Say that you were in a collision with a large truck in New Jersey, and your injuries are so severe that the losses cannot be covered by personal injury protection. If it can be shown that the truck driver was negligent, then you may have good grounds for a personal injury case.
Truck drivers can become negligent in a number of ways, and one of the most common is by traveling in a fatigued condition. It’s not just the long hours that can do that but also the high amounts of caffeine that some truckers consume to fight off that fatigue.
High caffeine users crash more
A study published in the journal Safety Science analyzed 3,007 truck drivers from eight different states who fit into one of two groups: those who consume the equivalent of one caffeinated beverage a day, be it in the form of a cup or pill, and those who consume more than five of these a day.
In the questionnaire provided them, 21.6% of the low caffeine consumers admitted that they were in a crash in the past three years. Among the second group, 27.8% admitted to it. The second group also mentioned having bad health: Lack of restful sleep, unhealthy diets, and habits of smoking or drinking excessively were widespread among this group.
What future studies might discover
Of course, correlation does not imply causation, but researchers believe future studies will clarify the link between caffeine consumption and crash risk. Further research could uncover, for example, at what level of caffeine consumption drivers are “tipped over” into unsafe behavior. It could also take into account variables like drivers’ preference for different types of caffeinated beverages.
A lawyer to negotiate a settlement
It may be in your best interests to hire a lawyer who deals regularly with the victims of motor vehicle accidents. With legal representation, you may find it easier to seek a fair settlement out of court with the trucking company. If successful, you might be reimbursed for past and future medical expenses, lost income, vehicle repair costs and more.
