If you’ve ever found yourself increasingly sleepy while behind the wheel, you understand the danger of nodding off to sleep while you drive. When sharing the road with others, all Texans have a legal duty of care that requires a driver to take reasonable measures to avoid causing accidents. This includes pulling off the road into a safe location when fatigue strikes.
Unfortunately, some drivers fight fatigue and remain behind the wheel, sometimes causing devastating drowsy driving accidents with injuries to other motorists. If a fatigued driver caused your crash, a Richardson car accident attorney can help you prove that breach of duty and pursue compensation for your injuries.
Recognizing the Symptoms of Drowsy Driving
When a drowsy driver causes a car accident in Texas, they are liable for the damages they cause to others, even if they never intended to crash. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Sec. 33. 001, the party responsible for an accident is legally liable for the damages caused to others. For your own safety and that of others, it’s crucial to recognize the following symptoms of dangerous drowsiness behind the wheel:
- Blurred or double vision
- Heavy eyelids
- Frequent yawning
- Reduced reaction time
- Inability to remember the last few miles driven
- Feeling dazed, having wandering thoughts, or experiencing deep daydreaming that becomes similar to twilight sleep
- Drifting out of your lane and jerking the wheel back
- Missing signs and exits or last-moment braking
- Nodding off and jerking awake again
If you experience any of the above symptoms of drowsiness while you are driving, it’s crucial to find a safe location to stop, either to take a power nap or to drink a caffeinated beverage and spend time walking, stretching, and encouraging blood circulation to improve alertness.
Signs of Drowsy Driving In Others on the Road
Besides recognizing your own symptoms of extreme fatigue while driving, it’s important to be aware of other drivers exhibiting signs of excessive drowsiness. Drowsy driving often resembles drunk driving. Signs of a drowsy driver on the road may include the following:
- Veering off the road or out of a lane and then abruptly correcting
- Inconsistent speed or sudden slow-downs
- Tailgating
- Delayed reactions
- Head-nodding (if the driver is visible)
If you notice signs of another driver’s extreme drowsiness, call 911 to report the vehicle, giving the dispatcher the vehicle description, the direction it was traveling, and the license tag number if possible.
What Types of Accidents Result From Drowsy Driving?
A drowsy driver may not slow down before a collision, resulting in catastrophic accidents such as the following:
- Rear-end collisions
- Head-on collisions
- Sideswipe accidents
- T-bone accidents (angle collisions) in intersections
- Collisions with obstacles
- Roadway departures
- Multi-vehicle accidents
Drowsy driving is also a common cause of commercial truck accidents and often involves motorists in other vehicles. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), about 70% of truck accident injuries and fatalities happen to those in smaller vehicles.
How Can a Texas Truck Accident Lawyer Help My Case?
While it may seem evident that a drowsy driver who causes a car accident is fully liable for the damages, insurance companies frequently dispute their policyholder’s full liability and may attempt to assign a portion of fault to the injury victim. This tactic lets them reduce the payout by the percentage of fault assigned to the injury victim. Insurers may also intentionally undervalue an injury victim’s damages.
Instead of leaving your claim in the hands of the insurance company, when their goals conflict with your own, call an experienced Richardson personal injury attorney at GreeningLaw, P.C. to represent your best interests.