Sleepy Driver Auto Accidents Manhattan, New York

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Auto accidents caused by sleepy drivers can have catastrophic consequences.  Up to 3 percent of all auto accident highway crashes and about 4 percent of all fatal car accident crashes are due to driver sleepiness. Medical testing has shown that sleep is such a strong biological need that, even among the most highly trained and motivated professional drivers, the brain can and will initiate sleep at its will.

Fortunately, the personal injury attorneys of Proner & Proner are experienced in representing pedestrians and drivers who were injured in sleepy-driver auto accidents in Manhattan and all of New York.

Causes of Sleep-related Auto Accidents

There are many common causes for sleep-related auto accidents, including:

People with Sleep Disorders

People with sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and chronic insomnia are at particularly high risk of being involved in sleep-related auto accidents.  The drivers who have such sleep disorders and fail to exercise exceptional caution while operating a motor vehicle can cause massive car accidents, possibly resulting in traumatic brain injury to or even the death of innocent victims.  If you or a loved one has been injured by a driver with a sleep disorder, the auto accident attorneys of Proner & Proner can help. Our lawyers represent victims of sleepy-driver auto accidents from Manhattan and throughout New York.

Young Drivers  

Young drivers are also at higher risk of being involved in sleep-related auto accidents.  The demands of schoolwork and extracurricular activities keep many young drivers from getting sufficient sleep.

Use of Drugs and Alcohol

Drinking alcohol and taking illegal, and even some legal, drugs can result in or intensify sleepiness, increasing the risk of sleep-related auto accidents. Prescription and over-the-counter sleeping pills, opioid analgesics, tricyclic antidepressants, antipsychotics, and certain high blood pressure drugs and muscle relaxants can all cause sleepiness.

Other Accident Causes

Working the night shift or rotating shift can increase risk because it throws the body’s biological clock out of sync and interferes with restful sleep. Not surprisingly, many truck divers cause truck accidents by working late at night or by working long irregular schedules, increasing their risk of being involved in sleep-related auto accidents.

Any of the above causes of a sleep-related accident may result in serious injuries to innocent victims. Our hard-working auto accident attorneys are familiar with these causes and have helped our clients to obtain multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts.

Lowering the Odds of Getting into a Sleep-related Auto Accident

Unfortunately, many drivers ignore the risks of driving while sleepy and needlessly cause auto accidents. There are simple recommended steps to avoid such car crashes:

• get adequate sleep before a trip
• avoid alcohol and other sedating drugs
• avoid driving between midnight and 6 a.m. - the hours the biological clock is usually set for sleep
• see a doctor if daytime sleepiness is a problem

Drivers who feel sleepy while driving often try to open the window to let cold air in, listen to the radio, or take a brief exercise break; however, such measures offer only marginal benefits, according to researchers.  Drinking coffee or other drinks that contain caffeine or taking a brief nap can be more effective, but are still no replacement for sleep.

Compensation in a Sleepy Driver Auto Accident Case

If you or a member of your family has been injured in a sleepy-driver auto accident, our New York law firm can help you obtain the financial compensation to which you are entitled.  The hard-working auto accident lawyers at Proner & Proner have consistently been successful in helping clients obtain money awards and cash settlements for past medical expenses, future medical expenses, past pain and suffering, future pain and suffering, past lost earnings, future lost earnings, and the overall loss of quality of life.  If someone you love was killed in an auto accident, Proner & Proner are intimately familiar with wrongful death laws and can advise you as to which state looks most favorably on wrongful death claims, if the option to file in another state exists.  Some states include the money damages for the value of life itself.  Others states account only for lost earnings in a wrongful death case. Contact the auto accident attorneys of Proner & Proner in New York for an evaluation of your case.

Contact Us to Learn More about Sleepy Driver Auto Accidents

At Proner & Proner, we have investigators who are ready to work for auto accident victims and are most often available within twenty-four hours to prospective clients from throughout New York, Northern New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Our auto accident attorneys work tirelessly on behalf of victims of sleepy-driver auto accidents. Contact our Manhttan, New York law firm to schedule a free case evaluation.