Accidents Caused by a Medical Condition

Although many conventionally associate intoxication with vehicle accidents, in some cases, vehicle accidents are caused by drivers who are suffering from a pre-existing medical condition. Health conditions that may make it unsafe for a person to operate a vehicle include:

• Heart disease
• Poor eyesight
• Diabetes
• Seizure disorders

Although the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) requires motorists to inform it if they suffer from any of the medical conditions on its notifiable conditions list, it is estimated that millions of drivers are on the road with conditions they should, but haven’t, told the DVLA about. Are you worried that you could be one of them?

If you do not tell the DVLA about a medical condition which could affect your ability to drive, you could encounter a £1,000 fine. Some of these medical conditions include cancer, labyrinthitis, eating disorders, mental illness and severe arthritis. Additionally, if you are involved in an accident because of your condition you could also face prosecution.

Contrary to popular belief, if a person has a sudden heart attack whilst driving a car and causes an accident resulting in death for injury to others there may not be any claim for compensation. The legal defence of automatism is most commonly used in road traffic accident cases where a person experiences a complete loss of control through no loss of their own. Some examples of what may invoke automatism defence include a stroke, an epileptic fit and a hypoglycaemic attack.

Nevertheless, if you’re involved in a car accident an immediate priority is to receive a medical check-up and treatment where necessary. If you contact Nayyars we can help guide you in this area.

Faaria Basharat

Paralegal