Every day, millions of Americans are struggling with high levels of stress. These challenges may be brought on by stressors in the workplace or in their personal relationships, and they may involve finances, health and many other areas of concern. Unfortunately, chronic stress can lead to other hardships in someone’s life. For example, someone who is under a great deal of stress may be more likely to cause a motor vehicle collision for a number of reasons, some of which will be explored in this post.
When drivers are overly stressed out, they may behave erratically on the road and drive aggressively. Or, a driver who has been under a lot of pressure may also be dealing with a sleep disorder, which could cause them to become fatigued behind the wheel. Some people with chronic stress may also be more likely to drive under the influence since some turn to alcohol and other intoxicants in an attempt to combat their stress levels.
Not only can chronic stress cause a car accident, but auto collisions can also result in chronic stress. Auto accident victims may have high stress levels because of financial problems brought on by being unable to work or having a hard time paying medical costs. We fully realize how devastating these accidents often are from an emotional viewpoint, and this is another example of why car crash victims should explore their legal options if they were hit by a driver who was struggling with high levels of stress or caused the crash for any other reason.