Nearly nine people in the United States experience fatalities in car accidents that have resulted in distracted driving every day, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. As a result, according to reports from the CDC, approximately 3,000 people die in distracted driving accidents each year. As a car accident lawyer from Tuttle Law, P.A. will share car accident cases are among the most common types of personal injury accidents, and distracted driving is just one of the many ways a car accident can happen.
While making sense of such senseless accidents can be challenging, there are several reasons why distracted driving accidents happen. Unfortunately, victims of such accidents stand to experience significant damages as a result. Because of this, car accidents involving distracted driving on the part of negligent drivers can result in significant damages. However, when victims take legal action, they have the opportunity to seek compensation for what they have lost.
Types of Distracted Driving
Driving a vehicle is a tremendous responsibility that many people take for granted. Many who get behind the wheel genuinely believe they can control a car while navigating other distractions. Unfortunately, this level of arrogance can be incredibly damaging because when a person drives while distracted, they are incapable of operating a motor vehicle, ultimately putting others at risk. Common factors that involve distracted driving accidents include:
- Cell phone use
- Eating while driving
- Reaching for something
- Not paying attention (daydreaming)
- Becoming distracted by other people in the vehicle
- Adjusting the radio or navigation system
- Looking away from the road ahead
Distracted driving can take a driver’s attention away from the road. The results can be tragic when the driver is distracted, even if only for a few seconds.
Damages for Distracted Driving Accidents
Victims who have experienced an accident that has resulted from distracted driving stand to sustain unimaginable injuries and losses. These losses can wreak havoc on a person’s life, causing them to contend with financial damages that can be severely impactful and injuries that can not only cause pain but forever debilitate them. Because of this, victims must consider speaking with an experienced lawyer to determine whether pursuing legal action is in their best interest. Once a lawyer reviews a victim’s case, they can determine the claim’s value. Distracted driving accidents may allow victims to receive compensation for:
- Lost Income
- Medical Expenses
- Any Miscellaneous Expenses
- Pain and Suffering
- Property Loss
- +More
Valuing a case is not something that a victim should consider attempting on their own. A legal professional will play a key role in carefully evaluating the case and determining the appropriate compensation to which the victim is entitled.
Proving a Distracted Driving Case
Once a lawyer has reviewed the evidence and carefully evaluated the case, the most crucial step in moving forward will be strategically building a case that proves negligence. Not only will a successful outcome require critical evidence, but there are also several elements that must be present:
- Presence of Duty of Care
- Breach of Duty of Care
- Proof that Injuries were tied to the accident
- Damages that resulted
In the wake of a car accident, taking legal action can seem like a significant undertaking. However, it may be possible to receive compensation after an accident that left victims financially and physically debilitated.