Lunesta: Another Cause Of Drowsy Driving Trucking Accidents In Fort Lauderdale
Truck drivers drive long hours. Because they work odd hours, their bodies sometimes have trouble falling asleep or staying awake. While some suffer from sleep apnea, others may not feel like sleeping when they are supposed to pull off the road and take their required rest breaks. Unfortunately, this has led to many truck drivers taking prescription medications to help them sleep or stay awake.
Sadly, medications—both prescription and over-the-counter drugs—have contributed to many trucking accidents in Fort Lauderdale and nationwide. Recently, the drug Lunesta has been in the news for its drowsy side effects and its link to drowsy driving. While we know many truck drivers are guilty of drowsy driving—resulting in truck crashes—it is important that they are aware of the consequences of taking Lunesta.
According to recent information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Lunesta can cause drowsiness even hours after taking the drug. Shockingly, if a person takes Lunesta at night, studies have shown that the medication can still alter that person’s memory, coordination, and ability to drive safely—even 11 hours after taking the drug. This news is very concerning and scary to think that drivers of passenger vehicles, let alone truck drivers, could be affected and more likely to drive drowsy even the day after taking the medication.
Drowsy driving is a very real concern facing motorists on our roadways. Unfortunately, truck drivers are far more guilty of driving while drowsy. If you have been injured in a trucking accident in South Florida, you should contact an experienced attorney immediately. A skilled lawyer will know how to request a trucker’s log books and will be able to look for things like what prescription medications they are taking in order to prove drowsy driving was the cause of the crash.
For help holding a drowsy driver responsible for your injuries, contact the Law Office of David Benenfeld for a free consultation with an accident attorney in South Florida at 954-677-0155 today.
