Drivers with health problems cause many car accidents in Pasadena and elsewhere in California. It could be the medical condition or their prescription drugs that cause impairment. Diabetes, a chronic medical condition that hampers the regulation of blood sugar levels in the body, is one disease that could compromise a driver’s ability to drive a vehicle safely.
Types of diabetes
Glucose is the body’s primary fuel source, which needs insulin to manage safe levels. People whose bodies cannot produce insulin have type 1 diabetes. They need multiple insulin injections per day to help regulate their blood sugar.
People whose bodies produce insulin but fail to regulate their blood sugar levels have type 2 diabetes. Their bodies might have insulin resistance, a condition that they can only manage by adopting a healthy lifestyle.
How is driving ability affected by diabetes?
The many secondary conditions are what impair drivers’ abilities to operate vehicles. These include nerve damage, impaired sight or blindness, heart disease, stroke, kidney damage and more. Fluctuating blood sugar levels can cause disorientation and loss of consciousness.
A diabetic driver who loses consciousness while driving or suffers a stroke or heart attack can cause car accidents that could cause severe injuries or death to themselves and others. Drivers whose diabetes-related nerve damage affects feeling in their hands or feet could find their ability to safely operate a vehicle significantly jeopardized.
If California drivers with diabetes, who operated vehicles knowing they are not medically fit, cause car accidents, injured victims might have grounds to hold them accountable. Medical expenses, lost wages, and other financial and emotional damages might be recoverable by filing a personal injury lawsuit in a civil court. Likewise, surviving family members of those who lost their lives in such accidents could pursue financial relief by filing wrongful death lawsuits.