In today’s busy world, cars have become offices, lunchrooms, dressing rooms and playrooms where drivers talk on the phone, text, email, search the Internet, apply makeup, take selfies, and perform a multitude of other tasks while driving. Far from multitasking, these activities are distractions that redirect the driver’s focus and take their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road.
During the more than 20 years our partners have been in practice, they have witnessed extraordinary advancements in technology and the resulting increase in distracted driving collisions. We recognize the devastation a distracted driver can impart on auto crash victims and their families, all due to one text or phone call.
Our attorneys vigorously advocate for victims’ rights to recover insurance compensation and to hold the negligent driver accountable in civil court. Your claim is personally handled by one of our partners, not an associate or a paralegal, so you are guaranteed to receive the experienced, knowledgeable representation you expect from your legal counsel.
Facts About Distracted Driving
Distracted drivers killed 3,179 people and injured 431,000 people in 2014. Although most attention focuses on texting and talking on smart phones, distractions include any activity that diverts attention away from operating the vehicle, including:
- Facebook, Tweeting, or posting an Instagram photo
- Searching the Internet
- Eating or drinking
- Disciplining or entertaining children
- Brushing hair, applying makeup or other grooming
- Reaching into the back seat to retrieve an object
- Changing a song on the radio or digital player
- Reading GPS or written directions
Texting While Driving Laws
Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas have laws that ban all motorists from texting while driving. In addition, these states prohibit novice drivers from using a handheld device. Unfortunately, other drivers can continue to legally talk on the phone instead of paying attention to the road. Missouri only prohibits drivers who are 20 and younger from texting while driving and places no restrictions on phone use.
Although lawmakers have been slow to fully protect the public from distracted driving crashes, when an accident does occur, the distracting activity is powerful evidence of negligence.