RECOVERING COMPENSATION AFTER A DISTRACTED DRIVING CAR ACCIDENT

When driving, it is important to pay close attention to the road, the vehicles around you, and any factors that may affect the safety of you, your passengers, and other drivers. Unfortunately, drivers are subjected to a wide variety of distractions, and even a momentary lapse in attention can have deadly results. If you have been injured in a car accident that was caused by a distracted driver, you should be sure to understand how to take steps to recover compensation for your damages.

The Dangers of Distracted Driving

While many people believe they can effectively multi-task and divide their attention between two or more activities, attempting to do so while driving is incredibly dangerous. A driver who takes their attention off the road for even a few seconds is highly likely to fail to notice critical information and react in time to prevent an accident. Every year, distracted driving leads more than 3,000 deaths and 400,000 injuries in car accidents across the United States.

Drivers may be distracted by a variety of factors, including:

  • External distractions – Paying attention to objects or events outside one’s vehicle, such as crash scenes, billboards, or animals or people on the side of the road.
  • Visual distractions – Anything that leads a driver to take their eyes off the road, including cell phones, navigation systems, or tending to children who are in the back seat.
  • Manual distractions – Activities that cause a driver to take their hands off the wheel, including eating or drinking, putting on makeup, smoking, adjusting the radio or environmental controls, or reaching to pick an item up from a seat or the vehicle’s floor.
  • Cognitive distractions – Anything that leads a driver to take their mind off the tasks of driving, such as relationship issues, work-related problems, financial difficulties, daydreaming, or conversations with passengers.

Using cell phones to make calls or send text messages is one of the most dangerous activities that drivers can participate in, but it has been reported that almost one third of all drivers in the United States between the ages of 18 and 64 have read or sent text messages while driving. Interacting with a cell phone while driving increases the risk of an accident by 3.6 times.

Contact a Cook County Personal Injury Lawyer

If you have been injured in an accident which you believe was caused by a distracted driver, the Lake County car accident attorneys at Pullano & Siporin can help you pursue compensation for your damages. We will work to obtain court orders requiring drivers to turn over their cell phones, allowing us to perform forensic imaging to determine whether they were using their phone at the time of the accident. We will pursue every possible avenue to gather evidence that demonstrates liability for your injuries, ensuring that you receive the compensation you deserve. To learn more about how we can help you pursue a personal injury claim, contact us at 312-551-1100 to schedule a free consultation.

Sources:

https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/documents/812407-distracteddrivingreport.pdf

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