You do your best to be safe on the roads. Just like you avoid getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol or taking certain medications, you probably also do your best to avoid distractions while behind the wheel. Unfortunately, other drivers may not have the same care and concern that you do for the safety of everyone on the road. When a distracted driver causes a serious accident, that person’s negligence and bad decision-making could cost you a lot.
Distracted drivers kill nine people across the United States every single day. Another 1,000 people daily get injured by distracted drivers. Some of these injuries are minor, while others are much more serious. Although there are laws against distracted driving, you may have to be your own advocate to make sure the other driver gets held accountable for the decision to drive distracted.
There are all kinds of distractions, not just phones
Most people acknowledge that cellphones are a major potential source of distraction for drivers. Simply dialing or talking on the phone can split your attention between the road and driving safely. If someone is texting, using social media, or reading on a phone, that person could be staring down instead of watching the road. The potential for a crash in this situation is significant.
There are plenty of other ways that a driver can end up dangerously distracted. Putting on makeup while driving, for example, means the driver is looking in a mirror and not at the road. The same is true of buttoning up shirts or putting on jewelry. Changing CDs, skipping a song on a phone or MP3 player, or even scanning for a better radio station can also be distractions. So can eating, drinking, or talking to other people in the vehicle.
Victims of distracted drivers deserve compensation
No matter how hard you try to avoid distracted drivers, they can still cause an accident. If you or someone you love got seriously hurt in a distracted driving accident, you deserve compensation. After all, someone else’s bad decision cost you serious property damages and potentially painful physical injuries. In some cases, distraction can lead to wrongful death, when a crash proves fatal.
Thankfully, the victims in this scenario have options to protect them. The first and most important is the ability to advise law enforcement when they arrive on the scene that the other driver was distracted. Police can then verify this claim by reviewing physical evidence (like broken makeup on the floor of a vehicle), nearby security or traffic camera footage, or even digital records of cellphone or mobile device usage leading up to the crash.
Victims may also have the option to file either personal injury claims or wrongful death lawsuits against distracted drivers who cause a serious accident. Doing so penalizes the other driver and helps take the financial burden off the victims.
