Memphis Distracted Driving Accident Lawyers

Pursuing Compensation on Behalf of Distracted Driving Accident Victims in Tennessee

Distracted drivers put everyone on the road in danger. If you have been injured in an accident caused by a distracted driver, our team can fight for your right to monetary compensation. Distracted drivers need to be held accountable for the damage they inflict on others, and you deserve to be fully and fairly compensated for the harm you have suffered due to their negligence. We want to help.

Contact our Memphis distracted driving accident attorneys today for a free consultation. Feel free to call our office at (901) 209-5500 or contact us online.

Distracted Driving Statistics

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that 3,142 people died in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2019 alone. This means that 9% of fatal crashes that same year involved distracted drivers. NHTSA data also reveals that over 26,000 people have died in distracted driver crashes between 2012 and 2019. While these numbers may seem staggering as is, it is likely that there are even more crashes involving distracted driving than these statistics fail to account for. Distracted driving can be difficult to track, which means many distracted driving accidents may never be recorded as such.

Common Causes Of Distracted Driving

Distracted driving refers to engaging in anything that draws your full attention away from the road. A distraction may take your vision or mental focus off the road. It may take your hands off the wheel. For these reasons, distracted driving is dangerous driving because you are no longer giving your full attention to the task at hand.

Distracted driving significantly increases the risk of injury or death in a vehicle accident, so why is it such a persistent problem? The causes of distracted driving range from a society relentlessly committed to multitasking and one that seems to be constantly in a rush. Doing more than one thing at a time has become the norm, and it does not seem to stop when we get behind the wheel. Furthermore, with everyone seeming to be busier than ever, people try to multitask to save time. Just take a look at the common forms of distracted driving:

• Texting
• Talking
• Applying makeup
• Eating
• Checking phone notifications
• Adjusting the radio or music player

Engaging in any of these activities while driving can take your attention away from the road. In the meantime, cars change lanes, traffic lights turn red, pedestrians cross the road, and all of these activities could require your immediate reaction in order to avoid a serious or fatal accident from occurring.

The Dangers of Texting and Driving

A quick look down at your phone while you are driving seems innocent enough, right? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), however, sending a text or reading a text while driving 55 miles per hour is tantamount to driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed. Imagine the damage that could be done at such a distance. Cars could slow or stop, a road obstruction could come into your path, a traffic light could turn red, and so much more that could lead to a serious accident. Keep your eyes and attention on the road.

If you have been injured in an accident caused by someone who was texting while driving, make sure the incident of distracted driving is properly documented. The other driver may have been ticked for texting while driving, which will be strong evidence that they were negligent while operating their vehicle. Alternatively, if no ticket was given, you can relay to law enforcement your suspicion that the other driver was texting while driving, and they may investigate further, even including it in the accident report. Evidence of such recklessness can weigh in your favor when pursuing an injury claim with the insurance company for the distracted driver.