An accident with a large truck may have left you dealing with catastrophic injuries and wondering how you’ll ever be able to support your family in New Orleans, Louisiana. If the truck driver was negligent, as is often the case, then you may have good grounds for a personal injury claim.
One all too common way that truckers cause crashes is drowsy driving. Truckers work long hours, and to fight off the drowsiness, they may drink lots of caffeinated beverages, but according to a recent study, this may wind up backfiring on them.
More caffeine may mean more crashes
The study, conducted by a transport safety lecturer from the Loughborough University Design School together with the Virginia Tech Transport Institute, involved 3,007 truckers from eight different states who fell into one of two distinct groups: those who daily consume one cup, glass or pill of a caffeinated beverage, and those who consume more than five of these. Each trucker answered a questionnaire, and their responses were kept confidential.
Asked if they had been in an accident in the three years prior to the study, 21.6% of the low caffeine consumers and 27.8% of the high caffeine consumers answered yes. While researchers cannot definitely link caffeine consumption with a higher crash rate, the results are suggestive.
Caffeine consumption and poor health
Moreover, the truckers in the second group, the high caffeine consumers, reported poorer overall health. Many admitted to smoking or drinking excessively. Many also said they do not eat healthily or achieve restful sleep. These factors can certainly raise the risk for a crash.
Future studies should be able to flesh out the relationship between caffeine use and unsafe driving. This study could not consider certain variables, such as the differences in caffeine use on workdays as compared to days off.
A lawyer for difficult injury cases
Going up against the trucking company’s team of lawyers can be daunting. You may want to hire a lawyer who works specifically in cases involving motor vehicle accidents, then, before moving forward. A lawyer might give your case personal attention and handle the filing and negotiating while you focus on your recovery.