Asleep At The Wheel Accidents
We hold irresponsible drivers accountable
It could be very late at night or early in the morning. You’re driving along when suddenly, the vehicle in the opposite travel lane veers into your space without any sign of slowing down.
The full force of their SUV, pickup truck, or sedan slams into you, possibly head-on or in a T-bone. And now, your life has been turned upside down.
Car accidents with drivers who fall asleep at the wheel often cause serious injuries that can take a lot of time, commitment, and money to properly heal.
Hoover Rogers Law, LLP handles the legal process to get injured accident victims the money they deserve. We investigate the accident, present strong evidence, and negotiate aggressively to get compensation for medical expenses and other damages. If you’ve been hurt, contact us today for a free case consultation.
Drowsy driving is a huge problem in Texas and nationally
Texas struggles with a high rate of drowsy driving accidents. Drowsy driving on Texas highways and interstates causes dozens of deaths every year.
Across the United States, roughly 1 in 4 adults report insufficient sleep, so it should come as no surprise that thousands of deaths are attributed to drowsy driving. Nationally, more than 90,000 car accidents involve fatigued drivers every year. Of those crashes, about 50,000 result in injuries.
Common factors among asleep at the wheel accidents include:
- Time – Most fatigued driving accidents happen between midnight and 6 a.m. or in the late afternoon.
- Solo driver – Drowsy driving accidents are often caused by vehicles where the driver is the only occupant of the at-fault vehicle. Having other people in a vehicle may keep the driver awake or their insistence may encourage a driver to stop and rest.
- Roadway – Asleep at the wheel accidents are most likely to happen on long, uninterrupted stretches of roadway, like rural roads and highways.
Drowsy driving is impaired driving
Getting behind the wheel too tired to drive is a form of impaired driving. In fact, studies say that driving after going 20 hours without sleep is comparable to driving with a .08 blood alcohol content (BAC), the legal threshold for drunk driving.
Falling asleep at the wheel, also known as fatigued or drowsy driving, is dangerous for several reasons. Drowsy drivers have:
- Slower reaction time and less awareness of hazards
- Difficulty paying attention to the road
- Blurred vision, tired eyes
- Difficulty staying inside marked lanes
- Little control over speed
Actually falling asleep at the wheel is, of course, incredibly dangerous. Sleeping drivers may drift into the oncoming lane, and they may not even hit the brakes before impact.
Keep in mind that a driver doesn’t need to fall asleep at the wheel for very long to cause a bad accident. During a 4-5 second “microsleep,” a driver going 55 mph will have traveled the length of a football field with their eyes closed.
Learn how the law applies to your accident
If you have been injured in a car accident with a driver who fell asleep at the wheel, it is important that you understand your right to compensation. Hoover Rogers Law offers free injury case evaluations.
During the evaluation, a member of our legal team will listen to the details of your accident and injuries. We can explain how the law applies to your situation, the value of your claim, and your legal options.
Our attorneys represent people injured due to the negligence of others for a contingency fee. This means that our fee is covered by the at-fault parties and their insurance companies — not you. If we don’t win, we don’t get paid.
There is a deadline to file insurance claims and civil lawsuits. Don’t delay. Contact Hoover Rogers Law, LLP now to schedule your free injury case evaluation.