Fort Worth Distracted Driving Accident Attorney
Being involved in an auto accident that is caused by a distracted driver can leave you injured, perhaps unable to work, and wondering how you will pay your medical bills as well as your normal monthly bills. If your injuries are severe or catastrophic, you may be looking at a life that is forever altered. You may never be able to return to work or to do the normal things we all do on a daily basis—and take for granted. You could find yourself experiencing significant physical pain every day of your life and could also face emotional and mental pain and trauma.
All of these changes to your life because another driver failed to keep his or her eyes on the road due to a distraction. Distracted driving is extremely common in our multi-tasking world but can also be difficult to prove. Drivers who cause an accident because they were texting or were otherwise distracted are generally unwilling to admit that to the police. Because of this, it is almost certain that the number of distracted driving accidents is much higher than we know. It can be extremely beneficial for your future to contact a Fort Worth distracted driving accident attorney from Noteboom—The Law Firm.
Why Choose Noteboom—The Law Firm for Your Fort Worth Distracted Driving Accident?
At Noteboom—the Law Firm, we are proud of our record of success. When you hire an experienced Fort Worth distracted driving accident attorney from Noteboom—The Law Firm, you are taking a necessary step to protect yourself—both now and in the future. We regularly take cases to trial, and we always prepare a case as if it were going to trial. This means we are always 100 percent prepared, no matter the twists and turns your case might take. We have the resources necessary to see injury cases through to completion—including a full-time, on-staff private investigator.
With decades of experience, our highly skilled attorneys will gather all the evidence associated with your case, negotiate with the insurance company, and go to trial when the insurance company refuses to pay what your claim is worth. Attorneys Chuck Noteboom and Brian Butcher are Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. This brings a high level of service to our team-based approach. We understand the situation you now find yourself in and will help you through it in the best way possible.
What is Considered Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving is engaging in any other activity that takes your attention away from the road and the other drivers around you. When you engage in distracted driving, your chances of being involved in an accident increase exponentially. There are essentially four different types of distracted driving:
- Visual distractions occur when something causes you to take your eyes off the road. Drivers may text, read billboards, turn to talk to a passenger, or turn around to see what the pets or children are doing in the back seat. A visual distraction generally takes the driver’s attention away from the road for about 4.6 seconds—the time it takes to cover the length of a football field if you are driving 55 mph.
- Auditory distractions are any noises or sounds inside the car that distract you. If you are listening to music at a loud volume, if the baby is crying in the back seat, or if your engine is making a noise, you are focusing on these sounds rather than on your driving.
- Manual distractions occur when you take your hands off the steering wheel. Perhaps you are changing radio stations, eating a messy burger, reaching for a drink, setting your GPS, or picking up the baby’s bottle. All of these are manual distractions that can potentially delay your reaction time and cause an accident.
- Cognitive distractions are those that cause you to take your mind off your driving. Talking to someone on your cell phone is a cognitive distraction as is daydreaming, or even thinking about what you will fix for dinner and what groceries you need to stop and get.
Some distractions combine more than one of the above. According to ABC News, having children in the car is 12 times more distracting than talking on a cell phone. The average parent takes their eyes from the road for a total of three minutes and 22 seconds during a 16-minute trip. As a parent, you may be constantly looking in your rearview mirror to see what the children are doing, or even turning around and bending down to pick up the bottle the baby dropped. Child-related distractions are manual, auditory, cognitive, and visual.
According to bankrate.com, 3,142 people were killed by distracted drivers in 2020. The NHTSA estimates that 8.1 percent of all car crash fatalities are due to distracted driving. While cell phone use has decreased along with state bans on usage, people are still using their cell phones more than they should while driving. Teens in particular are the most likely group to text and drive—especially dangerous because teens are already a high-risk group due to their inexperience.
Why is Distracted Driving Dangerous?
Distracted driving is dangerous because any time you take your attention from your driving, you are not watching the road or other drivers around you. Unfortunately, while most drivers say that all drivers should avoid distracted driving, most continue to engage in distractions. We eat entire meals while driving, set the GPS, fiddle with the car controls or radio stations, talk on our cell phones, text or read texts, check on the children, and talk to our passengers. We seem unable to put down our electronic devices—even when we are driving.
Even though most of us would never put distracted drivers in the same category as drunk or drugged drivers, distraction can sometimes impair your driving ability to the same extent. Until we as a society change our attitudes about distracted driving, the laws simply will not change. In fact, there is simply no safe way to use a device while driving—and doing so will cause distraction virtually all the time.
How a Fort Worth Distracted Driving Accident Attorney from Noteboom—The Law Firm Can Help
When you choose a Fort Worth distracted driving accident attorney from Noteboom—The Law Firm, you are choosing a quality firm that is well-respected by other attorneys, judges, and prosecutors. We have been helping people who were injured, anxious about the future, and stressed about their current situation since 1982. The Noteboom attorneys always go the extra mile for our clients because we truly believe in what we do and are proud of our legacy. Don’t wait if you’ve been injured by a distracted driver—contact Noteboom—The Law Firm today.