Injured in a distracted driving accident in Atlanta, GA? You don’t have to deal with this overwhelming time alone. The Atlanta car accident attorneys at Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers are here for you every step of the way after a distracted driving accident in Atlanta, Georgia.
Contact our law office at (770) 900-9000 to schedule a free consultation with our Atlanta distracted driving accident attorneys and learn more about your legal options after a car accident.
How Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Distracted Driving Accident in Georgia
The Atlanta personal injury lawyers at Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers have 50 years of combined experience and have recovered tens of millions of dollars for injured clients.
When you hire our Atlanta car accident attorneys, we can do the following:
- Investigate your claim
- Discuss your options
- Evaluate your damages
- Handle communications with insurance companies
- Negotiate for a settlement
- Represent you at trial if needed
Contact our law office in Atlanta, GA, to schedule a free consultation with an Atlanta distracted driving accident lawyer.
What Is Distracted Driving?
In simple terms, distracted driving is driving while your concentration is not fully on the task of driving. According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety in Georgia, three main types of distraction exist: visual distraction, manual distraction, and cognitive distraction.
What Causes Distracted Driving Accidents?
A visual distraction is a distraction that makes you take your eyes off the road. Looking at your phone screen, glancing at a billboard, or staring at the car next to you are all visual distractions. When you’re visually distracted, you’re not keeping your eyes on the road and you’re at risk of committing a traffic violation that can result in injury.
A manual distraction is a distraction that makes you take one hand or both hands off the steering wheel. Sending a text, operating the infotainment system in your car, and eating are all manual distractions. Without both hands on the wheel, you risk losing control of your vehicle, which can lead to collision with another car on the road.
A cognitive distraction is a distraction that takes your mind off driving. Having a conversation, listening to loud music, and daydreaming are all cognitive distractions. When you’re thinking about something other than driving, your reflexes to hazards on the road are slower, and your judgment may be impaired or slowed. This can create a dangerous driving situation and result in damage to another vehicle or injury to another person.
Texting and Driving
While any distraction has the potential to result in an accident or injury, using a cell phone to text while driving puts a driver at serious risk of causing an accident. This is because texting results in all three types of distractions: you look at the screen to compose the text (visual distraction), you use your hand to hold the phone and write the text (manual distraction), and you have to think about the text to write it (cognitive distraction). When your mind, hand, and eyes are on something besides driving, the danger of causing an accident increases.
How Common Are Distracted Driving Accidents in Atlanta?
According to statistics from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,308 people were killed in 2022 from distracted driving, and many others suffered significant injuries. Driving while distracted is a serious traffic safety problem that can result in extensive property damage as well as personal injury.
What Should I Do After a Distracted Driving Accident?
Distracted drivers can be dangerous to other drivers and themselves. Their inattention can result in serious injury to another person and damage to another’s vehicle.
If you are involved in an accident, you should:
- Ensure the safety of everyone in your vehicle and the other vehicles and call for emergency help if necessary.
- Be aware of the accident scene and who hit whom? Was the other driver holding a phone at the time of the accident?
- Call law enforcement to get an official report of the accident. A police officer’s issuance of a citation for distracted driving goes a long way toward proving the driver was distracted at the time of the accident.
- Call your insurance company and follow their instructions.
You should also call an attorney who is experienced in distracted-driver accident cases as soon as possible.
What Damages Can I Recover from a Distracted Driver in Georgia?
If the distracted driver was at fault for the accident, you could be entitled to substantial compensation for the accident, including the following:
- Property damage/car repair. You can be compensated for any damage to your car or property in your car. You may also be entitled to compensation for any loss in the value of your vehicle due to the accident.
- Medical expenses. Medical treatment and therapy for physical and mental injuries caused by the accident are compensable.
- Pain and suffering damages/emotional distress. If you have mental suffering from the accident, you may be entitled to “compensatory damages” because of it.
- Lost wages. Any time you have to spend away from work for medical treatment or other services related to the accident is compensable.
When the other driver’s conduct was particularly grievous, you may be entitled to punitive damages.
Contact Our Atlanta Car Accident Law Firm at Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
If you were injured in Atlanta, Georgia, by a distracted driver, you may be entitled to recover compensation for your losses. Contact Hammers Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with an Atlanta distracted driving accident attorney and learn about your options.