Mississippi State University Study Reveals Lack of Sleep Can Cause Dangerous Workplace Accidents – Find Out Your Rights if You are Injured on the Job Due to Work-Related Fatigue in Mississippi
Getting a good night’s sleep is something that many individuals in Mississippi may chase after for a lifetime. Indeed, between being inundated by the blue screens that permeate our eyes and our minds before we hit the hay, to the amount of information pushed at us every day swimming in our minds as we try to rest, to the stressors of everyday life that bleed into bedtime, getting a full night of sleep can be a challenge for many Mississippians. However, as challenging as getting a full 7-8 hours of sleep may be for many individuals in Mississippi, it is very important, especially for those workers whose occupations demand constant attention, and in which drowsiness and fatigue can mean the difference between safety and a potentially catastrophic accident. To help Mississippi workers better understand just how important a night of good sleep really is, especially on the job, and what you can do if they are injured at work in Mississippi, we discuss the Mississippi State University study findings, and injured workers’ rights in Mississippi under workers’ compensation laws here.
Lack of Sleep Leads to Increased Chances of Workplace Injury
According to the Mississippi State University study, a whopping nearly 37% of Americans do not get the recommended 7 hours of sleep per night. For some, this is causing serious problems. Mississippi State University Extension Service safety specialist Leslie Woolington said of the dangerous situation workers face when fatigued, “…lack of sleep can affect a person’s productivity, mental and physical health, driving ability and even their chances of getting hurt at work.” Woolington revealed that, “Sleep-deprived employees are 70% more likely to be involved in a workplace accident than those who do get a good night’s rest…Your memory, reflexes and cognitive processing are all degraded with sleep deprivation. This can contribute to an unwanted workplace incident.” When it comes to certain occupations, such as those that require driving, driving while drowsy “is just as dangerous as driving drunk.” Woolington underscored that, “Drowsy driving is impaired driving…But while we wouldn’t allow a friend to drive drunk, we rarely take the keys away from our tired friends or insist they pull over and take a nap.” It is clear that Mississippi workers who suffer from a lack of sleep and who are drowsy and fatigued are at risk of being seriously injured, or even killed, at work.
Your Rights if You are Injured on the Job in Mississippi
In light of the findings of the Mississippi State University study regarding the dangers of workplace fatigue and drowsiness, it is important for Mississippi workers to know their rights if they are injured due to work-related lack of sleep or fatigue. Under Mississippi workers’ compensation laws, workers who were injured due to job-related lack of sleep or drowsiness may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits to help them heal from their injury and get back to their regular jobs. In order to determine whether you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits for your work-related injury, it is best to speak with an experienced Mississippi workers’ compensation lawyer about your case.
The experienced Mississippi workers’ compensation lawyers at the law firm Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC are here to help Mississippi workers get workers’ compensation benefits due to them. Contact Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC today and speak to a lawyer about your case now.
Source:
extension.msstate.edu/news/feature-story/2025/lack-sleep-impacts-productivity-driving
