What Does Sleep Have to Do With Personal Injuries?
The Huffington Post recently published a fascinating study on the effects of sleep deprivation on memory. This piece highlights an important thing to remember if you are in a car crash or other type of accident—take pictures and immediately report what happened.
Studies have shown that the most dangerous time of year to drive is August—with the most dangerous day being Saturday. It’s no wonder: as we’ve discussed, weekend partying is the reason for many of the worst injuries that our firm has seen. According to the article, “sleep deprivation wreaks havoc on your health and cognitive functioning”. Being out late, even without the added effects of alcohol, leads to dangerous driving.
Interestingly, though, sleep loss does more than lead to crashes. It can actually affect the lawsuit following a car crash or incident. This is because of the link between sleep and false memories. “Although this was an expected result,” notes Huffington Post, “it is troubling — not only for witnesses, but also for suspects.”
When we first discuss a case, we immediately ask for the details. Who was involved? Who was at fault? What exactly happened? Unfortunately, there can be a lot of misinformation from everyone involved—witnesses, victims, and suspects—depending on how well rested they are. Sleep loss increases the inaccuracy of a report.
What does this mean for you? Most importantly, if you are in a crash or incident you should immediately document everything that happened. File a police report, take pictures or video of the scene, and get reports from multiple witnesses nearby.
Next, immediately get legal help for personal injuries. Our law firm takes the time to do thorough investigations and get to the true facts of a case—then we explore all avenues of compensation.
Finally…get some sleep! Being well rested will help in all aspects of your life, not just if the worst happens.
The Loewy Law Firm is committed to living well, and we hope you all have a productive and well-rested week. If you do find yourself in an auto accident caused by negligence of another driver, please call us to find out your options for recovery and help.