident and who is to blame.
Trucking regulations and medical conditions
In order to curb dangerous trucking practices, the federal government has instituted a number of regulations aimed at ensuring safe trucking. Yet, when it comes to medical conditions, the regulations are little more lax. While some conditions can outright disqualify a trucker from operating a rig, others only require treatment that enables the trucker to safely operate his or her vehicle.
This can pose challenges. Take sleep apnea as an example. This condition can lead to up to 400 breathing disruptions a night, causing the individual to wake up to restart breathing. This often leads to excessive tiredness and fatigue, which has a profound impact on one’s ability to drive a truck. However, truckers who suffer from these disruptions are only tested for sleep apnea if their medical professional requests it, which means that the trucker has to be honest about his or her condition.
How a medical condition could affect your case
To succeed on a personal injury claim, you need evidence that establishes liability and proves your damages. An untreated medical condition can give you a lot of leverage in your case, especially if you can tie it directly to the accident in question. This is just one potential aspect of your case, of course, and you need to ensure that you’re taking a holistic approach. With that in mind, if you’d like to learn more about how to build your truck accident case, then it might be time for you to consider you options as it comes to legal representation.
