Florida Drowsy Driving Accident Lawyer

Drowsy (or fatigued) driving causes thousands of car accidents, injuries, and deaths each year. According to the National Sleep Foundation, drowsy driving is to blame for about 6,400 deaths annually in the US.

In Florida, the state legislature has designated the first week of September each year as Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. The Ronshay Dugan Act, designating the week for fatigued driving awareness, is named for an 8-year-old girl who died after a cement truck driver fell asleep behind the wheel and plowed into the activity bus in which she was riding.

If you have been harmed or a family member has lost their life in a drowsy driving car accident, you could be entitled to compensation for your losses. Top-rated attorney Philip DeBerard, who has recovered over $150,000,000 in verdicts and settlements, helps drowsy driving accident victims across South Florida and the Treasure Coast, including Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Okeechobee, Fort Pierce, Jupiter, Palm Beach and Vero Beach. For a free consultation, contact us today at our toll-free number or through our online contact form.

Florida Is Serious About Drowsy Driving Accidents 

In addition to the annual Drowsy Driving Prevention Week at the beginning of September, fatigued driving awareness and the “You Snooze, You Lose” campaigns have become major safety efforts of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

While these campaigns promote driver alertness, fatigued driving remains a concern. The latest data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) show that in In 2021 alone, there were 18 fatal crashes and 1,216 injury crashes in the state where the driver was asleep or fatigued at the wheel.

Many in Florida and across the US compare drowsy driving to drunk driving or driving while impaired.

Just how often does drowsy driving occur on our roads? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 1 in every 25 adult drivers in the US fell asleep while driving, just within 30 days of getting surveyed.

According to the CDC, the drivers most at risk for driving drowsy are:

• Teen and young adult drivers
• Driving between midnight and 6 a.m., or late in the afternoon
• Drivers who are not sleeping enough
• Commercial truck drivers
• Workers on night shifts or long shifts
• Drivers with sleep disorders
• Drivers who take medication that causes sleepiness.

A typical crash related to drowsiness or falling asleep at the wheel is likely to be serious, the NHTSA says. This is in part because the sleepy or sleeping driver makes no attempt to slow the vehicle or avoid the crash. A study by the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (NCSDR) and the NHTSA said drowsy driving adversely affects the driver’s reaction time, vigilance, attention, and information processing.

The use of certain medications, including sedatives like anxiolytic hypnotics, tricyclic antidepressants, and some antihistamines, can cause drowsiness. Drinking alcohol, which is a sedative, compounds the detrimental effect that drowsiness has on physical and mental activity.

Drivers who decide to get behind the wheel when they are too sleepy to drive safely should be held accountable when their recklessness results in harm to others. People who are injured by a drowsy driver have the right to pursue compensation for their losses through a personal injury lawsuit. If someone has died in a car wreck caused by fatigued driving, the surviving family members may consider a wrongful death lawsuit against the drowsy driver

Why Choose Philip DeBerard as Your Drowsy Driving Accident Lawyer in Florida?

When facing the aftermath of a drowsy driving accident, you need a seasoned litigator with a proven track record. Best Personal Injury Attorney Philip DeBerard has been voted the #1 lawyer on the Treasure Coast by TCPalm and holds an AV Preeminent rating, along with a BBB A+ Rating. With over 40 years of experience since 1975, Philip DeBerard Injury Attorney has secured over $150,000,000 in verdicts and settlements for Florida accident victims.

Proven Results in Car Accident Cases

Philip DeBerard’s track record speaks for itself. His notable case results include:

• $2 Million Car Crash Settlement: A vehicle running a red light t-boned a husband and wife. Both succumbed to their injuries from the crash. All available policy limits were recovered for the family.
• $1.75 Million Distracted Driving Accident: A Port St. Lucie resident and mother of three was seriously and permanently injured in an auto accident because another driver was talking on a cell phone instead of paying attention to the road.
• $1.2 Million Car Accident: Secured confidential settlement for three adult children of a woman who died as a result of injuries sustained in a car crash.
• $1,073,500 Car Accident Verdict: After a six-day trial, a jury awarded a 24-year-old Okeechobee woman more than $1 million for multiple injuries, including a shattered wrist and disfiguring facial scars. The jury award was one of the highest the judge had seen in a contested case.
• $925,000 Car Accident: A young woman was injured in a T-bone crash. We argued that the insurance company failed to act in good faith, leading to a settlement 37 times the policy limits.

Commitment to Drowsy Driving Accident Victims

Experienced personal injury attorney Philip DeBerard understands the devastating impact drowsy driving accidents have on victims and their families. With compassionate representation and aggressive advocacy, Philip DeBerard fights to hold negligent drivers accountable and secure maximum compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and wrongful death claims.

Contact a Florida Drowsy Driving Lawyer Today 

At Philip DeBerard, Injury Attorney, we help victims of drowsy driving accidents in Florida recover from their injuries and losses. When a driver chooses to get behind the wheel though he is too sleepy to drive safely and causes injury, death, or property damage in a car wreck, those who have suffered should be made whole financially.

Experienced attorney Philip DeBerard, Injury Attorney, is dedicated to helping people in Florida who have suffered because of someone driving while impaired by fatigue or sleepiness. If you or a loved one has been injured because of drowsy driving, or you have lost a loved one in a car accident caused by a fatigued driver, you may have a right to compensation for your injuries and losses.

Since 1975, our firm has investigated the circumstances of thousands of auto accidents on behalf of clients throughout South Florida and have offices in Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Vero Beach, Okeechobee, Palm Beach Gardens and West Palm Beach. If you’ve been hurt, Philip DeBerard is on your side.

Contact us today by calling our toll-free number or using our online contact form. You can put our Florida drowsy driving accident lawyer to work on your case right away.