Joliet Driver Fatigue Accident Attorney

Experienced Lawyers for Victims of Fatigue-Related Accidents

Studies have shown that driving drowsy can be just as dangerous as driving drunk. However, driving while fatigued is far more common than driving while intoxicated. Almost anyone would say that they have driven while tired, particularly on their way to or from work. Driver fatigue is a common risk for long-haul truck drivers. There are federal laws dictating how long a truck driver may drive without stopping and how long each rest break must be. These laws have been put in place for a reason - to protect the public from the dangers of driver fatigue. Overly tired drivers may experience a lack of reaction time similar to that of drunk drivers, or they may lose focus long enough to cause an accident. It can be difficult to determine that driver fatigue was the cause of a truck accident, but the attorneys at Rathbun, Cservenyak & Kozol LLC have strategies we can use to show that driver fatigue played a role.

Our lawyers are skilled in helping people who have been injured by fatigued drivers, whether in semi-trucks or in personal vehicles. Driving while overly tired can be considered a form of negligence, as drivers should be well aware of the dangers of driving without sufficient rest, and they should take the proper measures to prevent accidents. If you have been injured by a fatigued driver, we may be able to help you recover compensation.

Commercial Trucks and Driver Fatigue

Semi-truck drivers are often under pressure to complete their routes as quickly as possible. To ensure that drivers are well-rested when behind the wheel of a semi-truck, Hours of Service laws were developed at the federal level. These laws dictate the maximum amount of time a truck driver can continuously operate a commercial vehicle, when they must take breaks, and how long those breaks must be. Drivers are required to keep a log, and many trucks have software installed that can be used to reveal falsifications in the log.

As the driver is usually wide awake after an accident, it can be difficult for others involved in the crash and the police officers who respond to tell whether fatigue was a factor. It may be necessary to access a driver's hours of service logs in order to tell whether the driver had taken rest breaks. Even if the driver did stop, that does not necessarily mean they used their break to get a full night's sleep.

Truck accidents can cause very serious and even catastrophic injuries. We will fight for you to receive full and fair compensation.

Drowsy Driving Car Accident Lawyer in Will County

Driving while excessively tired is not dangerous only for truck drivers. However, proving it may be more challenging. Most people do not keep a log of when they drive and when they rest. There may be some exceptions for people who use their personal vehicles for commercial purposes, such as making Amazon deliveries or working as a rideshare driver.

There is also no test for tiredness like there is for alcohol intoxication. Car accidents tend to raise a person's adrenaline levels and make them appear alert, so it is hard to tell when a driver was falling asleep only moments ago. A driver who appears tired after a crash may in fact be drunk or under the influence of drugs.

However, there are other forms of evidence we may be able to identify during our investigation. For example, traffic cameras may show a vehicle slowly drifting across multiple lanes, suggesting that the driver had fallen asleep or was distracted.

We will investigate carefully to gather evidence showing the causes of your accident so that we can prove your case and recover compensation on your behalf.

Contact a Will County Truck Accident Lawyer for Driver Fatigue

Rathbun, Cservenyak & Kozol LLC can help if you were injured in an accident that may have been caused by driver fatigue. We operate on a contingency fee basis, so you do not pay unless we recover money for you. To begin with a free consultation, please contact us at 815-730-1977. We serve clients from our offices in Joliet and Naperville.