Experiencing a serious personal injury can impact every aspect of your life, including your ability to drive. On top of struggling with changes in your physical abilities, you might also notice that your injury impacts your cognitive functioning and reaction times.
Your personal injury could come from a car accident that hinders your ability to drive for the time being and into the future. Or, you might have a personal injury that you sustained in the workplace or during a slip-and-fall accident that also causes issues with driving to the places you need to go.
The effects of an injury can often vary in severity based on the type, your current health at the time of the incident and your recovery process. Since everyone is different, it’s important to remember that your experience with driving may vary throughout your recovery from the injury. Exploring how your recent injuries could impact your ability to drive helps you plan for safe transportation options and know how to prepare for the financial costs of needing to rely on others for assistance.
What Types of Injuries Can Affect Your Driving Ability?
Traumatic brain injuries can impact your coordination and decision-making abilities when you are in the driver’s seat. Depending on the brain injury, you might have slower processing speeds that make it hard to react quickly to changes that occur. Reduced awareness can also slow down your ability to respond to hazards. Symptoms such as headaches, fatigue and dizziness could make driving riskier than it was in the past.
Spinal cord and back injuries can limit your coordination and overall mobility. For instance, you might struggle to turn your head or body to check for vehicles and obstacles in your path as you change lanes. You could also struggle with steering and maintaining control over your vehicle, especially if you lack muscle strength or sensation in your limbs.
If you have broken bones or orthopedic injuries, then you might not be able to use your feet and hands to brake, steer or change gears. Pain, swelling and restricted movement could also cause your body to be too stiff to allow you to react quickly to avoid a hazard in the road. In some cases, you might find that your medical devices hinder your movement. Slings, casts and braces can all make it harder to safely operate your vehicle.
What Kinds of New Challenges Could Influence Your Return to Driving?
Returning to driving involves several physical, cognitive and emotional challenges that are important to consider as you create your recovery plan. New physical limitations can make driving uncomfortable or unsafe. Simply sitting for extended periods of time could cause you to experience discomfort, especially when you have a spinal injury.
If you’re taking prescribed medications to manage pain and inflammation, then you could face debilitating side effects. Drowsiness, dizziness and a loss of alertness may make it unsafe to drive even when you feel okay physically. Losing some or all of your mobility can further make it difficult to perform emergency maneuvers, which can impact your control over the vehicle.
Cognitive challenges are also common among people who experience personal injuries. Medication side effects are often temporary, but you could have long-term impacts to your cognitive functioning if you have a head injury. Difficulty processing new information could make it hard to safely navigate traffic. This might make it unsafe to drive in new environments or on roads where construction hazards change on a daily basis.
Memory problems and reduced focus might cause you to forget where you are going. Or, you might suddenly lose your attention on the road right when a car drives into your path. If you struggle with cognitive challenges, then it is best to allow someone else to drive. Working with your healthcare team may make it easier to recover your memory and focus abilities to the point that you can drive again in the future.
Many people also experience emotional challenges with driving. Experiencing anxiety is common when the injury was sustained during a car accident. However, you might also have a fear of having an accident due to changes to your health. Since feeling anxious about driving could cause you to lose your attention on the road or take drastic actions, it’s important to talk about your concerns with a counselor or doctor.
Finally, you’ll want to consider how stress impacts your ability to drive. If you are worried about unpaid medical bills or experiencing mental stress from being in constant pain, then you might drive haphazardly without meaning to take risks.
Although many of these challenges seem insurmountable, it helps to remember that following your treatment plan can help you begin reclaiming your independence. Finding safe ways to get to physical therapy and counseling sessions can help you make progress that could make driving possible again in the future.
How Do You Get On the Road to Recovering and Driving Safely Again?
After you sustain a personal injury, your first step should always be to consult with your healthcare provider before you begin driving again. Your doctor can assess your physical mobility, cognitive functioning and vision to make sure you are safe to resume driving. You can also learn more about any medication side effects that could impact your alertness on the road.
Although you may be eager to drive, waiting until it is safe can prevent you from experiencing new injuries in a collision that hinder your progress. Working with a skilled personal injury lawyer like the attorneys at Hendrickson & Long, PLLC can help you recover compensation for your injuries that can include covering transportation services or a caregiver until you regain your former abilities. If your prognosis doesn’t include returning to driving, then working through the legal process can help you begin planning financially for your long-term care needs.
Understanding how your personal injury impacts your ability to drive safely empowers you to manage your needs during your recovery. Acknowledging your challenges and working with medical and legal professionals to manage each one ensures that you are able to regain your independence safely.
