Miami Distracted Driving Accident Attorneys

Today it is a common sight to see drivers talking on their cellphones or sending and receiving text messages while driving. In fact, recent statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) suggest that 71% of teens and young adults admitted to writing or sending a text message while driving, and 78% of teens and young adults admitted to reading a text message while driving. Engaging in other behaviors that take the driver’s eyes or attention off the road – called “distracted driving” – can take many forms, including:

  • Sending or reading text messages
  • Adjusting the radio
  • Talking with passengers or paying attention to children in the car
  • Eating or drinking
  • Reaching for an item that has fallen on the floor

Dangers Of Distracted Driving

When a driver is distracted, that driver becomes unable to react to sudden hazards in the roadway. A car can travel a considerable distance in the time it takes a driver to send or read a simple text. Distracted driving falls into two main categories:

  1. Mechanical distraction, which takes place when the driver’s hands and/or feet are occupied by other tasks, such as dialing, texting or adjusting the radio. This poses a danger because the driver may not be able to steer efficiently or work the pedals to the car.
  2. Attentive distraction, which is when the driver’s eyes and/or focus is off of the road and directed elsewhere, such as when a driver is reading a text or focusing on a fussy child in the back seat. A driver may not see a pedestrian who has just wandered into the road or a car that has suddenly stopped ahead of the driver.

Holding Distracted Drivers Responsible For Permanent Injuries

When a car crash is caused by a distracted driver, that driver can be held responsible for the damages and injuries he or she causes. This is because every driver owes a “duty of care” to others who use the roadway. This “duty of care” requires that drivers operate their cars in a reasonably careful manner. When a driver violates this “duty of care” by sending a text while driving (for example) and someone is permanently injured as a result, that driver can be held responsible for those injuries.

Holding a distracted driver for the injuries caused by a crash involves collecting important pieces of evidence such as cellphone records, witness statements and photographic evidence (for instance). Injury victims who seek the assistance of a car accident attorney are more likely to preserve these important pieces of evidence and thus recover compensation for their injuries.

Contact Kaire & Heffernan, PLLC

If you or a loved one has been injured in a serious car crash with a distracted driver, it is important you speak with us at Kaire & Heffernan right away. We are experienced and zealously represent car crash victims who have been seriously and permanently injured in collisions with distracted drivers. Contact us by calling 305-376-7860 or reaching out to us online today.

Related articles:

  • PSA Warns Dangers of Distracted Driving
  • Florida’s Anti-Texting Law Not Good Enough
  • Distracted Driver Video a Must See
  • Parents Should Get Off Their Cell Phones
  • Jury Returns $8.8 Million Verdict Against Distracted Driver

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