Distracted driving can be very dangerous. The National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) reports that more than 8% of all car crashes involve a distracted driver and across the U.S., more than 3,500 people are killed in distracted driving accidents each year. In Florida alone, there are more than 56,000 distracted driving crashes per year, which take the lives of more than 330 people. A far larger number of people survive distracted driving accidents but are seriously injured.
This blog post will discuss the common types of injuries caused by distracted driving accidents. We’ll look at Florida’s laws against texting and driving and see what is still allowed. The post will also cover car accident lawsuits and damages and will provide information on how to get help from a car accident lawyer.
What Injuries Do Distracted Driving Accidents Cause?
When a distracted driver strikes another vehicle, a pedestrian, a motorcyclist, or a person on a bicycle, the accident victim may be severely injured. Common injuries include:
- Head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), which can cause permanent impairment.
- Back and spinal cord injuries, which may cause loss of function and sensation.
- Broken arm or leg bones, broken ribs, or other broken bones, which can have serious complications.
- Severe cuts or lacerations, which may be disfiguring.
- Back and neck injuries, which can cause severe pain and limit movement.
If you have been injured in an accident involving a distracted driver, Florida law may entitle you to receive substantial compensation for your injuries that were caused by the driver’s negligence. An experienced Florida car accident lawyer can help you receive all the compensation you deserve for your medical bills, pain and suffering, lost income, and other damages.
FLORIDA’S LAW AGAINST TEXTING AND DRIVING
In 2019, Florida passed the Florida Ban on Texting While Driving Law. It was supposed to strengthen enforcement of texting-while-driving bans by allowing law enforcement officers to pull over vehicles when they see drivers texting. Before, officers could only cite people for texting and driving if they had already stopped them for some other offense.
The texting-while-driving law prohibits people who are driving any kind of motor vehicle from typing or reading texts, emails, instant messages, or any other kind of communication. Fines range from $30 for a first offense to over $100 for subsequent offenses.
However, there are many exceptions. Drivers are only prohibited from using their phones while their vehicles are in motion, so they can still send and read texts while they are sitting at red lights. They can use GPS, check weather and traffic alerts, and talk on the phone even while in motion, as long as they are not in a school or construction zone. And drivers don’t have to allow law enforcement officials to look at their phones without a search warrant.
All of these exceptions make the texting-while-driving law hard to enforce. The law has not prevented distracted driving as much as legislators hoped it would. That means if you are driving, walking, or riding a bike in Florida, you are still vulnerable to being hit by a distracted driver.
If you are ever involved in a distracted driving accident and are seriously injured, you can count on an experienced Dennis Hernandez car accident lawyer to protect your rights and fight hard for you to get the compensation you need and deserve.
CAR ACCIDENT LAWSUITS AND DAMAGES IN FLORIDA
Florida law gives you the right to sue a distracted driver if their negligence caused or contributed to an accident in which you were injured. You can seek financial compensation for your injury-related expenses and losses, including your current and expected future:
- Medical expenses, including emergency care, doctor visits, hospital stays, medical tests and treatments, surgery, rehabilitation, and medication
- Income losses if your injuries prevent you from working as much as you used to or from working at all
- Physical pain and suffering
- Disabilities and disfigurement
- Mental anguish, PTSD and anxiety
- Losses suffered by your family because of your injuries
- Other damages recoverable under Florida law
The amount of compensation you may be awarded can make a substantial difference in your life. An experienced car accident lawyer can help you by gathering evidence showing all the ways that your injuries have caused you to have higher expenses or suffer difficult losses, to get you the highest possible amount of compensation.
GETTING HELP FROM EXPERIENCED FLORIDA CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS
Having to live with a serious injury from a distracted driving accident can be overwhelming. Financial compensation can’t undo the damage an accident injury causes or take away the pain; however, it can help relieve the stress of needing health care and being under financial pressure because of mounting medical bills and decreased income.
If you have been the victim of a distracted driving accident or any accident involving negligence on another driver’s part, the experienced Dennis Hernandez Florida car accident lawyers want to help. We will thoroughly investigate the accident and find evidence that the other driver was negligent and should be held responsible for your injuries. We’ll negotiate fiercely with the negligent driver’s insurance company on your behalf and leverage our litigation experience to get you the results you deserve. We’re always ready to go to court and fight to win, if necessary to get you the life-changing compensation you need.
Call us at 855-529-3366 or fill out the FREE CASE EVALUATION form on our website to find out more about how we can help. Our advice and services are free until you win your case.
