West Chester, PA Distracted Driving Accidents Lawyer

When you’re driving, your attention should be on the road in front of you—and nowhere else. Everyone knows the risks of distracted driving, and by now, everyone has heard at least one tragic distracted driving story. Despite all of this, the number of distracted driving accidents continues to increase year after year. What are you supposed to do when you’re hit by a distracted driver?

If you or someone you love has been injured in a distracted driving accident in West Chester, the team at Kingbird Legal is here to help. Our team of attorneys fights aggressively on behalf of clients to help them pursue full and fair compensation. Call us at 484-289-4880 to set up a consultation now.

The Growing Danger of Distracted Driving

As technology has advanced, it’s become easier than ever for people to drive while distracted. Decades ago, the most common sources of distraction were conversations with passengers, makeup application, and eating or drinking. Now, people can also choose from infotainment systems, radios, phones, and even tablets. When you combine that with the ever-shrinking attention span of people in general, it’s easy to see how distracted driving has become an epidemic.

Unfortunately, younger drivers seem to be leading this trend. Per the IIHS, the highest rate of phone usage and infotainment system usage was among drivers aged 16 to 24. If we’re going to tackle the distracted driving problem, we have to be ready to get younger drivers on board.

How Distracted Driving Leads to Collisions

Distracted driving impacts safety in a wide variety of ways. To start, you should know that there are three types of distractions that affect drivers: cognitive, manual, and visual. Cognitive distractions take your mind off the road; this includes things like talking to a passenger or lingering on a fight with a loved one to the point that you cannot concentrate. Manual distractions take your hands off the wheel; this includes activities like eating, drinking, and changing the radio dial. Visual distractions take your eyes off the road. Visual distractions include cellphones, looking for a lost kid’s item in the backseat, and watching an accident as you pass by.

Some distractions fall into multiple categories. Consider the worst offender, texting and driving. This falls into all three categories of distractions. You’re using your hand to type or scroll, your mind to read and respond, and your eyes to look at your phone. This dramatically increases the risk of a car accident.

Distracted drivers are less likely to see an obstacle in their path or notice a change in traffic flow. If they are cognitively distracted, they are also less likely to react fast enough to avoid a crash; their decision-making skills may also be impaired. Drivers with manual distractions may not be able to their hands back to the wheel in time to avoid an obstacle.

Proving That the Other Driver Was Distracted

If you’re involved in a crash, how can you prove that the other driver was distracted? There are a handful of drivers who will come right out and admit that they were on their phone at the time of a crash, but most people know that doing so will get them in trouble—so they lie. This means that you’ll need to take steps to prove that they were distracted enough to cause a crash.

If you have a dashcam or you’re lucky enough to have an eyewitness with a dashcam, that type of evidence can go a long way in proving distracted driving. A dashcam may capture a passing driver with their eyes down at their phone or their hands off the wheel. Even if the dashcam doesn’t directly catch them driving while distracted, proof of how they were driving can serve as evidence. Someone who is drifting between lanes, making sudden overcorrections for their drifting, and erratic changes in speed.

Certain types of distractions are easier to track than others. If the other driver was on their phone at the time of the accident, your attorney can subpoena their cellphone records. This will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt if they were texting and driving.

How Kingbird Legal Can Help

At Kingbird Legal, we have seen distracted driving ruin too many lives. A driver’s inability to stay focused can leave victims with permanent injuries, mental trauma, and a lifetime of medical care needs. Unfortunately, distracted driving seems to be more acceptable in society than impaired driving, which makes it hard to hold people accountable.

We know how important it is that you get the full and fair compensation you deserve after a crash. You’ve been left with a growing pile of medical bills, unexpected time away from work, an inability to keep up with your obligations at home, and a lingering sense of uncertainty. With the help of our team, you can focus on your recovery while we tackle the legal side of your claim.

Our personal injury team will do a thorough investigation of your accident to determine what happened, who’s to blame, and how much compensation you deserve. As we work through our investigation, we’ll begin building a case to present to the insurance company. Most personal injury cases end in a settlement, and our goal is to work with the insurance company to get you what you’re owed.

If the insurance company refuses to make a fair offer, we’re more than ready to take your case to court and fight for you in front of a judge and jury. Whether we get the desired outcome via settlement or a court case, you can count on us advocating for you every step of the way.

Explore Your Legal Options—Contact Us Today

Ready to start your distracted driving claim in West Chester? It’s time to talk to an attorney at Kingbird Legal. While you begin your journey to recovery, we will start preparing your case and getting ready for negotiations. Set up your free consultation now to get started. Just call us at 484-289-4880 or get in touch online.