Medical Attention Following a Lexington DUI

After a person is arrested for a DUI, under certain circumstances they could receive medical attention. Generally, if there was an accident, the driver will get medical care. If there was no accident but the person is injured, they could still seek medical attention following a Lexington DUI. The driver could request medical care or the officer at the scene could make that determination.

Read below to learn more about getting medical care after a DUI in Lexington. And if you have any questions, contact a knowledgeable DUI attorney today.

How a Police Officer Determines if a Person Needs Medical Attention

If the driver has obvious physical injuries, the officer will call for an ambulance. If the person tells the officer they have certain injuries or certain medical conditions, the officer has to make a judgment call about whether to call an ambulance or to take the individual to the hospital if those injuries are not readily apparent.

Not Receiving Medical Attention Can Factor in a Defense

A defense attorney could use the fact that a person did not receive medical attention following a DUI as a defense. If someone had a traumatic injury, such as hitting their head in the wreck, and they did not receive certain medical attention evaluations, it could be a situation for making a motion to suppress the field sobriety test because their equilibrium could have been thrown off from a head injury.

If the individual has a severe injury, the horizontal gaze nystagmus results should be considered incorrect, called into question, or excluded based on challenging the accuracy of those results. If the person had an injured leg, their ability to do a walk and turn or a one-leg stand will be significantly impaired.

Getting injured or medical attention after a DUI is crucial to a case. The defense attorney will review, analyze, and determine whether there are appropriate arguments to be made and whether a motion to suppress certain evidence should be presented.

Pros and Cons of Getting Medical Care After a DUI

Getting medical attention following a Lexington DUI could help and hurt a person’s case. Sometimes during medical attention, there is additional evidence that could be presented. For example, an EMT report could support or corroborate the investigating officers’ observations that the person smelled of alcohol, had an odor of alcohol, slurred their speech, or was intoxicated.

Many times, in these medical reports and EMT reports, they put their opinion as to the level of intoxication. Having someone receive medical attention could generate additional reports and evidence that could be used against them later, like additional witnesses that could be called to testify at their trial against them.

A person could refuse to get medical care if they do not want to. That being said, health is a priority, so an injured person should always seek medical attention.

Call a Lexington Lawyer About Getting Medical Attention Following a DUI

It is crucial for a defense lawyer to know if a person does not receive medical attention when they should have for several reasons. An injury could explain why the person was not able to perform the field sobriety tests to satisfaction. An injured individual’s breath test could also be impacted due to an injury, such as if they had blood in their mouth.

The defense attorney could investigate a potential medical issue, obtain any of the medical records that were available, and make arguments as to why medical attention was sought by the officer. If you have any questions about medical attention following a Lexington DUI and your rights, call an accomplished lawyer today.