While a driver suffering from a medical episode happens in only a fraction of all accident, it occurs with enough frequency that there are laws regarding liability if this were to happen. In many states, if a driver is suffering from a medical episode or emergency that causes them to lose consciousness or lose control of the vehicle, they may be exempt from liability. This is especially true if the medical episode is sudden and from a previously undiagnosed condition. However, drivers who suffer from a medical episode that is related to a diagnosed condition where they should not have been driving, they may still be liable in the accident.
Local News 10 reports that a fifteen-year-old was killed and his mother injured after a driver suffered from a medical episode, causing a crash on I-95.
The crash occurred last Wednesday on Interstate-95 in Miami-Dade County.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a black Nissan was pulled over on the right-hand shoulder of the I-95 express lanes. A woman driving a white Dodge Challenger began suffering from a medical episode and hit the Nissan.
A woman and her teenaged son were inside the Nissan. They were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center. The teenager succumbed to his injuries there. The teen’s mother was unconscious when she was transported to the hospital and her condition was unknown.
The driver of the Dodge was also taken to the hospital. It is unknown what the medical issue was that led to the accident.