A Little Rock distracted driving attorney can help you if you’ve been injured by a driver who was texting or otherwise distracted. Texting and driving is prohibited by law, yet thousands of accidents each year are caused by distracted driving. If you been injured by a distracted driver, an experienced car accident lawyer can help.
For more information, contact the Johnson Firm today. We offer free, no obligation consultations, and we can help you determine whether you have a claim. You can contact us by filling out the form on this page, calling us at 501-777-7777, or emailing us at info@johnsonfirm.law.
Important: The time you have to pursue a claim is limited. Contact us for more information.
What is Distracted Driving?
According to distraction.gov, distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. These types of distractions include:
- Texting and driving
- Using a cell phone or smartphone
- Eating and drinking
- Talking to passengers
- Grooming
- Reading, including maps
- Using a navigation system
- Watching a video
- Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player
But, because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver, it is by far the most alarming distraction.
Distracted Driving Statistics
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that in 2013, 3,154 people were killed, and 424,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. Additionally, ten percent of all drivers 15 to 19 years old involved in fatal crashes in the U.S. were reported as distracted at the time of the crashes. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted at the time of the crashes.
Distracted Driving Lawsuits Filed
The chances of a driver being distracted has increased greatly in the last few years because of the wide availability of mobile technologies and apps. As a result, distracted driving lawsuits have also begun to to increase. In Arkansas, it is against the law to text and drive, and people who do this can be liable for injuries they cause.
However, distracted driving is not just limited to texting and driving. In April 2016, a lawsuit was filed against the messaging app Snapchat by a man who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car crash his attorneys say was caused in part by another driver who wanted to post an image of herself travelling at 100 miles per hour. The Snapchat app has a special filter and feature that will overlay the speed the person was travelling when the photo was taken. Officials believe the plaintiff’s car was struck by the woman’s car which was allegedly travelling at 113 miles per hour.
In another distracted driving lawsuit, $22 million was awarded to a woman injured when her car was broadsided by a vehicle driven by a Coca-Cola marketing employee allegedly talking on her cell phone. Detroit Legal News reports that the Texas jury awarded the plaintiff $11.5 million for lost wages, medical expenses and pain and suffering, and also awarded $10 million in punitive damages against the beverage giant.
How a Little Rock Distracted Driving Attorney Can Help
When negligence from distracted driving or other causes results in injury, or when a company’s product is unreasonably dangerous and causes harm, an injured party suffers loss in various ways. The law allows that party to pursue damages to recover those losses. Common types of damages recoverable in a personal injury case include:
- Medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
- Loss of ability to earn
- Scarring and disfigurement
When someone’s negligence results in the death of another person, family members of the person killed may recover damages for the wrongful death of their loved one. Wrongful death damages include:
- Medical expenses incurred prior to death
- Conscious pain and suffering prior to death
- Loss of the economic support of the loved one
- Loss of the companionship of the loved one
- Funeral expenses
If the actions causing injury are malicious or so reckless that intent to harm can be inferred, the responsible party can be liable for punitive damages to punish wrongful conduct and deter similar conduct in the future.
Victims of distracted driving are encouraged to contact a Little Rock distracted driving attorney at the Johnson Firm to learn more about their rights and remedies.
The Time You Have to Pursue a Claim is Limited. Contact Us Today.
For more information, or if you want to speak with a Little Rock distracted driving accident attorney, contact the Johnson firm today. You can contact us by filling out the form on this page, calling us at 501-777-7777, or emailing us at info@johnsonfirm.law.
After you contact us, an attorney will follow up with you to get more information about your case. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and all of the information you provide is confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.