Drowsy driving can be deadly, as it’s responsible for up to 21% of all fatal car accidents in the U.S. every year.
Just recently, a Missouri man falls asleep behind the wheel while driving on a Kansas City highway and crashed into oncoming traffic, leaving one man dead and seven other people injured. The man lost control of his sedan when he fell asleep and his vehicle veered into oncoming traffic.
Fact: drowsy driving accounts for nearly 330,000 car accidents every year, of which over 100,000 involve injuries and more than 6,400 fatalities.
Three of the injured people were small children – ages 1, 3, and 5 – who weren’t wearing seatbelts at the time of the deadly collision. The crash occurred at about 7:30 am on Monday, and the police are investigating what was the cause for the at-fault driver’s drowsy driving.
Most common causes of drowsy driving
Our Long Beach car accident attorney at JML Law outlines the five most common causes of drowsy driving:
- Sleep loss
- Sleep disorders
- Alcohol or hangover
- Driving very late or very early
- Sedating medications.
The fatigued driver was identified as Nadeira Dolmo Rivera, 23, of Kansas City. One of the passengers in his 2011 Honda Civic was killed in the deadly car accident after his vehicle went through a cable barrier in the median and crossed into the oncoming traffic.
Rivera admitted to police officers that he had fallen asleep behind the wheel shortly before the collision. Investigators noted, however, that the driver was alert and conscious at the scene.
Police are investigating how long River had been driving without sleep and what was the cause of his drowsy driving.
Drowsy driving in Long Beach and California
Unfortunately, drowsy driving is not uncommon in Long Beach or in any other city of California, where about one third of all car crashes involve a drowsy driver.
Although researchers estimate that drowsy driving accounts for about a third of all car accidents in California, our best car accident attorneys in Long Beach at JML Law point out that it’s nearly impossible to know the actual impact of drowsy driving.
After all, there are no tests to detect drowsiness at the scene of a car accident, which means many collisions involving drowsy drivers often go unreported and underreported.
Proving drowsy driving can be extremely difficult if (a) the driver refuses to admit falling asleep, and (b) you aren’t represented by a Long Beach car accident attorney.
How to prove drowsy driving after a car accident
Our lawyers at JML Law say that there are several factors that may contribute to drowsy driving, and we are committed to thoroughly investigate each and every one of these factors to prove that the other driver fell asleep behind the wheel and was at fault for the car crash.
Most drowsy driving car accidents are caused by:
- shift workers whose sleep pattern is disrupted by working irregular hours and night shifts
- people aged 16 to 29
- motorists driving between the hours of midnight and 6 am
- truck drivers who tend to sacrifice their sleep to go the extra mile despite being fatigued and deprived of sleep
- jet-lagged business travelers
- motorists prescribed with over-the-counter sedating medications or tranquilizers.
Our car accident attorneys at JML Law can prove that the driver was driving drowsily by thoroughly looking into each and every one of the above-mentioned factors.
Let our experienced team of legal experts in Long Beach investigate your case and help you obtain financial compensation for your injuries and damages, including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and others.
Call JML Law at 818-610-8800 or send an email for a free case evaluation.
