Two people were injured in a head-on car accident in Staten Island, which officials suspect, might have been caused by a driver who was under the influence of prescription drugs. According to a news report in the Staten Island Advance, the incident occurred at the intersection of Amboy Road and May Place. The 54-year-old driver suspected of being under the influence was reportedly falling asleep during police questioning.
She told police she took Xanax and other prescription medications before getting behind the wheel of her car and colliding head on with another vehicle. Officials said the woman’s speech was slurred, she was incoherent and unsteady on her feet. She was arrested an hour after the crash in the emergency room. The nature and extent of the injuries sustained by the other victims of this crash is not yet known.
Accidents Caused By Drugged Driving
Along with marijuana, prescription drugs are also commonly linked to drugged driving crashes. A 2010 nationwide study of deadly crashes found that about 47 percent of drivers who tested positive for drugs had used a prescription drug, compared to 37 percent who had used marijuana and about 10 percent who had used cocaine. The most common prescription drugs found were pain relievers.
The symptoms exhibited by a driver who is under the influence of a drug depends on how that particular drug works and affects his or her brain. For example, marijuana may slow reaction time, impair judgment of time and distance, and decrease coordination. Certain types of sedatives such as benzodiazepines can cause dizziness and drowsiness. Impairment, whether it is caused by recreational or prescription drugs, significantly increases the possibility of a car accident.
Even drugs such as over-the-counter cold medications can make you sleepy and create a potentially dangerous situation if you get behind the wheel. A 2013 CDC report estimated that up to 33 percent of all fatal car crashes involve a drowsy driver. Under New York law, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. This includes prescription and over-the-counter drugs that may make you drowsy. Impaired driving is also negligent driving. In addition to facing criminal charges, a motorist can be held financially responsible for the injuries, damages and losses caused.
Car Accident Injuries
Car accidents often result in serious or even catastrophic injuries including but not limited to:
• Head injuries: These injuries may range anywhere from a concussion to a traumatic brain injury that requires surgery, hospitalization and extensive rehabilitation. Many head injuries may result in permanent disabilities that prevent the victim from living a normal, productive life.
• Neck and back injuries: Whiplash, soft tissue injuries, herniated discs and spinal fractures are just some of the examples of serious back injuries that car accidents may cause. Serious back injuries may result in paralysis.
• Broken bones: Fractures are among the most common injuries in a car accident. While some fractures heal completely, there are others that leave victims with permanent damage such as limps. Even fractures that heal completely require months of rest and rehabilitation.
• Internal organ damage: When a traumatic accident occurs, the physical damage suffered by vehicle occupants may also extend to internal organs such as the lungs, liver, kidney and spleen.
• Amputations: These are permanent and catastrophic injuries that may leave an individual disabled for life.
Protecting Victims’ Rights
Victims of car accidents may be able to seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost income and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitative therapy, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families of deceased victims may be able to seek compensation by filing a wrongful death claim as well.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a reckless or negligent driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a man who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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Source: http://www.silive.com/southshore/index.ssf/2016/09/prescription_pills_allegedly_t.html