If you were hurt in an accident caused by a drowsy, fatigued, or asleep-at-the-wheel driver, you may be able to build a case to hold them accountable for their careless and negligent actions. A Lafayette accident caused by drowsiness lawyer from the Morris Bart law firm may be able to represent you and handle this process on your behalf.

The Morris Bart law office handles cases based on contingency. This means that if we work with you, there will be no upfront expenses. We will only get paid from your settlement or financial award. You can learn more today by calling (337) 446-4571 for a free case review.

Driving Tired Increases the Risk of Causing a Traffic Accident

A 2014 study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concluded that between 2.5 and 3 percent of all fatal traffic accidents that year occurred as a result of drowsy driving. This accounted for almost 850 deaths that year. There is reason to believe that statistics on drowsy driving may even underestimate its prevalence, as this can be a challenging driver condition to measure.

Drowsy driving can cause an accident or make it difficult to avoid an accident. Lack of sleep affects driving ability in several ways, including:

Reduced ability to focus on driving
Slowed reaction time
Impaired decision-making ability and judgment

Because many drowsy driving accidents involve tractor-trailer trucks and other commercial drivers who operate large commercial vehicles, these kinds of accidents can be especially severe. Because of the nature of their jobs and the pressure to stay on schedule, many of these drivers may regularly get behind the wheel fatigued.

Others who may be more likely to drive drowsy include people on medications that can cause sleepiness and drivers who are drunk or otherwise impaired. Impaired drivers pose an especially high risk of an accident.

If you believe you may have a case against a drowsy driver following a Lafayette Parish car accident, contact the Morris Bart law office serving Lafayette today. Call (337) 446-4571 and a member of our team can discuss your collision with you for free.

For a free legal consultation with a Drowsiness Accident lawyer serving Lafayette, call 800-537-8185

Building a Case Against the Liable Driver

A Lafayette accident caused by drowsiness lawyer may accept your case if another driver’s careless actions caused your injuries. Depending on the circumstances of your case, we may be able to build a case to help compensate you for your losses.

In some cases, we may need to show that the other driver fell asleep behind the wheel or drove when they should not have driven. However, this may not be necessary. We may only need to demonstrate that the driver violated a traffic law, which caused your injuries after your accident.

If we represent you in your collision claim, we can demonstrate negligence and liability by gathering evidence that includes:

Crash reports filed by police and other official documents
A survey of the accident scene
Eyewitness statements
Physical evidence, such as the damage to each car
Accident reconstruction
Photos or video relevant to the investigation

We will also need to document your related expenses and losses, as well as provide a detailed look at your injuries and prognosis. This may require:

Your relevant medical records and other medical evidence
Receipts, bills, and other proof of expenses
Expert testimony about your injuries and future care needs

We will use the evidence we collected to negotiate with the insurer representing the at-fault, drowsy driver. We will seek a fair settlement based on the value of your losses. If this is not effective, we may file a personal injury civil suit against the driver who caused your collision injuries.

You can talk to a member of the team from the Morris Bart law firm today by calling (337) 446-4571. We can answer your questions and help you understand your legal options based on the details of your case.

Seeking Compensation to Cover Your Accident Damages

Your losses from an accident with a drowsy driver could include a number of costs.

We will consider your financial losses such as medical care and treatment, lost income and benefits, reduced earning ability, out-of-pocket expenses, and property damages. If you paid any costs for therapy following trauma from your accident, those losses may also be part of your case value. We can also consider non-financial losses such as pain and suffering.

In the event of a loved one’s loss in an accident, we can also pursue wrongful death cases for the surviving family members of fatal accident victims.

Under Louisiana Civil Code (CC) §3492, you only have a year from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit in most situations. If you do not pursue legal action by this deadline, you could lose the right to take the liable party to civil court. Contact our team as soon as you are able to do so following your accident. The sooner you contact a lawyer, the sooner you can learn how to proceed with your case.

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Contact Morris Bart Injury and Accident Lawyer

A Lafayette drowsiness lawyer from the Morris Bart law firm may be able to represent you and help you recover your losses from an accident. You can call us at (337) 446-4571 to speak to someone about the details of your case. Your case consultation is free, no matter if you qualify to take legal action or if you decide not to work with us.

The Morris Bart law firm has 15 locations and serves victims in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas.

Questions?Call 800-537-8185
to find a Morris Bart office near you.