Distracted Driving Car Accidents
in Birmingham AL

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Safety Council (NSC), and other health and safety organizations all estimate that at least 20% of all car accidents or automobile accidents are caused by or directly involve at least one driver distracted by a cellphone. Despite this concern and obvious problem, there does not seem to be any promise of improvement on the horizon, as even hands-free devices in the car are considered to be just as distracting. If you have been hurt by a distracted driver, you should fight for maximized compensation for your damages and injuries.

Jaffe & Erdberg, P.C. in Alabama can provide excellent legal service and compassionate representation after you have been hurt by a negligent, distracted driver. Our Birmingham personal injury lawyers have more than 30 years of combined legal experience. Contact our office to learn what that level of representation can do for your case.

Distracted Driving Often Leads to Liability

If you suspect that the driver that hit you was distracted by a billboard, cellphone, other passenger, and so on, it is crucial that you do what you can to prove it. Insurance companies will often see any form of serious distraction as grounds to drop 100% of the liability onto that driver. A negligent driver who knows about this inclination will be eager to defend themselves and try to shirk their accountability. You must be prepared for their resistance and assume that your claim will require litigation.

Three Forms of Distraction

Safety groups like the CDC often consider there to be three forms of driver distraction:

1. Manual distractions that take the driver’s hands off the wheel and gearshift.
2. Visual distractions that draw the driver’s eyes off the road and mirrors.
3. Cognitive distractions that make the driver think of anything other than driving safely.

Using a smartphone behind the wheel is an unbelievably dangerous action because it combines all three forms of distraction. A driver must pick up the phone, look at it, and think about what they are reading or viewing. Reading a text message makes a driver “effectively road-blind” for a full five seconds on average but creates a cognitive distraction for nearly 30 seconds, according to some studies. Once again, if you think the driver that hit you was using his or her cellphone at the time, you need to take steps to prove it so you can empower your claim.

Experience, Dedication & Compassion

We cannot imagine that you are looking forward to dealing with insurance claims and possibly preparing for litigation on your own. Why not call to speak with our Birmingham auto accident lawyers? When you retain our legal services, you can rest and recuperate while we focus on all the complicated aspects of your claim and act on your behalf.