After a great night’s rest, you wake up feeling well-rested and ready to take on the day. However, your day can quickly turn upside down when you’re struck by a driver asleep at the wheel. If you’ve been injured by a driver suffering from sleep deprivation, you don’t have to accept the injuries as a side-effect of an unfortunate accident. Keep reading to learn more about the dangers of exhaustion when driving and how a Kaufman County, Texas car accident lawyer can help you navigate your personal injury claim.
What Happens to a Driver When They Face Sleep Deprivation?
When a driver gets behind the wheel when exhausted, they are not only putting themself at risk, but they’re endangering everyone else on the road.
Studies show that someone who has not slept for 20 hours is equivalent to a driver getting behind the wheel with a BAC of 0.08%, which is the legal intoxication limit. This is because sleep deprivation has similar side effects as alcohol consumption.
Unfortunately, many feel it is impossible to receive enough sleep at night, leaving them exhausted before commuting to work in the morning. This means drowsy drivers are on the road, leading to drifting out of lanes, falling asleep behind the wheel, and having a slower reaction time to hazards on the road. This can lead to accidents, injuries, and in some cases, death.
What Should I Do if I’m Injured by a Drowsy Driver?
When you are injured by a sleep-deprived driver, ensuring you take the necessary precautions to protect yourself is crucial. Immediately following an accident, you should request the necessary emergency medical attention to treat any injury you’ve sustained. If you do not require immediate care, you should visit your regular doctor as soon as possible to receive care. Unfortunately, there are a number of medical issues that may not manifest immediately, such as concussions or back injuries.
Once you’ve received medical attention on the scene, you’ll need to take photos and videos of the accident you were involved in. This can provide valuable evidence to help support your case in a personal injury lawsuit. You may also want to talk to local homeowners and businesses to obtain security footage of the accident.
You should also talk with witnesses as they can provide additional insight into the moments leading up to the collision. For example, they may be able to attest to the fact that the driver had their eyes closed before the accident occurred.
When you’re facing the impact of a drowsy driver, the Law Office of Harrell & Paulson is here to help. We understand the catastrophic effects of these accidents and will do everything in our power to help you navigate this process to get the justice you deserve. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.
