According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in the United States over 3 million people died or were injured in motor accidents involving a distracted driver in 2018. Many people assume that distracted driving equates to texting and driving, but there are many other causes of distracted driving that can result in serious injuries and fatalities on the roadways. If you suffered injuries as a result of a car accident involving a distracted driver, learn how a Charlotte distracted driving accident lawyer at Ben Crump Law, PLLC at (844) 730-0233 can help you with your case.
Injuries and Distracted Driving Accidents
If you suffered any injuries as a result of a distracted driving accident, you should seek immediate medical attention if you have not done so already. Additionally, if you find that your injuries worsen, or you develop new symptoms, you should always revisit your healthcare provider to ensure that your health remains a priority. Additionally, these medical visits can provide evidence that your injuries resulted from your accident and not caused by a pre-existing condition.
Some of the types of injuries that victims of distracted driving suffer include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken or fractured bones
- Nerve damage
- Spinal cord injuries leading to paralysis
- Amputations
- Bruising
- Lacerations and internal bleeding
- Internal organ damage
Many of these injuries can require you or a loved one to undergo surgeries or physical therapy. Some injuries may cause lingering effects for years or even the rest of a lifetime, and this can impact the money you may earn now and in the future. You may also suffer from loss of enjoyment or other mental anguish, and it is your right to seek awards.
Learn how a Charlotte distracted driving accident lawyer at Ben Crump Law, PLLC can help you understand your legal rights, and if someone you love died as a result of a distracted driving accident, how you may have the legal right to pursue a wrongful death case.
Understanding Distracted Driving
Many drivers understand that they should not text while driving. However, there are other types of distractions that drivers may not understand are just as dangerous, or perhaps even more dangerous while driving. Any action that takes the focus away from driving or the roadway constitutes distracted driving. The three types of distracted driving types, as listed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), include the following:
- Manual Distractions – Manual distractions include any types of distractions that involve taking a hand away from the steering wheel, such as eating, drinking, smoking, texting, talking on a cell phone that is not hands-free, petting an animal in the passenger seat, changing a radio station, or checking a GPS navigation system.
- Visual Distractions – Visual distractions include any type of distraction that requires looking away from the roadway, whether the distraction is inside or outside of the vehicle.
- Cognitive Distractions – Cognitive distractions are any type of distraction that causes a driver to lose focus, such as inattention, driving while fatigued, or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
For a free legal consultation with a lawyer serving Charlotte, call (844) 730-0233
North Carolina Distracted Driving Statistics
According to the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles, the following are some distracted driving statistics for 2018:
- 121 fatalities related to distracted driving
- 24,178 injuries related to distracted driving
- 54,046 distracted driving accidents
Cell phone use is one primary reason for distraction and causes deaths and injuries.
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North Carolina Distracted Driving Laws
The state of North Carolina takes a strong legal stance regarding distracted driving. Some current distracted driving laws in North Carolina now center around the prohibition of cell phone usage while driving. In fact, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, all drivers must refrain from reading or writing messages while their vehicle is in operation on the roadways or pay a fine and court costs, and minors cannot use a cell phone at all while driving.
Although they may not intend to, drivers can act negligently, or even recklessly, and end up hurting passengers or other drivers. Drivers owe other motorists and pedestrians a duty of care, and texting or taking hands off the steering wheel go against this duty.
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How a Charlotte Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer Investigates and Builds a Personal Injury Case
Driving accident cases often prove legally challenging and complex, since evidence must show that the other driver was in some way distracted causing your accident. Some of the ways that a Charlotte distracted driving accident lawyer can investigate your case to prove liability and negligence include:
- Obtaining the police report from law enforcement
- Obtaining any citations issued by law enforcement regarding the violation of distracted driving laws
- Obtaining copies of cell phone records from the other driver to determine if they used a cell phone during the time of the accident
- Reviewing witness statements from the scene of the accident
- Interviewing witnesses as well as the other drivers regarding the accident
- Gathering GPS system timestamps and other information obtained from electronic devices
- Obtaining access to social media accounts of the other driver to determine if they recently posted anything on any social media account on or about the time of the accident
- Contacting accident reconstruction experts in order to make a determination regarding the cause of the accident
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Learn How a Charlotte Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer Can Help You Today
In many distracted driving cases, victims must have evidence to prove that the other driver operated a motor vehicle while distracted. A Charlotte distracted driving accident lawyer can help. If you suffered injuries related to a car accident you believe resulted from distracted driving, contact our legal team at Ben Crump Law, PLLC at (844) 730-0233 to learn how our team can help you with your case.
Call or text (844) 730-0233 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
