It’s not uncommon for victims of car accidents caused by senior drivers to feel sorry for the elderly driver. In fact, some are even reluctant to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit against an elderly driver out of empathy for the senior driver.
You may want to ask yourself the following question: Would you rather lose your well-needed financial compensation for your damages and losses caused by a senior driver or get compensated to cover your medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages caused by the elderly driver?
Unfortunately, many victims of elderly driver accidents do not comprehend the scope of their injury, which is why it is important to (1) seek medical evaluation, and (2) speak to a Philadelphia elderly driver accident attorney who will be able to properly evaluate your case and determine how much money you deserve.
Here at Dan Doyle Law Group, our skilled car accident attorneys will assist you with pursuing compensation on your behalf and making sure that the amount of money that is being offered by insurance companies reflects the actual damages suffered in the accident.
Okay, so what makes elderly drivers more likely to get into a motor vehicle accident than other age groups? Is it only their age? “Not really,” says our experienced elderly driver accident attorney in Philadelphia. “Some senior drivers are able to operate their vehicle safely at age 85 or older, while others should not be allowed to drive a car at age 60 or even 55.”
Unfortunately, it’s a well-known fact that aging can take a toll on a driver’s ability to safely operate a vehicle, and more often than not, medical conditions are the main culprit behind the large percentage of car crashes caused by senior citizens. Statistically speaking, a senior driver is more likely to get into a motor vehicle crash starting from age 60, and that risk keeps rising as the driver continues to get older.
Fact: There is a sharp increase in the number of car accidents caused by elderly drivers when the driver reaches ages 70 to 74.
Given that experts estimate that there will be approximately 10 million people aged 85 and older in the U.S. by 2030, it is important to understand why it is so risky to be driving a car when you reach a certain age.
There are a number of medical conditions that develop as we age that affect our driving abilities, making it more difficult to operate a motor vehicle safely. These age-related conditions include but are not limited to Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, cataracts, arthritis, diabetes, glaucoma, sleep apnea, and many more.
While it cannot be said that all of the above-mentioned medical conditions negatively affect driving abilities (their effect on a motorist’s ability to operate a vehicle safely varies from one individual to another), they can be responsible for an elderly driver accident when these conditions affect the driver’s joints, muscles, eyesight, hearing, judgment, decision-making abilities, vigilance, coordination, flexibility, and motor reflexes.
Contact Dan Doyle Law Group if you have been injured in a car accident caused by an elderly driver. We can help. While it may seem as if the process of seeking compensation after a car crash caused by a senior motorist is quite straightforward, it isn’t. Call our officesto schedule a free consultation.
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