Traffic in Atlanta is among the most congested in the United States. When distracted drivers are in bumper to bumper traffic, they might cause an accident.
Statewide, automobile accidents in Georgia have risen in the past 10 years. The Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety indicates that there were over 1,500 car crash fatalities as a result of Georgia car accidents in 2018. For comparison, there were 1,164 auto accident deaths in 2014.
The city of Atlanta has many drivers speeding to get somewhere quickly, while at the same time being prone to distractions while behind the wheel. These distractions, from mobile phone use to kids in the back seat, can lead to serious car accidents on the road.
If you were injured in a car crash because of a distracted driver, you have the option of getting help from an Atlanta distracted driving accident lawyer at Ben Crump Law, PLLC. We help support the legal rights of victims of car crashes caused by other parties.
Fighting and winning personal injury cases is something we take very seriously. Contact Ben Crump Law, PLLC today at (844) 730-0233 to discuss your accident. We will listen to you and work with you to discover if there is an opportunity for us to intercede on your behalf with insurance companies for any injuries or losses you have incurred.
Distracted Driving in Atlanta
Distracted driving is considered any kind of behavior in the car that takes your attention away from the primary focus of driving the car. This behavior includes distracting oneself with the car’s dashboard controls or navigation system tools. It also includes the driver focusing on a mobile device for voice calls, texting, or reading.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), distracted driving deaths per year in the U.S. have risen by nearly 400 from 2010 to 2015.
We have all seen a driver look away from the road toward their phone while operating the vehicle. That is why texting while driving is a major cause of accidents. The nature of accidents that are caused when a person looks away from the road for three to five seconds can be horrific. This is how accidents occur—that split-second glance toward the seat can mean the difference between a safe drive or a drive that causes an accident.
The NHTSA that more than 2,800 people lost their lives in 2018 from car fatalities suffered in accidents where distracted driving was noted as the primary cause.
If you have been injured in a car crash due to the fault of another driver who was reading or sending text messages, you may be able to file a claim for damages related to the accident. An Atlanta distracted driving accident lawyer at Ben Crump Law, PLLC might be able to help you. Our team of lawyers can help you with insurance companies and the negligent party in accidents involving distracted driving.
For a free legal consultation with a distracted driving accidents lawyer serving Atlanta, call (844) 730-0233
Prosecution for Distracted Driving
Many states have tried to limit or outright ban the act of texting and driving in the car. Currently, 48 states have outright banned texting and driving, with only Montana and Missouri the sole holdouts from an outright ban on the behavior, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
These government decisions are not only to limit the number of reckless accidents in their states, but they also attempt to limit insurance carriers from raising rates for all drivers in the state as a result.
It is now considered negligence in these states to text on a mobile device while driving. What is more important in negligence and personal injury lawsuits is that the timestamps on the texts themselves may be used as evidence in court to prove that the driver’s negligence caused the crash.
For instance, a lawyer can prove that a person was texting and driving by getting cell phone records, eyewitness testimony, and police reports. Once the fault is established that a driver was caught texting and driving, the driver can be held liable for damages for any injuries or fatalities resulting from the accident.
Atlanta Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer Near Me (844) 730-0233
Comparative Negligence Laws in Georgia
When your legal counsel works with you, they will help you to prove the cause of the accident and negligence of the other driver. In many personal injury cases, these factors of causation and negligence are crucial to a successful lawsuit.
Following a car accident, your attorney will want to speak with you about the circumstances that led to the accident and how to prove the other driver’s negligence. If the evidence supports that the driver did not show reasonable care to other drivers on the road, then that negligence can be shown as what caused the accident.
When you can prove both of these in a car accident case, it is usually sufficient to show that the other driver should be held accountable for the accident and thus liable for the damages to your property, your physical condition, and the state of your mental health.
In some cases, one or more drivers may share the fault of an accident. Even if you contributed to the accident, you could still recover damages under a legal concept called comparative negligence.
Georgia is a state that weighs the possibility of comparative negligence in personal injury cases. Basically, this means that drivers who are injured in car accidents in Georgia may seek to recover compensation, even if they, too, are partially at fault for the accident. In these cases, the levels of compensation may drop according to the level of shared fault determined by the court.
Click to contact our Atlanta Car Accident Lawyers today
Your Personal Injury Lawyer
Your Atlanta distracted driving accident lawyer at Ben Crump Law, PLLC can help you uncover evidence while finding a winning strategy to support you in a personal injury lawsuit. Call (844) 730-0233 for an initial consultation, free of charge.
Call or text (844) 730-0233 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form