Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
Large cities such as Miami pride themselves on working around the clock. No matter what time it is in Miami, chances are that someone is working. While that means convenience for the customer, a 2012 study published in the British Medical Journal finds that shift workers – especially truck drivers – are at an increased risk of accidents and illness due to their work. Quite simply, working shifts can increase the risk of a truck accident in Miami and other communities.
The risk for truck drivers is that they often work in ever-changing shifts to accommodate deadlines set by motor carriers. They may have to drive late at night one week and work days the next. According to researchers, truck drivers and those employees who work shifts are more prone to a number of illnesses, including:
•Strokes
•Heart attacks
•Obesity
•High Cholesterol
•Diabetes
•Sleep Apnea
•High blood sugar
•Arthritis
•Joint and Back Pain
According to the study’s authors, the issue is that shift work leads to a breakdown in the nervous system, which can result in these types of serious illnesses. In truck drivers, an additional problem is that drivers sit down for much of their work and due to hectic schedules may not get much exercise, which further puts them at risk.
Shift work can also result in serious fatigue, and as numerous studies have shown, fatigued driving results in many truck and car collisions in Miami and across the country. Of course, when truck drivers have serious health issues, they are even at greater risk of being in a traffic accident in Miami or another city. If a truck driver has a stroke or heart attack behind the wheel, the resulting loss of control of the truck can cause a devastating crash that claims many lives. Even non-life-threatening illnesses, such as sleep apnea, are very serious for truck drivers because they can cause the driver to lose control of their vehicle and cause a crash.
The study in the British Medical Journal suggests that truck drivers and other shift workers can be protected from some of the dangerous effects of shift work if:
•The work schedule is limited to 12 hours
•Workers are given two full nights of sleep before a night shift and day shift
•Workers are not made to work a night shift permanently
One of the obstacles with truck drivers is that in many cases drivers face pressure at work to drive for longer distances and work longer hours in order to meet deadlines. Although there are federal rules in place to prevent truck drivers from working exceedingly long hours, these rules are sometimes broken. In too many cases, this results in serious traffic collisions in Miami and across the country.
Have you suffered a serious injury as a result of a traffic accident? In many cases, it can be difficult to determine the cause of an accident – or how much compensation you may be eligible for. To find out how much your case may be worth and to review your situation with an attorney, contact the Flaxman Law Group today for a free accident consultation.