A drowsy driving lawsuit can be filed by a person who learns that the other individual involved in an accident fell asleep at the wheel or was otherwise distracted due to being tired.
Drowsy driving laws have become increasingly stringent in recent years as a result of the number of people who have been critically hurt or killed in these accidents.
If you have already been hurt in such an accident and believe that the other driver fell asleep at the wheel and was therefore negligent, you could be eligible to pursue a drowsy driving lawsuit.
Likewise, family members who have lost a loved one due to another person falling asleep at the wheel can file a drowsy driving lawsuit as a way to close out this difficult chapter in their life.
Unfortunately, plenty of recent studies illustrate that drowsy driving can be just as dangerous or more dangerous than drunk driving.
Drowsy driving is extremely risky because sleep deprivation has similar impacts on the human body as compared with drinking alcohol.
For example, being awake for 18 hours straight makes a person drive as if they have a blood alcohol level of 0.05.
If a person is awake for a full 24 hours and gets behind the wheel, then it is the same as driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.10.
Both drunk driving and drowsy driving make it nearly impossible to pay attention to the road, which is why legislators have cracked down in recent years.
Many people have had to file a drowsy driving lawsuit after they have been seriously injured because of another person’s reckless behavior.
Legislators in New Jersey, for example, were the first ones in the country to name drowsy driving as a criminal offense, and many other states have followed suit as well.
Driving under the influence of alcohol has long been illegal, but a sleep-deprived driver could be classified as a reckless driver.
This means that in addition to a drowsy driving lawsuit, criminal charges might be applied associated with vehicular homicide.
Preventing drowsy driving is extremely important and is something that all drivers should have as a top priority.
Looking out for red flags is the best way to prevent a drowsy driving accident and resulting drowsy driving lawsuit.
Signs of drowsy driving include heavy eyelids and inability to remember the stretch of road that you just passed down, difficulty focusing, bobbing your head, drifting out of your late, and yawning constantly.
If you start to experience any of these symptoms while operating your car, it is important to pull over and take a nap.
No behavior like this should be taken lightly, as it could contribute to a drowsy driving accident..
If someone you know has already suffered the consequences of a drowsy driving accident because another driver was not paying attention and did not do everything possible to avoid an accident to begin with, this information could be used to file a drowsy driving lawsuit.
The experienced attorneys at McDonald Worley have helped many different injured parties and surviving family members to initiate a drowsy driving lawsuit when it can be shown that another party’s negligent behavior caused the accident to begin with.