Fatigued Driving in Maryland
Anyone who has ever been involved in a car accident because they were too tired to drive can tell you: they NEVER thought it would happen to them. It starts with feeling a little tired, and before you know it, the accident has already happened, and someone is injured or worse, dead. This type of accident can happen anywhere, including right here at home. Fatigued driving in Maryland is very real, but according to your Maryland Car Accident Lawyer, avoiding this kind of accident starts with getting educated.
Fatigued Driving Statistics
Your Maryland personal injury lawyer can attest to the high number of car accidents caused by fatigued driving in Maryland. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 800 people were killed nationwide in 2017 as a direct result of drowsy driving.
In 2015, the NHSTA reports that there were approximately 90,000 crashes related to fatigued driving. Similar to 2017, the year 2015 saw around 800 deaths, and there were approximately 41,000 injuries.
The NHTSA also reports that most drowsy driving car accidents take place between 12:00am and 6:00am or in the late afternoon hours. In many cases, the accident involves only a single driver with no evidence that the driver braked to avoid a crash. With no evidence of braking (such as skid marks), it is often easy for law enforcement investigators to presume that a driver fell asleep if no other cause of the accident is determined.
Family members of those killed in fatigued driving accidents in Maryland should contact a Maryland Personal Injury Lawyer for their case. Those individuals injured should also contact a personal injury lawyer in Maryland to get representation from a Maryland car accident lawyer. Getting representation from a Maryland car accident lawyer is especially important when communicating with the insurance company, as it can be difficult to secure a fair and reasonable settlement in fatigued driving car accidents.
Why Do People Drive Fatigued?
The reasoning for each person varies. One person might have a newborn baby keeping them up at night while another has professional demands that have taken priority over sleep. One person may have had a few sleepless nights while another person may have had a late evening out with friends. And don’t forget, there are medical reasons that can cause fatigue as well, such as being sick, or sleep apnea.
Everyone who drives fatigued has their reasoning as to why they chose to drive sleepy, but most people probably have the same thoughts: that they would never fall asleep at the wheel because while they knew they were tired, they didn’t think they could possibly be tired enough to cause an accident.
Maryland Car Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident in Maryland, don’t wait any longer to contact your Maryland Car Accident Lawyer at The Lapidus Law Firm. Your team of Maryland Personal Injury Lawyers will communicate with the insurance company to make sure you get a fair and reasonable settlement for your case. Without representation from your Maryland Car Accident Lawyer, you could be missing out of thousands of dollars in your settlement for things such as pain and suffering, loss of quality of life and much more.
Don’t count on the insurance company to tell you about all the various coverages you already have and don’t assume you have a full understanding of your policy. The insurance company adjusters employ numerous tactics to keep their payments as small as possible. Without the representation of a Maryland car accident lawyer at The Lapidus Law Firm, you could get one of those lowball settlements. However, if we represent you, your settlement will likely be much more significant.
Call us today to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation at (301) 605-4296. We can help!