Car Accidents Caused by Distractive Driving

Distractions Can Escalate Quickly

Personal injury claims due to distracted driving are on the rise, largely due to the increased busyness of people’s lives and the many added distractions available to us. Distracted driving is defined as any voluntary activity that takes the driver’s attention away from the road.

Unfortunately, more than 3,000 deaths and 300,000 injuries resulted from a collision caused by a driver being distracted in 2011, according to nhtsa.gov. An estimated 18% of the total number of car accident injuries is the result of distracted driving. On the top of the list of activities that lead to distracted driving accidents is cell phone use, most particularly receiving and sending texts. Other activities that cause distracted driving include:

Conversing

Drinking

Eating

Fiddling with a radio, CD player, or MP3 player

Operating a navigation system

Putting on makeup

Reading maps

Video watching

In any of these instances, the distraction is often indefensible and considered negligent and reckless behavior. The driver may be sued for injuries or deaths resulting from their distracted driving; however, this can be a complicated undertaking for those not familiar with personal injury, or civil, law. Injury cases where there is no residual proof of negligence, such as texting, can be especially hard to prove for a person individually. Fortunately, a  car accident attorney will know exactly how to handle such cases, and can be of considerable help in relieving a victim of the burden of filing and managing a personal injury claim.

The magnitude of a personal injury claim will depend on many things. Some aspects require the full cooperation of the plaintiff, including but not limited to, seeking immediate medical attention, keeping doctor’s appointments, and full disclosure of injuries to your lawyer. The necessity of ongoing medical treatment is also a major factor in achieving a favorable result in a personal injury claim, provided the case has merits. In any case, the personal injury attorney will be able to evaluate your case and will advise you accordingly.