Distracted Driving Accidents

When you think of distracted driving, it is no surprise if your first thought is of someone staring at their cellphone, either checking emails, sending a text message, or even watching YouTube. While these are all definitely examples of distracted driving, there are many other situations that can be qualified as distracted driving as well. If you are involved in an accident with someone who was not paying attention to the road and caused injury to either you or your passengers, there may be an opportunity to ensure that all of your costs are covered by their insurance company or the responsible party directly.

In order to determine whether or not you have a case for a personal injury lawsuit, contact us as soon as possible for a free initial consultation. During this consultation, you will be able to speak directly with an experienced legal professional about the options that are available to you given the circumstances of your accident, the injuries that you have sustained, and the impacts that the injuries and recovery has had on your life, from everything to your professional life to your personal time.

Read more below about some examples of distracted driving, as well as how we will determine the amount of money we believe you are rightfully owed as a result of your injuries.

Examples of Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is essentially any time when a driver takes their attention away from the road and focuses on something else. There are many different ways that someone can become distracted, and each of these ways introduces a new possibility of causing an accident. Some examples are as follows:

  • Texting while driving
  • Using a smartphone to play with apps or check emails
  • Using a car’s onboard entertainment system
  • Updating coordinates in a GPS, whether it is the vehicle’s or on a smartphone or dedicated device
  • Eating while driving
  • Reading the newspaper in traffic
  • Reaching into the backseat or onto the floor to pick something up
  • Lose pets in the car
  • Putting on makeup 

Of course, there are many other examples of distracted driving, but these are some examples that are unfortunately common. Whether or not your accident involved a distraction similar to one listed above, contact us now to learn about the next steps towards getting the money you need.

Damages After a Distracted Driving Accident

In order to calculate the damages that a victim in an accident is owed, they are first divided into two different types of damages, which each have a different method of calculation. These damages are known as “compensatory damages,” because they compensate the victim. 

In some cases, a victim may be awarded punitive damages from a jury, but the victim and their legal team will not seek punitive damages, and therefore we will not factor them into the amount we believe that you are entitled to after your accident.

Economic Damages

Economic damages are intended to pay a victim and their insurance company back for any expenses that they incurred as a result of the injuries, as well as any disruptions to income or other employment-related issues. This includes things like treatment expenses, assistive devices, surgery, hospital stays, ambulance rides, recovery costs, physical therapy appointments, and more. In addition, it covers any lost wages, missed income, and paid time off or vacation pay used in order to cover missed days due to injury.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages are more complicated to reach an agreement on than economic damages, simply because of the abstract nature of their costs. Non-economic damages seek to compensate a victim for issues that come along with an accident that do not have a set dollar amount associated with them. This includes things like pain, suffering, sadness, depression, anguish, and other emotional issues of a traumatic accident. 

Since non-economic damages do not have agreed-upon dollar amounts associated with them, it is typical for an attorney to come up with a number that represents the severity of these issues, generally between 1-5. This number is a “multiplier,” and is then applied to the economic damages in order to determine the dollar amount of the non-economic damages.

Contact Us Today

During your initial consultation, you will be able to speak with an attorney about the options you have available, the process that you have already undergone, our experience with situations like yours, and more. The sooner you call, the sooner we will be able to begin working towards the best outcome for your situation.