How To Prove Drowsy Driving In A Miami Car Accident Claim

People in Miami keep busy schedules. Between work, family or household responsibilities, and time spent with friends, many do not get enough sleep. Unfortunately, this can have serious long-term impacts on your health. It can also make car accidents in Miami more likely to happen. Find out how drowsy driving can cause a crash and the evidence you will need to gather to get compensation in a claim. 

How Drowsy Driving Makes Car Accidents In Miami More Likely To Happen

Most people are aware of the risks associated with distracted driving and driving under the influence. However, you may not know how missing even a few hours of sleep can impact driving abilities and make car accidents in Miami more likely to happen. 

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), driving on less than the recommended eight hours of sleep can cause the same types of impairments as driving while drunk. These include: 

• Slower reflexes;
• Lack of coordination;
• Increased risk of distraction;
• Vision impairments. 

Being excessively fatigued can also cause you to nod off momentarily or fall asleep behind the wheel, leading to rear-end crashes, head-on collisions, and other life-threatening car accidents in Miami. Those most at risk for drowsy driving include shift workers, students, new parents, and anyone with a busy social life. 

Proving Drowsy Driving Is To Blame For Car Accidents In Miami

If you are injured in a car accident in Miami and drowsy driving is to blame, you have the right to hold the at-fault driver accountable either through their insurer or by filing a car accident lawsuit through the Miami-Dade County Civil Court. 

However, while drowsy driving causes the same types of impairments as driving under the influence, there is no test to prove it. Evidence we use in supporting your claim includes: 

• Work and school records showing the driver had a busy schedule;
• Social media posts showing they had been up for extended periods prior to a crash;
• Cell phone and app data detailing their activities in the previous 24-hour period;
• Medical records detailing certain health conditions or types of medications that can cause excessive tiredness. 

The damage to your vehicle and skid marks or other evidence at the scene can also help prove drowsy driving. This can show they either fell asleep while behind the wheel or otherwise failed to respond to what was going on around them. The time of the crash, such as if it occurred late at night or in the early morning hours, can also be used to show drowsy driving was to blame. 

Get Our Miami Car Accident Lawyer On Your Side

Proving drowsy driving was responsible for a car accident in Miami can be challenging. To protect your rights to compensation, get Pita Weber Del Prado on your side. We gather the evidence needed to file a claim. To request a consultation, call 305-670-2889 or contact our Miami car accident lawyer online today. 

https://www.flhsmv.gov/safety-center/driving-safety/drowsy-driving/

https://www.miamidadeclerk.gov/clerk/civil-family-court.page