Prescription Medications and Arizona Automobile Accidents

A lot of people require prescription medications to manage various medical conditions and ailments. When a person obtains a valid and legitimate prescription from their doctor they are legally allowed to have their medications in their possession and in their body. Sometimes though, even prescription medications can have adverse symptoms that make it unsafe to drive. If a person gets behind the wheel and they have prescription medication in their system, even a legitimate one, that affects their ability to safely drive then they are a danger to everyone else on the road. If you were hit by a person who was recklessly operating their vehicle due to their prescription drugs, you should contact the Phoenix personal injury attorneys at ELG for more information on how you can obtain compensation for your damages. 

You have the right to pursue compensation against another party when their negligence caused you harm. In Arizona, the statute of limitations for the amount of time that you have to file your Arizona personal injury claim is two years from the date of your injury incident. The details of your accident experience will be what is used to determine what damages you include in your claim. You may be able to have pain and suffering, medical bills, property damages, loss of consortium, and lost wages contained in your claim. In some situations, you could be eligible for punitive damages to be requested on top of your settlement amount. If the person who hit you was inebriated and not in a condition to legally or safely drive, the option of punitive damages could be explored.

What Side Effects Can Perscription Medications Have on Drivers?

There are plenty of people who can take their daily prescription medications and feel no negative side effects. These individuals won’t have any problem going about daily life including, responsibly and securely driving their automobile.  Other prescriptions though, can cause major disruption to a person’s ability to engage in daily activities such as driving. Some of the most common negative side effects that can occur in individuals who take prescription drugs include:

• Feelings of disorientation and dizziness can cause issues with vision, balance, and estimating distance correctly. 
• Feeling lethargic or excessively tired can lead to falling asleep while driving which is incredibly dangerous.
• An upset stomach and nausea can divert a driver’s attention and make them less alert. If the feelings become intense, they can cause a driver to make quick decisions without thinking or taking the proper precautions.
• One’s cognitive abilities can be so drastically impaired that they feel confused, forget the rules of the road, and be unable to effectively drive their automobile.
• Slowing down one’s reaction time and ability to respond to changes in traffic or unexpected road hazards effectively.

Speak with an Arizona Car Accident Attorney Today

It is important to your safety, those in your car, and anyone else on the road that you know how your medications affect you so that you don’t get behind the wheel if you aren’t feeling your best. If you or someone you know was hit and injured in an Arizona car accident, call the Arizona serious injury attorneys at ELG for help with an Arizona personal injury claim at (623) 877-3600. You can discuss your accident experience with ELG during a free consultation.