Personal Injury Blog

Drivers Medical Condition Blamed for Fatal Car Accident in San Diego

July 21st, 2011
San Diego Fatal car accident

The driver had low blood sugar levels

An elderly driver’s medical emergency behind the wheel is being blamed for a fatal car accident in San Diego that killed a woman, and injured her son and another man.  The accident is likely to again raise questions about restricting driving privileges for the elderly.

According to news reports, the woman, her seven-year-old son and her boyfriend were sitting on a bus bench.  Suddenly, a car being driven by a 71-year-old motorist lost control, and hit the three persons.  The man tried to jump out of the way, but was hit.  The woman and the boy were thrown several feet away.  They were both rushed to the hospital, where the woman died.  She was 25 years old.  Her son suffered a broken arm and cuts.  Her boyfriend also suffered multiple fractures.

According to police, the 71-year-old motorist suffered a diabetic condition at the wheel, causing her to lose control of the vehicle.  Her blood sugar levels sank, causing her to lose focus and causing the fatal car accident.

This accident is bound to once again raise questions about elder driver safety, and how to judge whether a person’s ability to drive safely has become impacted by advancing years.  The challenge for families of elderly drivers and Los Angeles car accident attorneys has been that not all elderly drivers are impacted in the same way by advancing years.  Some elderly drivers can continue driving safely well into their 80s.  Others may quickly begin to feel the effect of failing vision, failing eyesight, slowing reflexes and other physiological symptoms of aging that can affect their ability to drive safely.

There are a number of challenges that an elderly driver can face.  As vision begins to fail, the driver may be unable to look for visual cues as accurately as before.  Besides failing hearing can cause him to miss the sound of other vehicles honking.  Additionally, an elderly driver may begin to suffer from slowing reflexes which can prove deadly in an emergency.

Elderly drivers may also suffer from medical conditions that require them to be on medication.  Often, these drivers are on more than one medication, and may be at risk from the side effects of these medications or an interaction of more than one medication.  This is the reason why elderly drivers are at the highest risk of driving under the influence of prescription drugs.

Family members of elderly drivers can do much to ensure that their loved one is safe while driving.  Look out for signs that your loved one may not be able to drive as safety as before.  Unexplained dents on the car, taking an unusually long time to return home from an errand, and aggressive and impulsive tendencies are just a few of the signs that the person’s ability to drive may be affected.

 

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