Medical Intern's Risk For Car Crashes Linked To Extended Shifts

Medical interns (1st year doctors in training) work insanely long/demanding shifts that are routinely longer than 24 hours. According to a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health study the interns are more than TWICE AS LIKELY to have a car crash after leaving the hospital and FIVE TIMES AS LIKELY to have a “close call” accident than those that work shorter shifts. During the 12-month study there were 320 accidents, 133 of which resulted in an emergency room visit, more than $1,000 in property damage and/or a police report.

In real world legal terms, if the medical intern was driving home from work the hospital itself may be liable for any accident that occurred. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost 15 million Americans work full time on evening shift, night shift, rotating shifts, or other employer arranged irregular schedules. Fatigue is just one of many ways that drivers can be distracted and is not unique to medical interns.

In 2010, 3092 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver and an estimated additional 416,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver. There have been multiple “drowsy driving” car accidents here in Southern California that have seen the negligent driver do actual jail time.

Mounting Lawsuits Involving Fatigued/Distracted Drivers

Many multi-million dollar financial settlements have been awarded to victims by individuals as well as businesses whose employees were involved in drowsy driving crashes. Earlier this year, a jury awarded a $21 million personal injury verdict against the Coca-Cola corporation for damages arising from a distracted driving crash involving one of its employees.

BIG RIG TRUCK DRIVERS SEEM TO BE BIGGEST CULPRIT

Large trucks – 18-wheelers, tractor trailers, semi's or big rigs – have one priority: get from Point A to Point B as fast as possible. Fatigued and inattentive drivers are out on the road right now and can cause serious personal injury or wrongful death in the blink of an eye. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that up to 40% of accidents involving large trucks may be the result of driver fatigue. When driving near one of these monsters of the road, make sure to give them the wide berth they deserve. Keep your distance and always assume that the worst can happen. Be conscious of escape routes so that you and your loved ones can get to a safe place if a truck loses control.
Have you or a loved one been involved in a car accident due to a fatigued or distracted driver? If so, or if you have questions about your legal rights, you need to contact an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Ledger & Associates – one of the premiere law firms in the country – offers free, confidential, detailed evaluations. Please call 1-800-300-0001 or visit the firm’s website ( HYPERLINK "http://www.ledgerlaw.com/"www.ledgerlaw.com) for more information.