Even though many people acknowledge the dangers of distracted driving, they still continue to drive while distracted, putting other motorists at risk. When someone else’s negligence causes your injuries, you deserve justice and accountability. An experienced Oklahoma City distracted driving accident attorney from Oklahoma Injury Law Firm can discuss your legal rights and options during a free case review. Call us today to get started with a Oklahoma City personal injury attorney.
How a Car Accident Lawyer Can Help with Your Distracted Driving Case
If you were injured in an accident you suspect was caused by distracted driving, you will likely need legal assistance to prove your suspicions. An experienced Oklahoma City distracted driving accident attorney can help by:
- Investigating your vehicle accident
- Demanding cell phone records
- Working with accident reconstruction experts to recreate the events that led to the crash
- Analyzing skid marks and other physical evidence
- Interviewing witnesses
- Reviewing accident reports
- Demanding fair compensation
- Negotiating with insurance companies
- Handling communications and insurance claims on your behalf
Learn more about how we can help when you contact Oklahoma Injury Law Firm for a free, no-obligation consultation.
What Is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving is anything that takes your focus off the task of driving. While texting is widely recognized as a form of distracted driving, it’s not the only source of distractions while behind the wheel.
There are different types of distractions, including:
- Visual distractions: These distractions take the driver’s eyes off the roadway.
- Manual distractions: These distractions take the driver’s hands off the steering wheel.
- Cognitive distractions: These distractions take the driver’s mind off the task of driving.
Some distractions fit snugly into one of these categories, while others fall into multiple categories.
Why Is Distracted Driving So Dangerous?
Distracted driving takes your mind off safe driving and can also involve manual distractions. Extensive research has been conducted to explore the dangers of distracted driving. Some alarming findings include:
- If you are traveling 55 mph in a vehicle while sending or reading a text message, you take your eyes off the road for the entire length of a football field.
- Teen drivers were eight times more likely to be involved in a crash if they dialed a phone, and seven to eight times more likely to crash if they reached for a phone.
- Sending a text message can be more dangerous than driving while legally impaired.
- At least 3,275 people in the United States were killed in distracted driving accidents in 2023.
People cannot drive safely unless driving has their full attention. Any non-driving activity that they engage in can be a distraction and pose a risk to safe driving.
Common Forms of Distracted Driving
Distracted driving can take many forms, including:
- Texting
- Talking on a cell phone
- Talking to passengers
- Tending to children or pets in the vehicle
- Looking at the scenery outside
- Adjusting the radio, air conditioning, or other controls in the vehicle
- Eating or drinking
- Adjusting the infotainment system or GPS
- Checking emails, surfing the internet, or posting to social media
- Taking pictures or video
- Brushing hair, putting on makeup, or grooming
Doing anything that takes your attention away from driving can endanger other motorists unnecessarily.
Damages in a Distracted Driving Accident Case
If a distracted driver caused a crash that injured you, our Oklahoma City distracted driving accident lawyers can pursue full and fair compensation for your accident-related injuries and losses, including:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Permanent impairments and incapacities
- Costs to repair or replace your damaged vehicle
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Emotional distress
Our attorneys fight tirelessly to secure maximum compensation for our clients.
What Evidence Can Help Prove Distracted Driving?
Even though you might suspect distracted driving, you must be able to prove it or that the other driver was somehow negligent to recover compensation. Oklahoma is an at-fault state for car accidents, so the driver found at fault for the accident is responsible for paying for the damages they cause.
Some types of evidence that may help prove distracted driving contributed to an accident could include:
- Accident reports: The police report may indicate that the other driver admitted to being distracted or that the police officer suspected they were distracted.
- Cell phone records: Cell phone records may reveal that the driver was texting, on a call, or online at the time of the crash.
- Skid marks: Skid marks indicate when the driver slammed on their brakes, which may show a delay in cases involving distractions. The absence of skid marks can show that the driver reacted too late to avoid the collision.
- Event data recorders: Many modern-day vehicles have electronic systems that record key information about the vehicle immediately before a crash, such as brake patterns, turning radius, and speed. The lack of these actions can indicate the driver was distracted.
- Dashcam footage: Many distracted driving incidents are rear-end accidents. Your dashcam could have recorded the driver being distracted before the accident.
- Video footage: Video recordings from traffic cameras or surveillance cameras may have recorded the driver looking down or otherwise appearing distracted.
- Social media activity: Your lawyer may try to get records that show the exact time the other driver posted to Facebook or other social media platforms, which could indicate they were posting or commenting at the time of the accident.
- Witness statements: Witnesses could have seen what the other driver was doing immediately before the accident.
- Property damage: The specific location and severity of damage can indicate the speed and direction of impact, which could imply driver distraction.
- Accident reconstruction reports: Accident reconstruction experts can use objective evidence to create visual representations of how the crash occurred.
Our experienced car accident lawyers know how to identify, preserve, and gather compelling evidence to prove your injury case.
Contact Our Oklahoma City Distracted Driving Accident Attorney Today
If a distracted driver injured you, you deserve justice and accountability. Oklahoma Injury Law Firm is here to help you demand them. We can discuss your legal options for pursuing financial compensation and explain how we can help on this journey. Call us at (405) 310-8800 or contact us online to arrange a free consultation.