All drivers owe a legal duty of reasonable care to others on the road. This duty requires anyone behind the wheel to follow traffic laws, pay vigilant attention to their surroundings, and avoid distractions that take their eyes from the road, their hands from the wheel, and their mind from safely operating their vehicle.
Unfortunately, distracted driving remains a growing problem despite increased awareness. After a distracted driving accident, an experienced car accident lawyer in Addison can help you obtain compensation for your property damage and personal injury costs.
What Causes Distracted Driving Accidents In Addison, TX?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) warns that reading or sending an average text message removes your eyes and attention from the road for about five seconds. A car traveling 55 miles per hour travels the length of a football field in those five seconds. The most common causes of distracted driving in Addison and elsewhere include the following:
- Texting
- Making hands-on phone calls
- Selecting playlists or podcasts
- Setting a GPS app
- Scrolling through social media
- Checking emails
- Watching videos
- Adjusting a sound system
- Eating and drinking
- Grooming, such as applying makeup or brushing hair
- Retrieving dropped objects
- Interacting with children or other passengers
Some studies also classify deep thought or daydreaming while behind the wheel as distracted driving.
What Types of Accidents Happen From Distracted Driving?
The Texas Department of Transportation (TX-DOT) warns that one in five traffic accidents in Texas is caused by a distracted driver. When a driver’s eyes and attention are not focused on the road ahead and the task of driving, an accident can happen in an instant, but cause lifelong consequences for an injury victim. The most common types of accidents caused by distracted driving include the following:
- Rear-end collisions
- Head-on collisions
- Sideswipes accidents
- T-bone accidents in intersections
- Roadway departures
- Collisions with obstacles
- Vehicle rollover accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
Distracted driving endangers not only the distracted driver but also other motorists on the road. A distracted driver who causes an accident with injuries is liable for the property damage and personal injury costs to others who suffer injuries due to the distracted driver’s negligence.
What Damages Can I Recover In a Distracted Driving Accident Claim?
Car accident injuries range from mild to catastrophic, with damages that may be as little as a single emergency room bill and a few days of lost wages or as extensive as permanent disability costs or wrongful death damages to a family who lost a loved one. A successful personal injury claim recovers damages such as the following:
- Reimbursement for medical expenses
- Future medical expenses
- Out-of-pocket injury-related costs, such as traveling to see specialists
- Lost earnings
- Future income loss or diminished future earnings
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Catastrophic injury damages, if they apply, such as in cases of traumatic limb loss, disfigurement, loss of one of the senses, permanent scarring, disability, chronic pain, or loss of enjoyment of life
If a distracted driver caused fatal injury to a loved one, a spouse, parent, or child may file a wrongful death claim in Texas.
What Can a Distracted Driving Attorney Do For Me?
It takes substantial evidence to prove that a negligent driver caused your accident due to their distracted driving. A skilled car accident lawyer investigates all aspects of the accident to provide compelling evidence of the distracted driver’s negligence and liability. Contact GreeningLaw P.C. to learn more about your rights and options for financial recovery so you can focus on your physical recovery with fewer financial concerns.