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request free consultation request free ConsultationEach day, hundreds of people throughout the state of Texas are injured in car accidents that could have been easily avoided had the negligent driver concentrated solely on the road. Distracted driving has reached a critical mass with the heightened use of smart phones while driving and presents a dangerous situation throughout the roadways of the state. While Texas has tried to curb the incidence of distracted driving through criminal penalties and ad campaigns warning of the dangers, distracted driving accidents continue to occur on a daily basis.
The Texas Department of Transportation listed over 100,000 accidents caused by driver inattention and distraction in 2014 throughout the state. This represents a gain of nearly 20,000 accidents caused by distracted driving since 2010, which is a terrifying statistic to think about. This number represents 20,000 accidents that did not happen in 2010 because drivers were not as distracted as they were in 2014. The increased use of smart phones in our daily lives, from Facebook “check-ins” to GPS routes, has contributed to new ways for drivers to take their eyes off the road. Even five seconds to glance at a text message is enough to miss a driver turn into your lane or a child run into the road. The over-abundance of distracted drivers on the road needs to come to an end.
Studies have indicated that distracted driving is often worse than drunk driving. While criminal penalties remain more severe for drunk driving, Texas has slowly begun to implement criminal penalties and fines for distracted driving, including banning cell phone use while driving in certain cities. San Antonio made it an offense in 2014 to operate a motor vehicle while texting or otherwise using a cell phone, punishable by a citation on the first offense and a fine on the second offense. While this is not as severe as other driving penalties (such as speeding), it has helped curb the rate of distracted driving accidents throughout the San Antonio region.
If you have been injured in a distracted driving accident, you can bring a claim for damages in civil court, even if the driver has already been cited for their use of a cell phone while driving. Your claim may include:
Distracted driving accidents can lead to severe injuries such as whiplash and spinal cord injuries, which require weeks or even months of treatment. The innocent victims of these accidents should not be forced to cover the expenses stemming from the negligent behavior of one driver in failing to pay attention to the road. An experienced personal injury attorney will be able to assist you in calculating the appropriate amount of damages.
If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident caused by distracted driving, do not hesitate to contact the attorneys of Sadler and Sadler. Our attorneys have over 30 years of experience in handling car accident cases and will work closely with you to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve after a distracted driving accident. The distracted driver should be held accountable for their inattention to the road. Your claim for damages will help ensure that this behavior will not continue in the future and should serve as a warning to the driver before a more deadly distracted driving accident occurs. Contact our San Antonio office today for your initial free consultation.