Medicated driving is one of the most widely ignored problems in the United States today. It is quite interesting that while drunk drivers are widely condemned and incarcerated for taking the wheel while inebriated, the growing epidemic of medicated drivers has been largely swept under the rug.
Did you know that as much as one-third of all automobile accidents involve medicated drivers? According to AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, their study indicated that 72% of older drivers have no idea their meds impair driving. That’s a really scary statistic if you think about it. It clearly shows that harm caused by medicated drivers is now far worse than the harm caused by drunk drivers. It is important to note that police rarely test drivers for being under the influence of medication even though many medications cause impaired judgment, lengthened reaction times and a loss of hand-eye coordination.
If you add to this mix the fact that over-medicating along with improper prescriptions is becoming a larger problem, this danger of medicated driving and the risk it entails is like throwing fuel on the fire. Unfortunately, this vex seems to only be getting worse and the rising tide of aging baby boomers will only exacerbate the problem of serious injury when involved in a car crash or vehicle collision with a medicated driver.
As with all injury cases, it is especially crucial to seek out professional legal advice in car accident injury cases and we have the experienced injury attorneys very familiar with insurance companies to evaluate your claim. Our firm is ready to assist you in reviewing your specific situation to see if your claim meets our criteria. In every state there are laws that on how long you have to file a suit also. Don’t hesitate, call our toll free number and get confidential legal advice.
Rick Shapiro has practiced personal injury law for over 30 years in Virginia, North Carolina, and throughout the Southeastern United States. He is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA Accredited) and has litigated injury cases throughout the eastern United States, including wrongful death, trucking, faulty products, railroad, and medical negligence claims. During his three-decade career, Shapiro has won client appeals before the VA Supreme Court, VA Court of Appeals, NC Supreme Court, SC Supreme Court, WV Supreme Court, TN Supreme Court, and three times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, underscoring Shapiro’s trial achievements. In addition, he and his law firm have won settlements/verdicts in excess of $100 million. His success in and out of the courtroom is a big reason why he was named 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in railroad law in U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers publication (Norfolk, VA area), and he has been named a “Best Lawyer” and “Super Lawyer” by those peer-reviewed organizations for multiple years. Rick was also named a “Leader in the Law, Class of 2022” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (total of 33 statewide honorees consisting of lawyers and judges across Virginia). And in September 2023, Rick was selected as a recipient of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) 2023 President’s Award. Although many nominations were submitted from across the country, Rick was just one of eight attorneys chosen by the prestigious National Board which certifies civil trial attorneys across the U.S. Rick was also recently named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly 2024 Virginia’s Go To Lawyers Medical Malpractice. The attorneys awarded this honor are nominated by their colleagues and chosen by a panel from the publication.
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