Drowsy driving is a negligent driving behavior that can put other drivers on the road at risk of suffering harm. If a person drives while tired, they are much more likely to make mistakes, veer into other lanes, and in general, cause a car accident.
A drowsy driving accident can cause significant damages for the victim, which can include medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. A car accident lawyer with experience in drowsy driving accidents can help you file a drowsy driving accident claim to pursue compensation for damages caused by the at-fault party’s negligence. The drowsy driving accident attorneys at The Russo Firm have decades of experience helping drowsy driving accident victims and can apply that experience to your claim to help you recover compensation.
Why Choose The Russo Firm for Help With Your Drowsy Driving Accident Claim
When you leave your house to drive to work, school, or some other location, you expect other drivers to operate their vehicles with caution to prevent harm. This is because they owe you a duty of care, which is the acceptable standard of behavior that keeps others on the road safe. Drowsy driving breaches that standard of care and can cause significant harm.
At The Russo Firm, we understand the pain and suffering caused by drowsy driving accidents due to our experience helping other victims. Our drowsy driving accident lawyers want to understand the full scope of the impact of the accident through constant communication. They will craft a personalized legal plan that takes into account the full cost of your damages. Contact The Russo Firm today to learn how our drowsy driving accident lawyers can put you in the best position to recover compensation for the full cost of your damages.
The Russo Firm Case Results
Russo Firm drowsy driving lawyers can earn you fair compensation for your damages through settlement negotiations with the at-fault party’s insurance company or a court case. They know the tricks insurance companies will use to deny, devalue, or delay your settlement and can use tactics developed over decades of helping clients to combat these attempts. Our goal is to get you fair compensation for the full cost of your damages, even if that means going to court.
We have a proven track record of earning our clients fair compensation for their damages and can do the same for your drowsing driving accident claim. The following are some of the case results The Russo Firm attorneys have earned for clients:
- $3.3 Million for Car Accident Caused by Drunk Driving
- $2.4 Million for Medical Malpractice Misdiagnosis
- $2 Million for Wrongful Death Trucking Accident
- $1.75 Million Product Liability Jury Award
- $650 Thousand for Car Accident Jury Award
Dangers of Drowsy Driving
Drowsy driving is when a person is fatigued behind the wheel and may fade in and out of attention. It can happen because they have not slept well enough recently or they are affected by drugs and alcohol. Drowsiness affects a person’s ability to drive safely, as it can lower a person’s ability to focus, make sound decisions, and have a fast reaction time. Mistakes made by a drowsy driver can cause a drowsy driving accident that can result in severe injury.
While this may seem like a niche problem, there have been many unassuming drivers at the end of a tragedy because someone was drowsy behind the wheel. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 633 people died due to complications of a drowsy driving accident in 2020.
What Can Cause a Driver to Operate a Vehicle While Drowsy?
There are many conditions that can cause a driver to become drowsy behind the wheel. Some may begin driving and feel fine but experience symptoms of drowsiness in the middle of their commute. The fatigue of a day may finally catch up to them and cause them to become drowsy.
The following are some of the things that can cause a driver to become drowsy:
- Lack of sleep
- Unbalanced sleep schedule
- Untreated sleeping disorders
- Alcohol use
- Drug use
- Use of medication that can cause sleep
- Working for too many hours in a row
Some of the signs that can indicate a driver is drowsy include yawning, heavy eyes, difficulty remembering the route they are driving, and missing exits. A driver that experiences these signs of drowsiness owes it to other drivers on the road to stop driving for the night and get sleep. A failure to do so is a negligent driving behavior that can cause significant damages in a drowsy driving accident.
Fatigue for Working Drivers
Many jobs can cause fatigue for those driving home, but the most at-risk workers for suffering from fatigue behind the wheel are those that drive for a living. This primarily affects truck drivers who transport goods and have to work long, continuous ships to drop off all the required goods.
In most cases, each state has limits on how long truck drivers can work within a specific time frame. However, there may be some employers or workers that falsify logbooks to get away with working longer hours. In that case, a driver may be driving longer than 10 hours a day. Their lack of sleep and continuous driving can cause them to grow fatigued.
A fatigued, drowsy truck driver can cause significant damage to others they share the road with. A large delivery truck is not something that can be stopped easily if the driver makes a mistake. Any negligent behavior behind the wheel, including drowsy driving, can cause widespread damage to many drivers sharing the road with the drowsy truck driver.
Drowsy Driving Accident Injuries
A drowsy driver will not have full mental faculties and can commit negligent driving that can cause a car accident. The impact of a car accident can expose your body to intense pressure and trauma, which can result in a severe injury that can negatively affect your standard of living. You can suffer a severe injury in a drowsy driving accident through whiplash, impact with a hard object, being crushed between two hard objects, or blunt force or penetrating trauma.
The following are some of the severe injuries caused by a drowsy driving accident that you can pursue compensation for:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Soft tissue injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Knee injuries
- Internal injuries
- Infections
- Facial injuries
What to do After a Drowsy Driving Accident Claim
Following a drowsy driving accident, there are certain steps you can take to put yourself in a position to recover from your injuries and receive compensation for damages. You need to prioritize your health by going to the hospital to receive medical treatment. There are also steps that can help prove you were seriously injured and your damages came from the negligence of a drowsy driver. A drowsy driving accident lawyer can assist you by providing a list of steps you should take after a drowsy driving accident.
The following are some of the things you should do after a drowsy driving accident:
- Receive medical treatment for severe injuries caused by the drowsy driving accident
- Take pictures and videos of evidence at the scene of the drowsy driving accident
- Exchange contact information with the drowsy driver and any witnesses
- Notify your insurance company of the drowsy driving accident
- Collect crucial records, like police reports and medical records, that can prove your case
- Write down all the details you can remember from the drowsy driving accident
- Hire a drowsy driving accident lawyer
Filing a Drowsy Driving Accident Claim
In most cases, the drowsy driver is the liable party in a drowsy driving accident claim due to the negligent behavior that caused the motor vehicle accident. One may assume an employer can be liable for keeping a driver on the road past deadlines or while drowsy, but those cases have been dismissed in court in the past.
A drowsy driving accident lawyer can help you sort through the liable party to file the claim with. Most states operate under the theory of negligence, which means you cannot recover compensation unless you prove the fault of the drowsy driver.
Your drowsy driving accident attorney can help you collect evidence to prove the following:
- The drowsy driver owed you a duty of care
- The duty of care was breached through drowsy driving
- You received damages from the drowsy driving accident
- The drowsy driver’s breach of duty of care caused your damages
With the help of a drowsy driving attorney, you can collect evidence that can help to prove the at-fault party’s negligence. Some of the evidence that can be used to prove liability in a drowsy driving accident claim include photographic evidence, evidence from the scene of the accident, vehicle accident reconstructions, medical records, police reports, and insurance statements.
Damages in a Drowsy Driving Accident Claim
You can pursue compensation for damages caused by a drowsy driver’s negligence through a drowsy driving accident claim. Damages are losses caused by the at-fault party’s negligence. A drowsy driving accident lawyer can help you assess current and future damages by looking at your medical records and insurance statements and speaking to medical experts to determine what cost you may incur later in life.
A drowsy driving accident lawyer can help you recover current and future economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are those with a monetary value attached to them and mostly include bills. Examples of economic damages include medical bills, lost wages, and lost earning potential. Non-economic damages are those without a specific monetary value that reflects how your standard of living was affected by the drowsy driver’s negligence. These can include mental anguish, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.
The following are some of the car accident damages you can pursue compensation for in a drowsy driving accident claim:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
- Disability costs
- Property damage
- Mental anguish
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of society
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of consortium
How Can a Car Accident Claim Help With Your Drowsy Driving Accident Claim?
If you decide to handle your accident claim on your own, you may make a mistake that can hurt your ability to recover full compensation. Hiring a car accident lawyer can help maximize your potential compensation, as they will know what steps to take at the right time. They will send records, handle discovery, and negotiate the claim properly and at the right time. A drowsy driving accident lawyer can also take the pressure of the claim off your shoulders and allow you to focus on your medical recovery rather than negotiating a settlement without experience.
The following are some of the ways a drowsy driving accident attorney can help with your case:
- Assess your drowsy driving accident damages
- Determine which party drove drowsy and caused the car crash
- Send a demand letter to the drowsy driver’s insurer
- Collect evidence and important records to prove the drowsy driver’s liability
- Interview witnesses and experts that can strengthen your drowsy driving accident case
- Negotiate a settlement with the drowsy driver’s insurance company
- Represent you in a drowsy driving accident lawsuit court case
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Your Drowsy Driving Accident Claim
At The Russo Firm, our car accident lawyers have specific experience helping victims of drowsy driving accidents pursue compensation for damages. We have the experience and expertise necessary to handle the claims process properly and put you in the best position to receive full compensation for drowsy driving damages. Our drowsy driving accident lawyers will invest their time and resources into your claim and give you the personalized legal counsel necessary to have a successful auto accident claim.
If you were involved in a drowsy driving accident, you could get a free consultation with the Russo Law Firm’s drowsy driving accident lawyers to see how they can help you recover compensation for your damages. Contact us at (561) 270-0913 or leave a message on our online contact page.