Distracted Driving Attorney In Michigan City, Indiana
A Michigan City, Indiana distracted driving accident lawyer can play a crucial role in helping you to recover the compensation you need to move on with your life. Unfortunately, distracted driving accidents take a toll in Indiana. It has become a problem in all states. Safety advocates have taken the position that the government has not gone far enough to combat the risk of distracted driving despite the fact that it causes so many deadly and catastrophic accidents.
An experienced Michigan City Indiana distracted driving attorney can assist you when you need to bring a claim against a party you believe is responsible for an accident and in which your injuries have gone far beyond what your automobile medical payments and/or health insurance have paid for your medical expenses. Let alone, the time that you lost from work, and the pain, suffering and inconvenience the accident caused because the other driver was fooling around on their phone.
According to the US government, about 1 in 6 six fatal accidents happen because of distracted driving behavior. This is an increase from 1 in 10 just a few years ago. Distracted driving behavior does not only include texting and driving, although texting and driving is still a leading cause of significant accidents and injuries.
Distracted driving also includes eating your lunch or breakfast while driving, putting on makeup, chatting on the phone, even on blue tooth, talking to other drivers in the car, adjusting radio dials or pulling up some music on your app. Thousands of folks are senselessly killed every year because of distracted driving and despite the fact that legislators have increased their focus on this deadly behavior. The main reason for this behavior despite stiffer fines and penalties is human behavior. We all think that we are not going to be distracted, we can multi-task, and we are overconfident in our ability to stay focused behind the wheel while doing more than one activity.
When you have been injured because someone else was sending a text or taking a selfie, you are entitled to bring a legal claim against that person. Although distracted driving is a loose term, it refers to anything that makes driving a secondary task. All it takes is looking away from the roadway for a couple of seconds for a car or truck traveling at 60 mph to drive the length of a football field, and causing an accident along the way.
Distracted Driving Incidents Can Come in Many Flavors
Experts have categorized distracted driving into 3 main categories: (1) manual distractions; (2) cognitive distractions; and (3) visual distractions. Manual distractions include eating and drinking, applying makeup, using a cell phone and reaching for items in the car because these actions require the driver to take their hand or hands off the steering wheel.
Cognitive distractions refer to spacing out, mulling things over in your head, and talking on the cell phone hands-free. I admit it, just recently I passed an exit on the highway because I was on a conference call. Even though I did not have a manual distraction because the phone wasn’t in my hand, I was certainly more tuned in to the conference than where I was on the road.
Visual distractions include a person outside of the vehicle or an object that pulls the driver’s attention away, even for a few seconds. I’m sure you’ve been distracted by things outside of your vehicle. It could be the motorcycle racing by and cutting in and out of traffic, or the horses and cows in the pasture while traveling down one of our LaPorte County rural roads.
In 2011, Indiana made it illegal for motorists of any age in Indiana to use cell phones or other telecommunication devices to type, transmit, or read a text message or email while driving. If you violate this law, you can receive a ticket of up to 500 bucks.
Common Injuries and Distracted Driving Accidents
Distracted driving accidents can cause horrible injuries or death. The support of an experienced and trusted personal injury lawyer can make a big difference in the recovery of the accident victim. Common injuries can include internal bleeding, broken bones, spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, and whiplash. Your Michigan City Indiana distracted driving lawyer will be able to determine if the other driver was negligent. In simple words, did the other driver put you in harm’s way because they were not paying attention?
If you have lost a loved one because of distracted driving or have had to deal with the impact of these serious injuries on your own. You need to take action as soon as possible. Your rights as a distracted driving accident victim should be protected by a dedicated and trusted personal injury lawyer. The law demands that anyone who is at fault in this situation cannot recover all of their damages. This makes it extremely important when you need to fight against a claim from the other party that you were somehow also distracted or responsible for the crash.
Preserving evidence from the scene, using an accident reconstructionist and getting witness statements are some common actions that need to be taken immediately to enhance your positioning in a personal injury claim. The support of your lawyer can make it that much easier for you to attend all of your medical appointments and remain focused on healing from your accident and injuries. You deserve to be compensated for the injuries you’ve sustained.
Filing a Legal Claim for Distracted Driving Injuries
As an accident victim, you might feel like your world has been turned completely upside down by a few seconds in which someone else wasn’t paying attention. Legally, you could have grounds to pursue compensation for the injuries you sustained as a result of this negligent behavior. Speaking with a lawyer is the first step towards figuring out how you can proceed.
Contact your Michigan City distracted driving lawyer today for a consultation and learn your legal rights.
