A Florida man blacked out while he was driving and he crashed his car into the side of a weigh station near the Mississippi-Louisiana state line. The man has diabetes, and, at the time of the accident, he had not eaten anything yet that day. When a person has diabetes, there’s a risk that they could lose consciousness if their blood sugar drops too low. When an individual who has diabetes blacks out because their blood sugar has gotten too low, it is called a diabetic emergency. When a diabetic emergency happens to someone who is driving a car, the resulting accident can cause serious injuries or death. Fortunately, the man who was involved in the aforementioned accident survived the crash.
Diabetes is a serious medical condition that affects nearly thirty million Americans. People who have diabetes are susceptible to hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, which can cause them to sweat excessively, tremble, or experience impaired vision, confusion, seizures, unconsciousness, coma, and even death. When a person has diabetes, their health care providers teach them how to manage their blood sugar through a combination of methods that may include blood testing, medication, insulin injection, diet, and exercise. Health care providers also teach people with diabetes how to recognize the signs of hypoglycemia and how to treat it with a fast-acting source of glucose. Each diabetic’s body responds to treatments differently, so the ways in which doctors help people to manage their diabetes vary.
Many people with diabetes can drive safely, with the support and advice of their health care providers. Some states require drivers who have diabetes to report their condition to the DMV, and some states even require health care providers to provide an honest assessment of whether a diabetic patient is capable of driving safely. These assessments are to be made on an individual basis, from information that the health care provider has obtained during the history of their treatment of the patient that they are evaluating. For example, hypoglycemia presents clear signs in some people and provides them with opportunities to address it before they experience impairment or loss of consciousness, but in other individuals, no clear signs appear before hypoglycemia renders them impaired. There are also very strict requirements for people with diabetes who wish to obtain commercial (CDL) drivers’ licenses.
Barrett Law PLLC: Help for Mississippi Automobile Accident Victims and Their Families
Diabetes can increase your accident risk, but it does not always prevent you from being able to drive safely. If you have diabetes, ask your doctor about how to reduce the risk that you will be involved in a diabetic emergency crash. If you do get into an accident, contact a Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorney immediately. The Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC have helped many Mississippi accident victims and their families recover physically and financially after a car crash, and they may be able to help you, too. Please call our office today, at 1 (601) 790-1505 to schedule a free, initial consultation.
