These Knee Conditions May Prevent You From Properly Standing On One Leg During A DUI Stop
Posted on: 3 October 2018
One of the handful of tasks that a police officer may ask you to perform during a field sobriety test is standing on one leg. This is an easy exercise for the average person, but challenging for someone who has been drinking. A driver who is over the legal limit may struggle to remain upright, cementing the officer's suspicions that the motorist is indeed intoxicated. If you've been stopped and the officer asks you to perform some field sobriety tests, it's important to know that refusing to do so could lead to an arrest. Should you refuse, it's not necessarily because you're intoxicated, however. Something such as standing on one leg could be difficult, painful, or impossible if you have these knee conditions.
Recent Knee Replacement
You can drive as you recover from a knee replacement procedure, but that doesn't mean that you should stand on one leg. The knee that has been replaced with an artificial joint may not yet be strong enough to successfully hold the entire weight of your body, which means that attempting to perform this task during a field sobriety test could actually be detrimental to your new knee.
Torn Meniscus
It's possible to tear your meniscus, a section of cartilage in your knee, through a variety of means. Athletes often suffer meniscus tears, but you can hurt this part of your body during everyday activities if you step awkwardly or stumble. When you have a meniscus tear, you'll experience pain in the knee. And, while you might be able to get around without a cane or other assistive device, you'll notice that your strength and range of motion are compromised. This means that standing on the affected leg during a DUI stop is likely a no-go for you.
ACL Tear
A tear to your anterior cruciate ligament in either knee will dramatically reduce your strength in that affected knee. While it's possible to get around by limping when you have this injury, doing so will cause pain. You can, however, drive a vehicle with a torn ACL. What you won't be able to do is stand on the affected leg during a DUI stop, as you'd lack the power to support yourself and would likely fall over.
Should you refuse the test because of any of these issues, you should hire a DUI attorney and make sure to provide copies of your medical records to him or her to fight any charges that you incur. For more information, reach out to DUI attorneys like the DUI Lawyers of Las Vegas.
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