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Drowsy driving is a frequent cause of serious car accidents in the United States in general and Orlando in particular. If you are involved in a drowsiness-related accident and have a bodily or psychological injury, you may be able to receive compensation. Contact our lawyer immediately for advice on how to handle and obtain compensation or restitution. Your initial consultation with our Orlando Driver Fatigue Accident Lawyer will be completely free of charge. Our attorney will review your case in detail and help you develop a strategy for obtaining compensation from insurers and at-fault drivers.

Orlando Driver Fatigue Accident Lawyer

The U.S. Department of Transportation regulates driver travel rules to minimize driver fatigue. There are various times during which a driver is required to stop and rest. Drivers of commercial vehicles must carefully record their driving hours to prevent drowsy driving. Failure to comply with these rules can result in the seizure and revocation of one’s driver’s license, as well as hefty fines. Transportation companies, including those in Orlando, must monitor their drivers to ensure that they are driving at the appropriate times, thereby preventing drowsy driving accidents.

Unfortunately, as practice shows, transportation companies do not always comply with driver monitoring requirements. This leads to a mass occurrence of drowsy driving accidents. A lack of time logs is just the tip of the iceberg of transportation company violations. Driver fatigue caused by extensive hours behind the wheel is recorded everywhere. If you or your trucking company have been involved in an accident caused by drowsiness in Orlando, we recommend that you contact an attorney and get advice on your next steps.

Drowsiness Affects Your Ability to Drive

Transportation companies are tasked with getting goods to the recipient as quickly as possible. The driver must work within tight timeframes to meet deadlines. However, it is not always possible to adhere to this rule—a situation that can result in driver fatigue. Many transportation companies put the lives and health of their drivers at risk by promising bonuses and premiums for the prompt delivery of goods. Therefore, drivers do not respect speed limits or time intervals, which causes fatigue-related accidents, including in Orlando.

By analyzing their cases, our attorneys can reveal the main causes of Orlando auto accidents caused by driver fatigue.

Tight delivery times. A transportation company’s manager sets a minimum delivery time for the driver, causing that driver to break the speed limit and the requirements mandating the time he or she is allowed to drive.
Pressure from the manager and supervisor of the transport company. The person in charge pressures the driver to deliver the shipment quickly, which results in driver fatigue and a depressed state of mind.
Medical factors. Not all drivers are capable of enduring long trips. This can lead to health problems and, in turn, drowsy driving accidents.
Driver inexperience. A person who has never driven a car on their own and who has not had any training can get into an accident because of drowsy driving on their first trip.

In some transportation companies, the staff turnover rate is 100%. This means that more truck drivers are being driven away than hired and trained accordingly. Inexperienced drivers often go beyond their physical capabilities and end up causing, and becoming victims of, Florida drowsy driving accidents.

Driver Fatigue Car Accident FAQ

What should a person with signs of driver fatigue do? What is the right course of action to minimize your risks and get the compensation you deserve? Our experienced attorneys are here to answer your drowsy driving questions in Orlando.

How Many Accidents Are Caused by Drowsy Driving?

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), more than 100,000 car crashes are caused by drowsy driving in the United States each year. In particular, accidents related to driver fatigue have injured at least 71,000 people and led to the deaths of 1,550 people. According to generalized data from AAA, drowsy driving accidents account for about 9.5% of reported motor vehicle crashes. However, it is very difficult to calculate the exact number of accidents caused by driver fatigue, as the signs of driver fatigue can also be interpreted as indicating an alcoholic state, including post-syndromic intoxication.

What Are the Warning Signs of Drowsy Driving?

Following are the signs of fatigue:

Excessive yawning,
Eyes closing heavily,
Wandering thoughts,
Crossing the center line of the road or pulling over to the side of the road.

To reduce the risk of an accident, if you are experiencing these symptoms, you should stop your car and rest for a while.

What Causes Fatigue While Driving?

When fatigue occurs, the body signals the person to stop or significantly reduce the intensity of work. After about five hours behind the wheel, a driver’s body gives the first signal of danger. The highest number of car crashes occurs when the driver is behind the wheel for eight or nine hours without a break. Drowsiness and falling asleep are the determining factors that indicate fatigue. You should stop every four to five hours to rest. A tired driver is a major factor in fatal car accidents.

Florida Drowsy Driving Accidents—The Cost of Driving While Fatigued

According to official figures, in 2019 alone, 697 deaths in the United States were the result of drowsy driving. However, the exact number of deaths related to drowsy driving is difficult to calculate because secondary factors influence the aftermath of a car accident. These factors include drunk driving, driving under the influence of drugs, and taking medications. The police refer to these categories of accidents as “drunk driving,” etc. Drowsy driving researchers believe that government agencies underreport accidents in the “drowsy driving” category by redistributing the cases to other areas. The consequences of such crashes include severe injuries and long-term medical treatment, for which additional funds must be allocated. Keep all your medical bills and contact our attorneys to receive help in drafting compensation claims.

Drowsy Driving Accident Lawsuits

All drowsy driving accident lawsuit claims will be settled first with the insurance company. If you have been injured or lost your job, an attorney will help draft a claim to your insurer for reimbursement for medical treatment and rehabilitation expenses. If the transportation company is proven to be at fault, our attorney will help draw up a claim against the owner of the business responsible for the car crash involving signs of drowsy driving.

References and Resources:

https://www.anidjarlevine.com/areas-we-serve/florida/car-accident-lawyer/driver-fatigue/

https://www.thefloridafirm.com/florida-car-accident-lawyers/#driver

https://www.southfloridainjurylawyerblog.com/liability-in-drowsy-driving-florida-car-accidents/

https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/drowsy-driving-statistics/

https://www.enjuris.com/blog/resources/falling-asleep-while-driving/