If a driver took their eyes off the road long enough to cause an accident and were injured after they did so, they might be liable for your injuries and resulting expenses.
According to the Ohio Department of Public Safety, almost 14,000 drivers in accidents were distracted by something inside their vehicle in 2017. These crashes caused 55 deaths and nearly 7,000 injuries.
If you were hurt in an accident with a distracted driver, Ben Crump Law, PLLC, wants to help you. We believe you should not be responsible for paying for the expenses of an injury that someone else caused you. Call us today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation with a team member to see if an Akron distracted driving accident lawyer can help you with your case. Reach out today at (844) 730-0233.
Types of Distracted Driving
There are many ways in which a driver could become distracted. Some distractions inside the vehicle include, but are not limited to:
- The driver texting and calling
- The driver operating a GPS
- The driver changing the radio station
- The driver glancing back or talking to passengers
- A passenger diverting the driver’s attention
- Eating or drinking while driving
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), your eyes leave the road for 5 seconds while sending or reading a text. If you were going 55 miles per hour, that would be like traveling the length of a football field with your attention diverted.
The driver might also become distracted by something outside of the vehicle. If the driver was looking at the scenery, became distracted by something on the side of the road, or paid too close attention to another crash, they might cause an accident.
No matter what type of distracted driving caused your accident, you might be entitled to compensation for your injuries.
For a free legal consultation with a distracted driving accidents lawyer serving Akron, call (844) 730-0233
Proving Fault in a Distracted Driving Accident
Proving that the other driver in an accident was distracted and negligently caused the accident can be difficult. If the driver admitted to looking at their phone or changing the radio station and contributed to causing the crash, it might be a relatively straightforward case.
However, you or your lawyer might have to do extra digging if this is not the case. Some evidence that can prove the other driver was distracted include but are not limited to:
Traffic Camera Footage of the Accident
If there was a traffic camera nearby that caught an image of the other driver with their eyes off the road, this could help your case. However, traffic camera footage is not always available, especially if your accident occurred on the interstate.
If you believe your accident occurred near a traffic camera, your lawyer might be able to request access to that footage.
Passenger Accounts of the Accident
Another viable way of proving the driver’s negligence is the passengers’ accounts of the events leading up to the crash. For example, the passenger might have made a statement saying the driver was texting before the accident or using their GPS device. The police report might include this information, but your lawyer might also be able to collect a statement after the fact.
Comparative Negligence in Ohio Torts
Even if you were partly at fault for the accident, you might still be entitled to compensation. According to Ohio Revised Code § 2315.33, if you were less at fault than the other driver, then your recoverable damages will be reduced by your percentage of fault in the accident.
For example, if you were speeding, and were 10% at fault for the accident and suffered $10,000 in damages, you would be entitled to recover only $9,000 in a settlement or judgment.
Akron Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer Near Me (844) 730-0233
How an Akron Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer Can Help You
After any car accident, you might be facing painful injuries, treatment, and hefty expenses. Taking on a personal injury insurance claim or lawsuit might seem out of the question for you currently. This is where a distracted driving accident lawyer can come in especially handy.
They can take on the case for you so that you can focus on recovering from the injuries you suffered in the accident. A lawyer, among other things, can:
- Investigate the accident
- Interview eyewitnesses
- Retain an expert witness
- Gather police and medical reports
- Tell you what compensation you might be able to receive
- Negotiate with the insurance company or negligent party
- Reach a settlement that adequately and fairly compensates you
- Update you on your case
- File a lawsuit against the at-fault driver
- Argue in court for a fair judgment in your favor
This is not an exhaustive list of what a lawyer could do for you, but if you are considering taking legal action, reach out to Ben Crump Law, PLLC, to see how a distracted driving accident lawyer can help you with your case. We can tell you whether you qualify for a personal injury claim and what compensation you might be entitled to, including:
- Medical bills
- Prescription drug costs
- In-home care costs
- Lost wages while being out of work
- Reduced earning capacity
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Disability and disfigurement
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Because each personal injury claim is different, a lawyer can give you better insight into what you might recover in your case.
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Call Ben Crump Law, PLLC, for Help with Your Case
At Ben Crump Law, PLLC, we believe you should not suffer further from injuries that someone else caused. On top of the physical pain, the bills associated with the accident might be causing you a lot of stress. If this is the case, let our firm help you seek to recover the costs. While it will not make up for what happened to you, it might help you carry on with your life easier.
You might want to act soon because Ohio’s statute of limitations generally gives you two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit, according to Ohio Revised Code § 2305.10.
Call a member of our team today at (844) 730-0233 to see how an Akron distracted driving accident lawyer can help you.
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