The number of injuries that pedestrians have suffered has been going up. It could be the result of Americans being placed under greater stress and working longer hours. It could lead to exhaustion and an increased risk of pedestrian accidents. Being hit by a car as a pedestrian will likely be a life-changing event and you'll have every right to fight as hard as you can with the help of a personal injury lawyer.
Why Drowsy Driving Is a Problem
Drivers who are drowsy are as effective as drivers as those who have had a few beers. These exhausted drivers will often experience lapses in judgment and will also have a slower reaction time. Driving while exhausted is also illegal like driving while intoxicated.
When hit by a car, you might wonder why it matters that the driver was exhausted. While drivers are usually considered at fault when hitting pedestrians, some auto insurance providers may argue that the pedestrian was partially at fault.
When the Driver Is Drowsy
If the driver is drowsy, this will serve as more evidence that the driver was negligent and is, therefore, at fault for the accident. However, after the accident, the driver will likely deny that they were asleep behind the wheel and you will need to gather evidence to prove this with the help of a personal injury lawyer.
Drivers who are drowsy are less likely to stay within their lanes. They are also more likely to miss signs and traffic lights. If you have witnesses who can testify that the driver was behaving in this way or if the driver was later cited by an officer for their driving behavior, you can use this as evidence that the driver was drowsy.
How to Piece Together What Happened
You may be able to prove that the driver was drowsy during the accident by taking into consideration how the driver reacted to the crash. For example, if there is no evidence that the driver braked before colliding with you, this is evidence that the driver was not fully alert during the accident.
Your personal injury lawyer may work with an expert witness who specializes in accident reconstruction. This professional can determine whether the evidence suggests that the driver was asleep behind the wheel when you were hit.
If you have additional questions, reach out to a personal injury law firm to get more information.
Share9 February 2021
Getting in any sort of car accident is traumatic, especially if your injuries are bad enough to land you in the hospital. The last thing you want to worry about after the crash is medical bills, but sadly, insurance companies do not always make it easy to collect the funds to cover those expenses. On top of that, you have lost wages from the days you missed at work. There is a solution. Personal injury and car accident attorneys are there to make sure you get the compensation you deserve after a car accident. We've created this website to help you learn more about their services.