Medical Attention Following a Mecklenburg County DUI

If you need medical attention after a DUI arrest, you should receive that healthcare as needed. Law enforcement officers will consult emergency medical technicians and defer to the opinion of those professionals if the need to address a driver’s medical condition is urgent. If there has been a crash and you have received injuries that require urgent attention, you might be sent to the hospital before the officer is able to fully conduct a DUI investigation.

If you required medical attention following a Mecklenburg County DUI, you should disclose that information to your attorney. If you did not receive medical attention due to police detention or incarceration, there may have been errors in any field sobriety tests or breathalyzer and blood tests. If you have been injured following a DUI or have an ongoing medical condition that may affect the outcomes of intoxication tests, you have a right to medical attention. Call a dedicated DUI lawyer to learn more.

Importance of Seeking Medical Care

Depending on the circumstances of what caused the need for medical attention, the lack of medical attention or care to the individual could have a significant impact on the performance of field sobriety tests. When someone is not healthy, they may be unable to perform field sobriety tests successfully whether or not they are sober.

Medical conditions or needs that are left unattended could affect the results of any blood or breath analysis as well. Because of those significant issues, it is imperative that one inform their attorney of any circumstances where they did not receive medical attention following a DUI in Mecklenburg County.

Additionally, if a driver requires mental health stabilization or has a diagnosed or suspected mental illness, they may require treatment in a hospital. If a driver is incarcerated but requires emergency mental health treatment or continuing treatment, a lawyer may be able to argue that the accused needs emergency mental healthcare or observation with the help of the driver’s mental health treatment team.

How Medical Attention Can Impact a DUI Case

A defense attorney could determine from the facts surrounding an injury and how soon someone was cared for depending on each incident and defense. If someone is asked to perform field sobriety tests and they are suffering from a condition which requires medical attention, it may call into question the reliability or the abilities of someone to perform the field sobriety tests even if they were sober. Someone with unattended medical needs could have altered chemical outcomes to tests as well.

There is generally no harm to receiving medical attention after a DUI except that at a hospital, the police may request a blood sample be taken and tested for drugs and alcohol. However, a search warrant should be required to take that sample. A potential blood test should not prevent a driver from receiving necessary treatment as it may exacerbate possible injuries or existing conditions.

If law enforcement or emergency medical services suggest that a driver needs medical attention after a Mecklenburg County DUI, but they feel it is unnecessary, they are within their rights to decline to be treated. A defense lawyer will not advocate for treatment or refusal of treatment as the decision is wholly up to the driver and their best interests.

Call a Mecklenburg County Lawyer About Medical Attention Following a DUI

If you have been charged with a DUI, it is essential that you contact an accomplished lawyer as soon as possible to begin working on your defense. If you received medical attention as part of a DUI, it is imperative you share that information with your attorney as it could impact your case. For more information about seeking medical attention following a Mecklenburg County DUI, reach out to a dedicated attorney today.