Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer in Daytona Beach
When a Texting Driver Hits You, Call Our Attorneys
The dangers of distracted driving are clear. Thousands of traffic deaths each year are caused by people who are not paying full attention to the road for one reason or another. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving claimed the lives of more than 3,100 people in 2019, which is about a 10% rise over 2018.
As time goes on and more drivers have smartphones and hands-free “convenience” features in their cars, distracted driving accidents are likely to keep increasing.
If you have been hit by a distracted driver in Daytona Beach, then you should know two things: you are in no way alone, and excellent legal services are not far away. Politis & Matovina, P.A. and our distracted driving accident lawyers proudly stand up for people who have been blindsided and bashed by motorists who thought reading a text was more important than staying safe. You deserve the absolute most compensation for your injuries, and we know how to fight for it.
Our team is standing by to help you! Call Politis & Matovina, P.A. today by dialing (386) 333-6613 to receive a free consultation.
Types of Distracted Driving
There are three primary types of distracted driving.
- Cognitive distractions are anything that takes your mind or focus away from the task at hand; in the case of driving, the road in front of you. Even if both hands are on the wheel, a cognitive distraction has your mental focus elsewhere. Examples include: talking to a passenger, listening to a news report on the radio, mulling over a work issue you're dealing with. Drowsy driving is also considered a cognitive distraction, since being tired pulls your attention away from the road.
- Visual distractions are anything that takes your eyes off the road, even for a split second. That person in a giant chicken suit twirling a sign that’s trying to direct you to a used car lot? That’s a visual distraction, and it certainly is distracting. Other visual distractions can include checking your in-car GPS, watching or even just listening to a movie on an entertainment system, staring at a roadside billboard, or even reading the bumper sticker on another car. It’s extremely easy to have one of these distractions pull your attention just for a split second, which is long enough to potentially result in a serious injury.
- Manual distractions are anything that causes you to remove your hands from the wheel to do something else. The most common example is eating or drinking in the car. This may seem simple enough, but plenty of people have ended up in a car accident due to someone eating or drinking on the go. Changing the radio station, adjusting your GPS, or sending a text message are also manual distractions. These tend to pull both your focus and your vision away from the task of driving, making them perhaps the most devastating and dangerous type of distraction of them all.
Most drivers can think of something they do while behind the wheel, possibly every single day. While many motorists believe these activities are innocuous and pose no danger to themselves or anyone else, the fact is that the road can change in an instant when a driver is not paying attention. A slight distraction dramatically reduces reaction time, increasing the risk of causing a violent crash.
Common distracted driving actions include:
- Talking on the phone
- Sending/reading text messages
- Sending/reading emails
- Eating
- Grooming (shaving, putting on makeup, etc.)
- Talking with a passenger
- Adjusting the radio or GPS system
Smartphone Use is a Trifecta of Distraction
Although no NHTSA data shows the exact types of distractions in all distracted driving accidents, it is assumed that smartphone use is the leading cause of driver distraction. In some surveys from the National Safety Council (NSC), more than 25% of participants admitted to using a smartphone while driving because they thought it was not dangerous. The real percentage is likely much higher because people do not want to admit to negligence or wrongdoing, even when surveyed anonymously.
The prevalence of smartphone use in distracted driving accidents is in no way a coincidence. Using a phone to check a message or social media post is one of the most dangerously distracting driving behaviors because it engages all three forms of distraction at once.
Smartphone use while driving will distract the driver by:
- Taking their eyes off the road to read the text message.
- Taking their hands off the steering wheel to pick up the phone.
- Taking their mind off the task of driving by thinking about the message or response.
There are also studies that show that reading a text message will cause a driver to continue thinking about it for another 30 seconds or longer after putting the phone down. The bottom line is that texting while driving is blatantly dangerous, and you should not be the one who has to pay for the mistakes of another driver who was willingly engaging in this irresponsible behavior.
Work with Our Attorneys to Get Your Case Started Today
If you believe you have been injured by a distracted driver, Politis & Matovina, P.A. can help. We know various strategies to uncover evidence of the driver’s distraction, like subpoenaing cellphone data records if necessary. Eyewitness testimonies and police reports can also be helpful when compiling a claim for compensation.
Our team has recovered more than $300 million on behalf of the injured and bereaved in Florida, making us one of the premier choices to represent you when you suffer serious injuries in a car accident. Our compassionate legal representatives develop a personal relationship with you to learn the extent to which your accident has impacted your life.
This allows us to pursue the maximum possible compensation that you need to restore your life to the quality it was before the crash. We are not afraid of insurance companies or the armies of lawyers they might bring to your case—we know your rights and we are dedicated to helping you preserve them.
Contact Politis & Matovina, P.A. online today to get started on your case!
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