Perhaps you were commuting between New Orleans and Covington, Louisiana, when you were hit from behind by a large truck. Now you’re dealing with serious injuries and wondering if you can obtain compensation for medical costs and other losses. You may be able to file a personal injury claim, but this will mean showing just how the truck driver was to blame for the crash.
A study published in the journal Safety Science has tentatively linked high amounts of caffeine consumption, especially coffee consumption, with a higher crash rate among truckers. It was unique in that it actually analyzed coffee-drinking habits rather than looking at the effect of caffeine on drivers in a laboratory setting.
More coffee, more truck crashes
While drinking high amounts of coffee for the short term can have its benefits for truckers working long hours, doing this over the long term seems to have negative consequences. The study looked at 3,007 truck drivers from eight different states who reported drinking either one cup or over five cups of coffee a day. The high coffee drinkers reported poorer health overall from inadequate sleep, unhealthy diet, smoking, and drinking more alcohol.
Besides that, but more of the high coffee drinkers were in accidents in the three years prior to the study. The percentages were 21.6% for low coffee drinkers and 27.8% for the second group.
Limitations of the study
The study, which was conducted by a transport safety lecturer at the Loughborough University Design School together with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, has its limitations. No cause and effect relationship can be determined between high coffee consumption and crash rates. Researchers also did not factor in certain variables like the difference in consumption between work days and days off.
Attorney attentive to details
Victims of motor vehicle crashes who file a personal injury claim usually face some kind of opposition from the other side. This will likely be the case with you, so you may want a lawyer to represent you and negotiate on your behalf for a fair settlement. A lawyer may give your case the personal attention it needs at this crucial time.
