Posts Tagged ‘DUI’

Hypoglycemia and DUI: Can You Be Falsely Convicted?

For many people suffering from hypoglycemia, low blood sugar can cause symptoms that are strikingly similar to the effects of alcohol. Diabetes and many other kinds of diseases can result in hypoglycemia if blood sugar levels are not monitored and controlled. If blood sugar levels do dip below normal, sufferers can experience slow and slurred speech, poor balance, impaired motor control, staggering, drowsiness, flushed face, disorientation and even fainting. Many of those symptoms are equally as characteristic of drunkenness as they are for low blood sugar. Will a police officer be able to distinguish the cause of similar symptoms?

You may think field devices that test blood alcohol level would reveal that you were not drunk, if you became impaired from low blood sugar while driving. However, these portable breath testing devices (PBTs) can be fooled by the symptoms of hypoglycemia as well. Diabetics and other sufferers of hypoglycemia can experience ketoacidosis, a state that increases the amounts of acetones in the breath. Since PBTs pick on any compound in the methyl group, including acetones, and not just the ethanol of drinking alcohol, this state can cause higher readings on PBTs. It causes the PBT to reflect more than just the alcohol that might have been consumed by the person being tested.

Hypoglycemia can produce the same visual symptoms as drunkenness and can’t be distinguished by field testing; some of the flaws of DUI symptoms are exposed in just this one circumstance.

Contact us at Petersen Johnson, and we’ll find the flaws. We’re on your side.

How do I know if I really need a lawyer?

If you can answer “yes” to any of the following questions, you really do need a lawyer.

1. Have I been arrested for a DUI?
2. Have I been involved in a car, motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian or commercial truck accident?
3. Have I been personally injured at work, from a dog bite, suffered a ‘slip and fall’ or been injured on someone else’s premises?

Insurance companies might try to settle with you by offering you a cash payment far less than what you actually deserve based on your injuries.  Don’t talk to them.  An attorney will protect your rights and will be on YOUR side. It make sense to have an expert communicate with insurance companies on your behalf and “have your back” so you receive every dollar you deserve.

It’s the job of insurance companies to save as much money as possible, and they do that by attempting to settle with you directly and quickly before you have a chance to find representation.  Don’t let them intimidate you with dollar signs and convince you that a quick fix can be had if you only sign a settlement agreement.  A good attorney will review your case and work directly with the insurance companies on your behalf, saving you the time of learning the lingo and understanding every minute detail of the law and how it applies to your situation.

You might be thinking, “I’m not an ambulance chaser, and I don’t want to appear like I’m taking advantage of anyone.”  Because we deal with insurance companies every day, we get it.  We know what’s fair and reasonable, and what isn’t.  We will fight for you and for what you deserve.

Our attorneys understand how you’re feeling and the stress associated with it.  We’re here for you 24 hours a day.  Give us a ring, and let’s chat.