Jackson, MS Driver Fatigue Car Accidents

Obtaining recovery in a Jackson car accident case usually begins with establishing that the other driver was negligent in causing your injuries. Driver fatigue can be a way to prove negligence. Fatigue can cause a driver to be inattentive and unfocused. Drivers in that condition may drift into other lanes, ignore traffic signals, or even fall asleep at the wheel.

Falling asleep behind the wheel may lead to life-changing or even fatal injuries for Jackson residents. Nearly one-third of the fatal accidents in the city in 2014 (seven of 22) occurred between the hours of midnight and 5:00 A.M., when very few people are likely to be alert behind the wheel. While some of these crashes occurred on streets like Bailey Avenue and Hume Avenue, others occurred on I-55. The high speeds on an interstate make any crash more likely to be lethal. These accidents were relatively evenly distributed among the months of the year, although spring and fall saw slightly more accidents overall than summer and winter.

When attempting to prove that the driver who hit you was fatigued, it is helpful to know what signs to look for. Driver fatigue car accidents can occur for many reasons, and the problem is more common than some might think. Generally, the term driver fatigue brings to mind the image of a tired employee who just stayed up all night working on some important project. However, the cause of the fatigue can be less acute. Those who work late hours or odd hours on a consistent basis are also at risk of being chronically fatigued, even if they are getting some amount of sleep.

It is critical to sort through the facts of a driver fatigue car accident to find the proof you need to establish your claim for recovery. Even if a driver dozes off, he or she may point the finger right back at the victim for the accident and claim the victim did something to contribute to the collision. Comparative negligence is allowed as a defense in a Jackson car accident case. Mississippi law follows pure comparative negligence, meaning a victim’s recovery is reduced for every percentage point of fault attributed to that person. Without the assistance of a skilled attorney in Jackson to argue your case, you could walk away with much less than you deserve for your injuries, medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.