Following a car accident caused by drowsy driving in Boston, it’s crucial to enlist the help of a skilled Boston car accident lawyer who can investigate the circumstances and advocate for your rights, holding the negligent party accountable for their actions.
When dealing with the aftermath of a personal injury in Boston, having a compassionate Boston personal injury lawyer by your side can provide invaluable support and legal guidance, ensuring you receive the compensation and justice you deserve.
Drowsiness can affect you physically in some of the same ways as drinking or taking drugs, and driving in those conditions increases the likelihood of causing an accident. You might injure yourself or someone else.
Unfortunately, many people overestimate their ability to focus when they’re drowsy and get behind the wheel, causing car accidents, truck accidents, or motorcycle accidents. If you sustain injuries in a collision caused by a drowsy driver, Better Phone Stone ®. Jason Stone Injury Lawyers will help you with your personal injury claim and fight to get you the compensation that you deserve.
What Are the Effects of Drowsy Driving?
According to the Centers for Disease Control, drowsy driving causes around 6,000 fatal traffic collisions every year in the U.S. Lack of sleep, extreme exertion, shift work, medications, alcohol consumption, sleep disorders, and other factors can contribute to drowsiness. Physically, drowsiness can:
- Make you fall asleep
- Cause trouble with concentrating
- Impair judgment
- Delay reaction times
- Blur vision
- Cause forgetfulness and short-term memory problems
Driving while drowsy can have catastrophic consequences. These drivers might:
- Fall asleep at the wheel
- Drift between lanes or run off the road
- Speed up or slow down erratically
- Run red lights or stop signs
- Follow too closely behind the car in front of them
Drowsy driving is negligent behavior because drivers should understand that they can’t operate a moving vehicle safely in that condition. Those injured by drowsy drivers deserve compensation, and many of them contact Jason Stone Injury Lawyers for help with their cases.
What Is Negligent Driving?
Every driver should follow safe driving practices when they are behind the wheel to reduce the chances of causing an accident. Unsafe behaviors while driving are negligent. Besides drowsy driving, there are several other forms of negligent driving:
- Distracted driving
- Failure to adhere to traffic laws
- Not yielding the right of way
- Speeding
- Aggressive or reckless driving
- Driving while drinking or taking mind-altering drugs, including prescription medications
- Tailgating
People should know that any of these behaviors can cause an accident and injure others. Because they know it’s unsafe but do it anyway, it’s negligent.
Almost all personal injury claims are based on negligence, but proving it can be challenging. Although you can attempt to handle your claim alone, you’re not likely to recover much compensation. Hiring an attorney can not only give you peace of mind, but it can also increase how much money you receive.
When Do Most Drowsy Driving Accidents Happen?
Although people can drive while drowsy at all hours, most of these wrecks occur at night. Darkness can increase a person’s drowsiness, and the later it gets, the more likely you are to get drowsy. There are several warning signs that you are too drowsy to drive safely. If you experience any of these, you shouldn’t drive:
- Drifting into another traffic lane
- Driving over rumble strips on the side of the road
- Forgetting where you’ve recently driven
- Frequent blinking or yawning
- Missing a turn or exit
- Watery eyes that aren’t due to allergies or crying
Those who work the night shift and commercial drivers are more likely to drive while drowsy than other people. Although driving home after the night shift is unavoidable, many commercial drivers intentionally drive while fatigued.
If you see a vehicle lazily drifting all over the road or erratically changing speeds, it’s good to give it a wide berth. The chances are that the driver is drowsy and likely to cause a collision.
Why Do Truckers Experience Fatigue?
Driving a semi-truck is hard work. The truck’s weight and dimensions make it difficult to maneuver, and long hours behind the wheel can be exhausting. That’s why federal restrictions dictate the maximum number of hours truckers can drive and mandatory rest periods between shifts.
Unfortunately, truckers moving freight have deadlines to meet. They must deliver their cargo at specific times or risk paying detention fees. Trucking companies sometimes force their drivers to work past mandated shift limits to meet those deadlines, even though the drivers are too fatigued to drive safely. Drowsy driving causes many truck accidents. If you were hit by a drowsy truck driver and sustained injuries, your insurance claim will likely be complex. Personal injury cases involving trucks can include the driver, the freight company, truck maintenance technicians, parts manufacturers, or those who loaded the cargo.
Each of these entities will have liability insurance, and every company will likely point the finger at another party to avoid paying a claim. Fortunately, Jason Stone Injury Lawyers know how to untangle this web. We will:
- Obtain the truck driver’s service log
- Get the trucker’s cell phone records
- Examine accident scene evidence and police reports
- Speak to witnesses and others involved in the crash
- Request truck service and maintenance records
Using the evidence we obtain, your drowsy driving accident lawyer can show that the trucker’s drowsy driving caused your accident and injuries.
Does Drowsy Driving Cause Motorcycle Accidents?
Bikers need to be extremely alert to control and operate their motorcycles safely. Not only do they need to focus on the road, but they must also maintain their balance. Because they’re not enclosed in a passenger compartment, bikers are exposed to the elements like wind and rain. Debris or minor roadway flaws that wouldn’t create issues for a car or truck can have a devastating effect on bikers.
Because one of the effects of drowsiness is difficulty concentrating or focusing, drowsy driving poses additional risks to bikers. On the other side of the coin, motorcyclists hit by drowsy drivers can receive severe injuries because of their lack of protection. These riders deserve compensation.
Do You Know What To Do After an Accident?
Whether you’re in a car accident, truck accident, or motorcycle accident, you can do several things while you’re at the scene to safeguard your health and increase your chances of obtaining compensation for your injuries.
Assist the Injured
First and foremost, people’s lives are your first priority. If your injuries don’t prevent it, try to administer first aid to other people injured in the crash.
Call the Police
It’s vital that police and other first responders come to the scene of your accident. Police officers will make an official report that includes critical information. Paramedics assess injuries and provide emergency medical treatment and transportation to a hospital if needed.
Gather Evidence
Your attorney and insurance company investigators will all look for evidence in your case, and you have an advantage in obtaining it because you are there. You should take photos and videos of:
- The entire accident scene
- Your injuries
- Other people’s injuries
- Vehicle placement and damage
- Witness statements
- Road conditions, including skid marks
- Weather conditions
If you suspect another driver of drowsy driving, photos and videos showing their condition can be invaluable.
Accept Medical Assistance
People often mistakenly assume that their injuries aren’t severe and refuse the attention of medical personnel dispatched to the accident scene. This mistake can have grave consequences. Many injuries aren’t apparent initially, including whiplash and internal bleeding. If you don’t allow an examination, these untreated injuries can worsen and become life-threatening. Your medical condition immediately after an accident is also vital evidence in your personal injury claim. Your attorney will use that documentation to prove that you received your injuries in the collision.
Contact an Attorney
You have up to three years to file a personal injury claim, but hiring a lawyer immediately has several benefits. We can:
- File your insurance claim and be your spokesperson with any company representatives
- Submit other needed paperwork
- Advise you on all aspects of your claim and help you make informed decisions
- Perform a complete investigation and gather evidence to support your claim
- Negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf
- Take your case to trial if a fair settlement isn’t reached
Are You Interested in Hiring Jason Stone Injury Lawyers?
Since 2004, our firm has won over $60 million for our satisfied clients. We focus solely on personal injury law, so we know how to win these cases. We are so confident in our abilities that we give every client our Stone Cold Guarantee ®. During the claims process, you’ll receive compassionate, personal attention, beginning with your free case evaluation. Our attorney will go over the circumstances surrounding your accident and injuries and give you advice when we talk, but you don’t have to hire us. There’s No Obligation, Just Information ®. We believe that everyone deserves the chance to get pertinent legal advice that is specific to their situation. You can contact us 24/7 using live chat, call us at (800) 577-5188, or fill out our online case evaluation request form. We’ll set up a video call or in-person appointment so we can start working on your case. Victims of car accidents, truck accidents, and motorcycle accidents can count on Jason Stone Injury Lawyers to provide competent legal representation.
Not Trusting What You’re Being Told?
Better Phone Stone
800-577-5188
START MY NO OBLIGATION CONSULTATION
