If an elderly driver hit you, you may be feeling lots of emotions. Not just from the trauma of having been in a car accident, but the reluctance to bring a claim against an older person. However, the truth of the matter is that you were injured in an accident, and the person who hit you may present a continued threat against him or herself and other drivers. Filing a claim may then not just help you come to a full recovery but perhaps convince the older driver to look for safer modes of transportation.
Diminished Health Can Adversely Affect Driving Ability
If we live to a certain age, it will happen to all of us. Sight and hearing become diminished, and reaction time gets longer. There are more cars on most roads, which means more potential hazards from other drivers. Even speed limits are set higher on many highways than they were decades ago. All these factors combine to make driving dangerous for anyone, but it’s especially risky for those who have diminished senses.
Older drivers are encouraged to undergo a medical evaluation, vision test, and license reexamination periodically. If a driver shows signs of neurological, cardiovascular, metabolic, or other conditions that affect or potentially affect the ability to drive to a high degree, he or she may have to give up driving. Not just for the sake of themselves but for the public as well. However, this may not have to be an all or nothing process, either. Certain restrictions can apply, such as prohibiting driving during certain hours (i.e. nighttime) or at certain speeds, such as on highways. But sometimes, this test isn’t taken before an accident occurs.
For information on accidents that involve older drivers, visit the CDC’s page.
When a driver – at any age – doesn’t pay heed to their limitations and injures someone as a result, this may constitute negligence or break a law. If you are the victim in a case like this, you may be entitled to damages that resulted.
Bill Coats can help you navigate the complexities of a case like this. He has experience working with accident victims in a range of types of collisions. His approach is a balance of empathy and grit, both of which are needed to get results for his clients. If you have been involved with an accident caused by an elderly driver, give him a call, at 360-303-0601, or use this contact form.