What is distracted driving?

Any action a driver takes while operating a motor vehicle that diverts their focus from driving is a distraction. While smartphones are a common source of driver distraction, a motorist is also engaging in distracted driving when eating, grooming, having heated conversations with passengers, or adjusting controls within the vehicle. Distracted driving’s dangers aren’t limited to the inattentive motorist. Failing to pay attention to the task of driving makes these motorists a danger to anyone sharing the road with them.

Is texting and driving the main type of driver distraction?

Texting while driving is a major concern because this conduct constitutes a visual, manual, and cognitive distraction. By diverting drivers’ eyes, hands, and mental focus, texting and driving is a particularly dangerous form of distraction. Our texting and driving accident attorneys in Tallahassee, FL, are committed to holding motorists accountable for the harm they cause when distracted by their phones. Despite the prevalence and significant risks of texting and driving, other forms of distracted driving lead to serious injuries, as well. Our team holds distracted drivers of all kinds accountable for the harm they cause, regardless of the source of their distraction.

What should I do if I believe the driver who hit me was distracted?

If you believe that the driver who hit you was distracted based on your own observations or a witness’s account, it’s important to make this suspicion known so the matter can be thoroughly investigated. When police officers arrive at the scene of the accident, share your concerns with them. Afterward, consult experienced Tallahassee distracted driving accident lawyers. Our team thoroughly investigates each case we handle. Any details you can provide based on your own recollections or a witness’s statements to you can serve as a starting point for our investigation. Distracted driving is a form of negligence, but you don’t have to prove the motorist who caused your accident was distracted in order to establish their negligence and hold them accountable for your injuries. Regardless of the cause of their negligence behind the wheel, the fact that they violated traffic safety laws and caused you harm as a result is sufficient to hold them accountable.

What are the most common injuries caused by accidents with distracted drivers?

Accidents happen, but when a driver is paying attention, they are often able to avoid or at least minimize the severity of the impact through prompt braking or other maneuvers. A distracted driver may fail to take these actions, leading to more forceful and direct impacts and, often, more serious injuries. Among the injuries our Tallahassee distracted driving accident lawyers often see when handling crashes caused by inattentive drivers are: Head trauma, including concussions and traumatic brain injuries Back and neck injuries ranging from whiplash to severe spinal cord injuries Broken and fractured bones, some of which may require surgical repair Internal bleeding Damage to internal organs Cuts that require medical intervention and are severe enough to leave permanently disfiguring scars For any permanent or serious injury you sustained due to someone else’s distracted driving conduct, you may have the right to financial compensation.

Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster & Gwartney/

Tallahassee Car Accident Lawyers/

Distracted Driving Accidents

Tallahassee Distracted Driving Accident Lawyers

Texting and Driving Accident Attorneys in Tallahassee, FL Committed to Justice in Leon County, Wakulla County, Jefferson County, Gadsden County, and Throughout Florida

A single moment of distraction is all it takes to cause an accident. Another motorist’s choice to text, eat, argue, or put on their makeup behind the wheel can change your life. When you’re coping with serious injuries and unsure how to move forward, you need the Tallahassee distracted driving accident lawyers at Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster & Gwartney, P.A. to help you recover the compensation you deserve.

Our highly experienced team is standing by to assist you in holding a distracted driver accountable. For a free case review, contact us today.

Distracted Driving Accident Injury Cases in Tallahassee, FL

Collisions that result from distracted driving are so common in Florida that the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported 53,596 crashes, including 268 fatalities and 2,574 serious injuries, in 2022. That translates to more than 1,100 distracted driving accidents each week.

Despite efforts to prevent distracted driving, many motorists still aren’t keeping their eyes on the road, their hands on the wheel, and their minds on the task at hand: operating their vehicle safely.

Often, the wrecks that distracted drivers cause harm victims whose only mistake was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. When these crashes occur, it takes experienced texting and driving accident attorneys in Tallahassee, FL, to fight for the full compensation victims deserve.

Common Driving Distractions in Tallahassee

Distracted driving encompasses all kinds of actions behind the wheel. Generally, any action that diverts any aspect of a driver’s attention or focus from operating the vehicle can constitute a distraction.

Among the most common forms of distracted driving are:

Texting and driving
Adjusting navigation apps, GPS devices, radio or music controls, vehicle temperature gauges, or any other instruments in the vehicle
Eating or drinking
Personal grooming of any kind
Arguing with a passenger
Turning around to check on children in the backseat

Driving distractions are categorized based on whether they divert a driver’s hands from the steering wheel, their eyes from the road around them, or their mental focus. A single distraction may divert a motorist’s focus in more than one way, increasing the danger it poses to others on the road.

Visual distractions: Any distraction that requires a driver to look anywhere besides the road
Manual distractions: Distractions that require drivers to use one or both hands for a purpose other than steering the vehicle
Cognitive distractions: Any task or activity that interferes with the driver’s mental focus

Distracted driving in any form can contribute to car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents.

Florida Distracted Driving Law

Distracted driving is illegal under state law. Specifically, Florida’s Wireless Communications While Driving Law (Section 316.305 of Florida Statutes) makes it illegal for drivers to text, email, compose instant messages, or otherwise manually input multiple letters into a phone or wireless communications device. A police officer in Tallahassee can stop and ticket a driver purely for texting and driving, even if they haven’t been observed breaking any other laws, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported.

Other forms of distracted driving may not be as expressly prohibited as texting behind the wheel, but they’re still dangerous and constitute negligence. Drivers in Florida are required to obey the rules of the road. If their distraction causes them to drift into another lane, strike a vehicle in front of them, or otherwise cause a collision, they can be held accountable not only through a citation for careless driving but also through a personal injury claim filed by the victim they injured.

How Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster & Gwartney, P.A. Can Help You

You’re entitled to financial compensation to make you whole after suffering a serious injury due to another person’s negligence. Severe or permanent injuries sustained because of a dangerously distracted driver certainly fit the bill.

However, getting the money damages you deserve isn’t automatic or, often, straightforward. The challenges that can arise in a distracted driving accident injury claim include:

Proving that the other driver’s negligence caused the accident, especially if they won’t admit to their distracted driving behavior
Establishing that your injuries are severe or permanent enough for you to pursue a claim against the other driver under the state’s no-fault system
Documenting your damages in full to ensure all of your losses are considered in your claim for compensation
Confronting any tactics the insurance company may use to reduce your compensation
Negotiating a settlement that fairly compensates you or convincingly presenting your case in court

Overcoming these obstacles is a tall order, but having the right Tallahassee distracted driving accident lawyers on your side can help you establish the elements of your claim and attain success.

Why Choose Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster & Gwartney, P.A. as Your Tallahassee Distracted Driving Accident Lawyers?

All over Florida, injured victims turn to our team for help getting compensation for distracted driving accidents. They trust our experience handling all types of distracted driving claims and our dedication to getting clients results.

An Abundance of Experience

For more than 35 years, our team of Tallahassee distracted driving accident lawyers has served clients throughout Florida. We have a combined 100 years of experience practicing law and have handled more than 10,000 cases.

Acute Awareness of What’s at Stake

We’ll never treat your pursuit of the compensation you need to regain control of your life as just another legal claim. We know what’s at stake if you don’t receive the monetary damages you deserve: serious financial hardships for your family, decreases in your quality of life, and potential limitations on your physical recovery. We’re fully committed to building your claim for success and getting you the most compensation possible.

Comprehensive Legal Representation for Motor Vehicle Accident Claims

We know distracted drivers cause all sorts of harm. Our team has a long history of assisting clients injured in collisions between two or more cars, as well as wrecks involving trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians. We understand the nuances of each type of motor vehicle accident claim as well as the challenges that arise in distracted driving cases.

Contact the Tallahassee Distracted Driving Accident Lawyers at Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster & Gwartney, P.A. Today for a Free Case Evaluation

When you need to recover the full amount of money you deserve, professional legal assistance isn’t just warranted. It’s critical. Without the guidance of experienced texting and driving accident attorneys in Tallahassee, FL, you’re likely to end up with less compensation than you really need or deserve.

Everything about the accident has been unfair, but it’s our goal now to ensure you receive a settlement or award that fairly compensates you and makes you as financially whole as possible.

For help from our texting and driving accident attorneys in Tallahassee, FL, contact Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster & Gwartney, P.A. online or call us today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Distracted Driving Accident Claims in Tallahassee and Throughout Florida

Any action a driver takes while operating a motor vehicle that diverts their focus from driving is a distraction. While smartphones are a common source of driver distraction, a motorist is also engaging in distracted driving when eating, grooming, having heated conversations with passengers, or adjusting controls within the vehicle.
Distracted driving’s dangers aren’t limited to the inattentive motorist. Failing to pay attention to the task of driving makes these motorists a danger to anyone sharing the road with them.
Texting while driving is a major concern because this conduct constitutes a visual, manual, and cognitive distraction. By diverting drivers’ eyes, hands, and mental focus, texting and driving is a particularly dangerous form of distraction. Our texting and driving accident attorneys in Tallahassee, FL, are committed to holding motorists accountable for the harm they cause when distracted by their phones.
Despite the prevalence and significant risks of texting and driving, other forms of distracted driving lead to serious injuries, as well. Our team holds distracted drivers of all kinds accountable for the harm they cause, regardless of the source of their distraction.
If you believe that the driver who hit you was distracted based on your own observations or a witness’s account, it’s important to make this suspicion known so the matter can be thoroughly investigated.
When police officers arrive at the scene of the accident, share your concerns with them. Afterward, consult experienced Tallahassee distracted driving accident lawyers. Our team thoroughly investigates each case we handle. Any details you can provide based on your own recollections or a witness’s statements to you can serve as a starting point for our investigation.
Distracted driving is a form of negligence, but you don’t have to prove the motorist who caused your accident was distracted in order to establish their negligence and hold them accountable for your injuries. Regardless of the cause of their negligence behind the wheel, the fact that they violated traffic safety laws and caused you harm as a result is sufficient to hold them accountable.
Accidents happen, but when a driver is paying attention, they are often able to avoid or at least minimize the severity of the impact through prompt braking or other maneuvers. A distracted driver may fail to take these actions, leading to more forceful and direct impacts and, often, more serious injuries.
Among the injuries our Tallahassee distracted driving accident lawyers often see when handling crashes caused by inattentive drivers are:
Head trauma, including concussions and traumatic brain injuries
Back and neck injuries ranging from whiplash to severe spinal cord injuries
Broken and fractured bones, some of which may require surgical repair
Internal bleeding
Damage to internal organs
Cuts that require medical intervention and are severe enough to leave permanently disfiguring scars
For any permanent or serious injury you sustained due to someone else’s distracted driving conduct, you may have the right to financial compensation.

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