If you have hyperglycemia and were charged with a DUI crime, you might be able to get out of the charges if you can prove that your medical condition made it appear that you were under the influence. Hyperglycemia has symptoms that can appear like a person is drunk, and these symptoms are a result of the effects of high blood-glucose levels. Here are a few things you should know if you were wrongfully charged with a DUI due to hyperglycemia.
What Are the Symptoms of Hyperglycemia?
Hyperglycemia is a health condition that causes a person's blood-glucose levels to be higher than normal. This condition is very common with people who have diabetes and take insulin to control it. If you are diabetic and do not take enough insulin before or after eating, your body will not be able to break down the sugars in it. This leads to high levels of sugars in your body and bloodstream, and this can leave you with the following symptoms:
- slurred speech
- blurred vision
- confusion
- fatigue
- trouble concentrating
These symptoms are all very similar to the symptoms people can experience if they are drunk. Because of this, a police officer that pulled you over may have suspected you were drinking. If so, the officer may have asked you to complete a sobriety field test. This is a test that involves walking in a straight line and touching your nose with your finger. There are numerous other steps involved with this too, but every part of the test may be difficult to do when your blood-glucose level is really high.
Can Hyperglycemia Affect Breathalyzer Results?
The second thing you should be aware of is the effects hyperglycemia can have on the results of a breathalyzer test. If the police officer that pulled you over suspected you were drinking and if you did not pass the field test, he or she may have made you take a breathalyzer test to determine if you were drinking and to see what the level of alcohol was in your body.
When a person has hyperglycemia, the results of breathalyzers can be inaccurate. This occurs because a person with hyperglycemia may have something called ketosis in his or her body. This is something that produces acetone, which registers the same as alcohol on a breathalyzer. Ketosis can even make a person's breath smell similar to alcohol.
All of these factors could make it appear as though you were drunk when you were pulled over. If you had not been drinking but were struggling with the symptoms of your hyperglycemia, you will need to talk to a DUI lawyer about your situation.
How Can You Prove This?
One of the hardest parts of proving a case like this is demonstrating that you were experiencing side-effects of your hyperglycemia when you were pulled over, and this can be hard to do. The best thing you can do is get documented proof from your doctor that you have this condition. You may also want to ask the doctor for a report that states other factors about your medical history. Once you have this information, give it to your lawyer.
Your lawyer will use this defense strategy to try to get the charges dropped. If your lawyer can prove to the court that you have this condition and that it affects you often, the court might drop the charges against you.
Facing a DUI charge can be scary, especially if you believe that you were wrongfully charged. If you would like to get help for your charge, contact a firm like Hart Law Offices, PC.