It’s no secret that drowsy driving is dangerous. Drivers who get behind the wheel when they’re too tired to drive safely cause auto accidents every day. But proving an accident was caused by a drowsy driver isn’t always as simple as it may seem.

At the Law Office of Todd W. Burris, we’ve been handling motor vehicle accidents for many years. We’ll provide a rundown of some of the types of evidence we look for to prove an accident was caused by a drowsy driver.

One of a parent’s worst fears is anytime their child takes a ride in a vehicle, whether it’s with them or someone else. This bothers them because they know how often auto accidents happen here in Lexington and throughout Kentucky. They worry about their child becoming entangled in a car crash themselves.

National statistics show that parents have a reason to fear every time their child takes a ride in a motor vehicle. The latest data compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that 1,053 children died in car accidents in 2019. While that number marked a 13% decrease in child traffic fatalities compared to 2010, what’s most sobering is that many, if not all, of these accidents that claimed kids’ lives prematurely, were completely preventable.

For many people, life after a serious car accident will never be the same. If you were involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault and you are now dealing with the physical, financial, and emotional aftermath, you deserve help. You should not have to bear the burden of the recovery process and all that it entails on your own.

Compensation for things like medical bills and lost wages can go a long way in facilitating the best possible recovery for your situation. However, at the Law Office of Todd W. Burris, we often meet with clients who are confused about how to get compensation when Kentucky is a choice no-fault state. Here is some valuable information to know about Kentucky’s no-fault laws:

If you are involved in a motor vehicle collision, the first priority is your personal safety and the safety of others. In the few seconds and moments following a car crash, you will be preoccupied with the things you need to do immediately after a car accident:

• Checking yourself for signs of injuries
• Checking on passengers, other motorists, and any involved pedestrians
• Getting out of the way of traffic and to a place of safety
• Calling for emergency medical services
• Working with law enforcement to fill out a police report
• Exchanging information with the other involved motorist
• Taking photos of the accident scene
• Notifying your insurance company of the accident
• Contacting your car accident lawyer

A good set of tires can be the difference between driving safely and risking an accident every time you hit the road.

Unfortunately, it’s easy to overlook when your tires are in need of replacement or repair, especially since there aren’t many clear signs that your tread depth is low, and your tires need attention. To help you avoid an accident in the future, keep an eye out for these signs that your tire tread depth is low, and you need new tires.

As adults, we spend a lot of time in vehicles, whether traveling to and from work, our kids’ schools or extracurricular activities, to the store, gym, a movie, on a trip, and everywhere in between. While we tend to think of ourselves as spending a lot of time on the road, children do as well. 

Even if you’re not the person transporting them back and forth to school daily, then someone is, whether it’s a nanny or babysitter, school bus driver, or a carpool service. The same goes for transportation to and from their extracurricular activities, such as dance, sports, music lessons, or scouts. Then, there’s the potential that they’re involved in religious activities. You can also add into the mix travel for field trips, games or competitions, and going different places during school breaks or summer camp.  

Not every intersection has a traffic light to tell motorists when it’s their turn. When there are four stop signs controlling the flow of traffic, it’s easy for someone to make a mistake—or willfully disregard the rules and drive out of turn. If you were injured at a four-way intersection, determining who is at fault is an important first step to making sure the at-fault party is held accountable.

Knowing who has right of way at a busy four-way stop can help your car accident lawyer establish fault after a vehicle collision. 

How many times have you seen a motorist pull out into traffic after coming to a parking lot exit or the end of their driveway without first coming to a complete stop? You likely see such an occurrence one or more times per day.

How often do you see a driver do the same at an intersection when approaching a stoplight or stop sign? Sadly, many of us also see motorists engage in this driving tactic, known as a rolling stop, multiple times daily. This illegal driving habit falls under the umbrella of reckless driving because of how potentially deadly it is.

There are few things that feel worse than being stuck in traffic or at a long red light. Some Lexington drivers deal with this by reaching for their phones. This type of behind-the-wheel phone use might feel safer than texting and driving, but that does not mean that it is actually safe.

Using a phone at a red light is dangerous. Texting, calling, or scrolling through social media even while stopped are still forms of distracted driving. As you probably already know, distracted driving is a leading cause of serious and even fatal car accidents in the United States.

It can be traumatizing anytime you’re involved in an auto accident. An instance in which the other motorist leaves the crash scene can be particularly frustrating if your car was badly damaged in such an incident or you suffered significant injuries in the collision.

There are a few different steps that you’ll want to take any time a hit-and-run accident occurs, whether or not it results in injuries or property damage. We’ll highlight what those are and any options for recovering compensation below.