Many car accidents in Fort Walton Beach and across Florida occur because drivers have health problems. In some cases, prescription drugs cause impairment, but it is often a chronic health problem that causes a driver’s inability to control a vehicle. Diabetes is one chronic condition that endangers drivers, their passengers and others. Diabetes hampers the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels.
Two types of diabetes
The body needs insulin to regulate blood sugar. Drivers whose bodies are unable to produce insulin have type 1 diabetes. Their only option is to inject themselves with insulin several times per day to help their bodies regulate their blood sugar.
Type 2 diabetes results from a body that can produce insulin but cannot regulate the levels of sugar in the person’s blood. It is then up to them to regulate those levels, but many people’s bodies develop insulin resistance. A healthy lifestyle is the only way to treat type 2 diabetes.
How does diabetes affect drivers?
Diabetes causes many secondary conditions, which are the reasons for drivers’ impairment. The following are some of the secondary health issues:
- Impaired sight
- Blindness
- Stroke
- Heart disease
- Kidney damage
- Nerve damage
Disorientation can happen when blood sugar levels fluctuate, and the driver might lose consciousness. A driver might suffer a stroke or heart attack while driving. The consequences could be catastrophic.
Suppose diabetic drivers in Florida knowingly operate vehicles while they are not fit to drive. In that case, any car accidents they cause could make them liable for damages related to medical and other expenses of accident victims. Damage recovery for the victims could be pursued by filing personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits in a civil court. If successful, documented claims for financial and other damages might be covered by a monetary judgment.