Drowsy Driving Accidents
Legal Assistance for People Seriously Injured in Washington Car Accidents Caused by a Driver who Fell Asleep at the Wheel
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or disabled in a Washington car accident caused by a driver who fell asleep at the wheel, you may have legal questions. The Farber Law Group, a Bellevue personal injury legal practice, may be of assistance to you.
Accidents Caused by Drowsy Drivers
One of the leading causes of motor vehicle accidents is drivers who are so fatigued and sleep-deprived that they are driving drowsy or drivers fall asleep at the wheel and cause an auto accident.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates that every year 100,000 motor vehicle accidents are caused by drivers who fall asleep at the wheel, and 4% of all fatal car accidents are caused by drowsy drivers. These accidents result in nearly 1,550 fatalities and 40,000 injuries per year.
Drowsy Driving Statistics
According to the Sleep Medicine division at Harvard Medical School, approximately 250,000 drivers each day fall asleep while driving. One national poll revealed that 54% of adult drivers admit driving while sleep fatigued, and 28% admit to falling asleep at the wheel at least once.
Effects of Drowsy Driving
The effects of driving while drowsy are very similar to driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In fact, one study found that driving after being awake for 17 to 18 hours is equivalent to driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.05%.
Sleep deprivation is known to:
Impair coordination
Slow reaction times
Impair judgment
Decrease vision
Drowsy Driving Accidents Caused by Semi-Truck Drivers
Drowsy driving in the trucking industry is a problem that the government tries to solve by placing limits on how long a trucker can drive in a day. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration finds that many semi-truck accidents are caused by sleep deprivation. One survey found that 47.1% of long-haul truck drivers admit to falling asleep at the wheel on one occasion.
Professional drivers are affected by driving schedules and workload. Commercial drivers (CDL) are the largest at-risk group for sleep-related motor vehicle accidents, and working the night shift, long work schedules, and other problems such as sleep apnea can increase the likelihood of a sleep-related trucking accident. Semi-truck drivers are allowed by law to drive up to 11 hours at a stretch or up to 77 hours in a 7 day period. Some drivers and companies violate work restriction regulations and operate longer than is permitted.
Drowsy semi-truck drivers should be a concern for all; when a 10,000 pound 18-wheeler is involved in an accident with a passenger vehicle, the occupants of the car will most likely be the ones seriously injured, disabled, or killed. In fact, in 98% of the semi-truck vs. passenger vehicle accidents in which there is a death, the person killed was in the passenger vehicle.
Your Rights
If you were seriously injured or have had a loved one killed due to a motor vehicle accident in which drowsy driving, sleep deprivation, or falling asleep at the wheel was a factor, you may be entitled to file a claim for your damages. If a professional driver was involved, you may have a claim against the driver's employer.
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Your Case is Important to Us - Free Consultation
Herb Farber and the attorneys in the network of The Farber Law Group provide a free case consultation to people seriously injured in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. If your injuries are serious and you cannot come to see us, we can arrange to visit you at Harborview Medical Center, Overlake Hospital Emergency & Trauma Center, Evergreen Hospital, or one of the other trauma centers throughout the state. We have represented injured victims for more than 45 years and we believe every injured person should have access to legal advice. For your Free and Confidential consultation, contact us today at (800) 244-9087.