The opioid epidemic that is plaguing the United States has been receiving quite a bit of news coverage lately, as our readers have probably seen. Efforts to address this growing problem go all the way up to President Trump and his advisors. On both a state and federal level, our governments are trying to address this problem that is ruining lives and destroying families.
But what are the secondary effects of the opioid epidemic? Well, our readers may be surprised to hear that this drug problem may be causing a significant amount of motor vehicle accidents on our nation’s roadways.
In fact, a recent report highlighted that the law enforcement officials and rescue personnel who are responding to car accidents in Ohio are seeing heroin overdoses more than ever. The problem is becoming so prevalent that rescue personnel, almost by default, will administer an opioid antidote to any driver who is non-responsive when they arrive on the scene.
The recent report notes that some people who are addicted to heroin, which is a very powerful drug, simply will not have the patience to wait to take a hit once they get their hands on the drug. Often they will shoot up right in their car, and then continue on to drive to wherever they are going. These drugged drivers then cause serious car accidents. It is a problem that doesn’t appear to be headed toward a solution any time soon. Anyone who has been injured in an accident caused by a drugged driver may be able to recover financial compensation in a personal injury lawsuit.
Source: fox19.com, “Overdoses on the road: Drugged driving rises as a menace,” Mitch Stacy and Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Aug. 17, 2017