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Drowsy Driving and Its Legal Consequences

point of view through a driver's windshield of a truck rolled over due to a drowsy driving accident

It’s not uncommon for a driver to feel drowsy behind the wheel. In the fast-paced, busy worlds we live in, sleep deprivation has become a global epidemic. Driving back home from work is especially a difficult feat to accomplish when all you want is a shut eye. Drowsy driving has become one of the top killers in vehicular accidents and the statistics associated are sobering. Falling asleep behind the wheel has dreadful consequences which can lead to the loss of life, injury, and damage to property.

In fact, drowsy driving might even be more dangerous than drunk driving or driving under influence. That’s because when you’re driving under influence, your reaction time is slow but not completely absent. There’s still a chance that you can save yourself from a horrendous crash incident. But when you’re drowsy driving, your reaction time isn’t just slowed down; it’s completely absent!

When you’re feeling sleepy, you could transiently fall asleep behind the wheel and that’s when most of the danger happens. You could completely lose control of your vehicle and it might be too late to save yourself from the accident.

Not only does drowsy driving considerably reduce your reaction time to non-existent values, you’re also unable to make sound judgments. This means you could be breaking traffic lights and other rules without even acknowledging them.

Many drivers try to keep themselves awake by taking caffeine, rolling down the windows, or turning up the radio but these preventive measures aren’t always successful. Drowsy driving claims hundreds to thousands of lives every year and it all boils down to one thing: negligence.

If you’ve recently been victim to a vehicular or roadside accident where the other driver was admittedly drowsy and negligent in his driving, you could file a case and receive financial compensation of the consequences of the accident. Drowsy driving can lead to severe injuries and accidents that can result in a load of medical bills and expenses. A case against the negligent driver, represented by a professional car accident attorney, might be your best option.

Drowsy Truck and Commercial Vehicle Driving

What’s worse than falling asleep behind the wheel of a car is falling asleep behind the wheel of a truck. Commercial trucks and loaders usually operate all day and night around with the drivers in the night-shift suffering the most from sleep deprivation. We’ve seen it happen on the TV, we’ve seen it happen to someone in real life – drowsy commercial drivers pose a serious threat to everyone around them.

Truck accidents are usually much more fatal than car accidents and can result in a tremendous amount of financial and emotional loss. It’s important for commercial drivers to be extra vigilant and abide by the rules of the state that limit shift lengths. When drivers and the concerned companies fail to obey the rules, accidents happen.

Talk to an Experienced Clearwater Car Accident Lawyer Today

The Fran Haasch Law Group has been representing car accident cases for decades across our entire legal team. Our Clearwater car accident attorneys are well-versed in the entire legal process required to produce a convincing case against drowsy driving. Call us now at (727) 784-8191 and get yourself a free case evaluation today!

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