Jason Stephens | September 22, 2020 | Car Accidents

Distractions continue to be one of the most common causes of traffic deaths and injuries each year. Over 400,000 people sustained injuries in distracted driving crashes during 2018. Distracted drivers caused the deaths of 2,841 people in 2018, including 77 bicyclists, 400 pedestrians, 605 passengers, and 1,730 drivers.

In 2019, there were 97,782 traffic accidents involving distracted drivers in Texas. Three hundred seventy-seven (377) people died in Texas distracted driving accidents. Thousands of people sustained injuries ranging from minor injuries to debilitating conditions.

Common distracted driving accident injuries include:

The victims of distracted driving accidents can seek compensation for their injuries and losses. Victims can recover compensation for their pain and suffering, loss of income, medical expenses, and other damages by filing a personal injury claim. 

However, victims must prove that the other driver caused the accident. That does not require that they prove the driver was distracted, but they must prove that the driver’s actions led to the cause of the crash. The distraction can be the factor that causes the driver’s negligent or reckless actions that led to the crash.

Because distracted driving accidents can be complicated, it can be helpful to have a car accident lawyer working on the case from the beginning. A lawyer has the resources, skills, and experience to handle an accident investigation. The lawyer can file a personal injury claim or a wrongful death lawsuit based on the evidence gathered from the investigation. 

Causes of Distracted Driving Accidents in Fort Worth

The driver in the above news story allegedly lost control of the vehicle because he reached for a water bottle. Reaching for objects is a common cause of distracted driving accidents.

Other causes of distracted driving accidents include:

  • Eating and drinking
  • Grooming
  • Changing clothes
  • Taking care of children or animals
  • Distractions outside of the vehicle
  • Using a cell phone or other electronic device
  • Sending and reading text messages and emails
  • Watching videos or viewing social media accounts
  • Engaging with passengers
  • Adjusting vehicle controls

Distractions combined with other driving behaviors, such as speeding, reckless driving, DUI, or drowsy driving, can substantially increase the risk for an accident. 

Any activity that takes your attention away from driving is a potentially deadly distraction. Distractions that require you to remove your eyes from the road are extremely dangerous. The deadliest distractions require a driver to take his eyes off the road, at least one hand off the steering wheel, and focus on something other than driving the vehicle. 

Drivers can prevent distracted driving in several ways. Avoid using cell phones and other electronic devices while driving. If you use a cell phone, always use a hands-free, voice-activated cell phone.

Allow a passenger to take care of anything that could be a distraction, such as adjusting the GPS or looking up directions. If you need to adjust vehicle controls, find an object, take care of a passenger, or do anything that could be considered a distraction, pull over to a safe location. By pulling over to engage in distractions, you can save your life and the lives of others on the road with you.

Contact Our Car Accident Law Firm in Fort Worth, TX

If you’ve been injured in an accident in Fort Worth and need legal help, contact our Fort Worth car accident lawyers at Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents to schedule a free consultation.

Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents
1300 S University Dr # 300
Fort Worth, TX 76107
(817) 420-7000