Distracted Driving Accident Attorneys in Douglasville
Doing anything other than driving while behind the wheel of a vehicle on Georgia’s roads can lead to a serious car accident. This includes using your phone, eating or drinking, grooming, or any other action that diverts attention from the important task of operating a vehicle safely.
Many drivers aren’t deterred by distracted driving laws and the extreme dangers posed by distracted driving. They frequently text and drive, adjust the radio or GPS, or allow passengers to distract them from the important task of paying attention to the road.
Sherrod & Bernard P.C., is there for accident victims who are hurt by distracted drivers in Georgia. We are committed to helping you hold the responsible party accountable for their actions. Our Douglasville personal injury attorneys are prepared to fight aggressively to seek the full and fair compensation that you need to rebuild your life after a distracted driving crash.
To schedule a free consultation to discuss your case, call us or reach out to our car accident law firm, today.
What Is Considered Distracted Driving?
According to Georgia law, distracted driving is defined as performing any action while operating a passenger or commercial vehicle that takes the driver’s attention away from the road. While this definition is very broad, it’s designed to protect other motorists from the careless actions of drivers who purposely take their concentration away from the road.
Today’s technology makes distracted driving more dangerous than ever. With the rise of smartphones, texting and driving or checking social media have become some of today’s most dangerous distractions. But they aren’t the only type.
What is Georgia’s Distracted Driving Law?
Georgia’s governor signed a more comprehensive distracted driving bill, which became law in 2018. House Bill 673, signed in honor of the Georgia Southern nursing students who died in 2015, prohibits all distracted driving as before but emphasizes the use of technology while driving.
Before 2018, distracted driving in Georgia encompassed:
- Eating foods or drinking beverages while operating a motor vehicle
- Tuning the radio or other music adjustments
- Tending to personal hygiene while driving
- Reading maps or programming GPS devices
- Having discussions with other passengers that require the driver to look in the rearview mirror or turn their head
After the bill was signed, the Hands-Free Georgia Act added additional components to Georgia’s distracted driving law.
What is The Hands-Free Georgia Act?
As a result of the Hands-Free Georgia Act being signed into law, law enforcement officials look for three components of a driver’s demeanor to determine if they’re distracted:
- Cognitive state. Talking to someone via a Bluetooth device or hands-free headset, although one’s attention may be focused forward, is considered a cognitive distraction.
Visual state. Looking away from the road, or having something impede your line of sight, is considered a visual distraction.- Physical state. Crouching over to pick something up off the floor, fiddling with audio equipment, eating, or using your hands to hold, text, or scroll through a cellular device or tablet is considered a physical distraction.
First-time offenders can receive a $300 to $450 fine, one point on their license, and civil liability for accidents their actions caused. Commercial drivers will receive an additional civil penalty up to $2,750 plus the above if found to be driving while distracted.
How To Protect Your Rights After a Careless Driving Accident?
The actions you take immediately following an accident could affect the strength of your case. Above all else, preserving your rights is important, not only for the betterment of your case but so the at-fault party can be held accountable. Our personal injury lawyers will use whatever resources are necessary to assure facts are brought before the court should your case head to trial.
Protect your rights by stating the facts as they happened before, during, and after the accident and nothing more. Volunteer no additional information, and do not fall victim to the coercive tactics of the at-fault party’s insurance company.
Cases are built based on factual evidence, not hearsay. Let your injury attorney do their job in collecting facts to help substantiate your claim. Cooperate with law enforcement without speculating, and do not take an aggressive stance toward the party who injured you.
What Are Some Statistics About Distracted Driving?
National data paints a grim picture for victims of distracted driving accidents. Statistics from a single recent year show 3,832 auto accidents happened due to distractions. More specifically,
- 10 percent of all fatal crashes were attributed to distracted driving
- 15 percent of all combined crashes that resulted in injury were due to distracted driving
- 14 percent of all crashes reported by law enforcement were related to distracted drivers
- Of all fatal crashes above, 14 percent were due to cellular device use
Crash data may be much larger than shown above due to underreporting, inaccurate self-reporting, or slow police reporting.
During the same year, data shows 12,251 read-end distracted driving crashes.
Our Georgia Distracted Driving Law Firm is Here To Help You.
The skilled car accident lawyers at Sherrod & Bernard P.C., know the pain, stress, and financial strain that accident victims are often forced to endure. It not uncommon to be angry and want answers when you’ve been hurt in an accident with a driver who should have been paying attention to the road, and not their phone or other distractions in the vehicle.
That’s why we are here to help. We’ve been helping people with Douglasville car accidents for years, and we are ready to help you. We will work hard to investigate the accident, gather relevant evidence, and build the strongest case possible on your behalf. If it can be shown that the other driver was distracted behind the wheel or otherwise negligent, you may be entitled to significant compensation under Georgia law.
Contact Sherrod & Bernard P.C., by phone or fill out an online contact form to schedule your free consultation. Remember, there’s no fee for your initial case review, and we charge no fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
Distracted driving is a serious safety issue in Georgia, and although we cannot control the driving of others, we are ready to fight for compensation if another person’s poor choices cause you harm.
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