Distracted Driving Accidents

Written by: Portrait Photo Of Jeff Roberts Jeff Roberts

You may think that taking your eyes off the road for just a second to check your hair, hand a bottle of water to your kids in the back seat, or adjust the GPS, will have no serious consequences. However, the opposite might be true. Taking your eyes off the road for a short amount of time is the reason why so many distracted driving accidents happen. Statistics from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration show that nearly 4,000 people were killed in 2015 alone due to distracted driving and that close to one-fifth of all car accidents happen for that reason.

If you were injured in an accident due to distracted driving, you need the legal help of Roberts | Jeandron Law, personal injury law firm in Orange County. We have the legal expertise you require to recover compensation for your injuries and losses and will gladly listen to your case. Give us a call today to set up an initial consultation, and let us explain what legal options are available to you. 

By putting your distracted driving accident in our hands, you will feel as if a weight has been lifted off your shoulders because you know you will be able to focus on recovering your health while we take care of your case. We can negotiate with the insurance company so that they offer a fair settlement for your damages. We work on a contingency basis, which means that you will only pay us if we win.

Understanding Distracted Driving

One of the main culprits for the increase in distracted driving is our love of anything related to new technologies and our attachment to our personal devices. That is why cell phones top the list of reasons why distracted driving is on the rise. There are plenty of news stories regarding texting or calling while driving, and the subject never seems to come to an end.

Both adults and young people are guilty of this behavior, and no matter how dire the warnings are, all advice seems to fall on deaf ears.

There are many other forms of distracted driving, and the law has defined it as negligent behavior due to its ability to cause serious injuries to others. This behavior has been classified into the following categories:

Cognitive Distractions

Any action that a driver engages in that involves them not fully concentrating on the task at hand is a cognitive distraction. Phone use, listening to the radio, grooming, eating, drinking, among others, will cause the driver to have a delayed response in traffic or when other vehicles are around. Many states have focused on reducing cognitive distractions when enacting laws to end distracted driving.

Visual Distractions

Anything that causes the driver to look anywhere besides the road is a visual distraction. Visual distractions that may end up causing an accident include looking at an accident, looking at a billboard, admiring someone else’s car, or adjusting the radio or GPS.

Manual Distractions

From the first time a driver takes a driving course, the advice of having both hands on the steering wheel is always present. Sending text messages, answering phone calls, reaching for something that fell on the floor, or performing any other activity that causes a driver to let go of the wheel, may result in a distracted driving accident.

Legal Challenges of Distracted Driving

If you have been injured in a car accident, it may be difficult to determine the cause of the collision. Trying to prove on your own that distracted driving was the reason the accident happened can be very difficult. This is where you require the sharp legal minds of the car accident attorneys in Orange County from Roberts | Jeandron Law.

Our experienced legal team will thoroughly investigate what happened. We will interview witnesses to get their statements, locate any cameras that may have captured the incident, review the police report and your medical records, and call upon accident reconstruction specialists when needed. We may also subpoena the driver’s cell phone provider to find out if they were using the phone just before the accident. 

Armed with this information, we will be able to pinpoint the reason for the accident and build a strong case to help you. There is no need for you to forgo your medical treatments. While you recover from your injuries, we will fight to get you the maximum compensation for your damages. Call us today