Personal injury attorneys litigate some cases involving the older driver who gets into an accident. The elderly are more likely to get into accidents because of slower reflexes and visual difficulties.

An 85-year-old woman in my church was recently in a rear end collision when she saw a line of stopped cars in front of her. She said she could not get her foot on the brake soon enough. The event has stimulated her to put her house on the market with the goal of moving to an apartment where she can walk everywhere and not have to drive.

On the other hand, my 93-year-old uncle plans to drive from Michigan to Florida later this year.

Unsafe older drivers can cause great injury. I worked on a case summarizing the pain and suffering of a woman who was walking along a sidewalk. The elderly woman driver went right up onto the sidewalk and struck the plaintiff.

Some adult children are fortunate enough that their parents reach the realization that it is time to stop driving. Others are oblivious.

One woman I know had a grandfather had Alzheimer’s. In the early stages, when he was still driving, he would attempt to drive away before his wife was fully in the car, or before her door was closed. Also, he would get lost. Finally, the family had a police officer go to the house and have the man surrender his driver’s license. There were no arguments. And he never drove after that. Phew! Disaster averted.

Concerned family members could observe the older driver’s abilities to stay on the right side of the road, respond to lights and traffic signals, and react to the changes of traffic. The realities of living in area that does not have a good mass transit system makes it necessary for many older drivers to continue to get behind the wheel when it is no longer safe. Unlike some of the European countries, drivers can continue driving with no end in sight based solely on chronological age.

Many can drive safely, but for others, it is a recipe for disaster.

Med League provides medical expert witnesses to trial lawyers. Please call us at (908)788-8227 or contact us today to discuss your next case.