Oklahoma City Distracted Driving Accidents
Distracted driving has long been a factor in car accidents, but since the smartphone became central to our lives, distracted driving accident numbers have exploded in the United States. Today’s cell phones are more than mere communication devices, they also hold our music, podcasts, GPS, and much more, adding increasingly compelling technology to entice a driver’s eyes away from the road.
Despite increased awareness and hands-free driving laws in most states, there were 3,308 deaths caused by distracted driving accidents in 2022, the most recent year with fully analyzed data. An Oklahoma City accident attorney can help you if you were involved in a distracted driving accident.
What Is Distracted Driving?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describes distracted driving as any activity that diverts attention away from the task of driving. Safe driving requires the driver to follow traffic laws and to have their eyes on the road ahead with occasional checks of their rearview mirrors while focusing their attention on the physical aspects of operating a vehicle safely. When something else claims a driver’s attention or causes them to remove a hand from the steering wheel, the driver’s distraction could result in an accident.
Distracted driving accidents often impact other motorists as well as the distracted driver and the occupants of their vehicle. During the five seconds it takes to read an average text message, a driver crosses a distance that equals the length of a football field while their eyes are not on the road.
Common Driving Distractions In Oklahoma City
When a driver’s attention is not on the cognitive and physical requirements of operating a vehicle safely, they breach the duty of reasonable care that all drivers have to others on the roadway. Common causes of distracted driving include the following:
- Texting
- Selecting podcasts and playlists
- Setting a GPS
- Answering emails
- Making phone calls
- Scrolling through social media
- Watching videos
- Taking photos or videos
- Eating and drinking
- Grooming hair or applying makeup
- Using an electric razor
- Interacting with children in the back seat or other passengers
Despite the alarming statistics on distracted driving accidents, the numbers are widely underreported because it isn’t always possible to prove driver distraction.
When a driver’s eyes and attention are away from the road, accidents can occur in an instant, with life-altering results. Common distracted driving accidents in Oklahoma include:
- Rear-end collisions
- Lane departures
- Angle collisions or T-bone accidents
- Head-on collisions
- Roadway departures
- Sideswipes
Distracted driving accidents often occur at full speed because the driver fails to brake or swerve to avoid a collision due to their focus being away from the road when the accident occurs.
Damages in Oklahoma City Distracted Driving Accidents
Injuries in distracted driving accidents are often serious or catastrophic, with temporary or permanently life-altering consequences. The physical and financial consequences of a distracted driving accident are the “damages” in a distracted driving accident claim for compensation. Injury victims may claim damages such as the following:
- Property damage to a vehicle
- Medical expenses
- Future medical expenses
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Lost wages
- Future income loss/diminished future earning capacity
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Compensation for additional non-economic damages like disfigurement, limb loss, loss of one of the senses, PTSD, or diminished quality of life
If a distracted driving accident ends with a fatality, close family members may recover compensation in a wrongful death claim against the distracted driver.
How Can a Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer Help?
It can be challenging to prove distracted driving. It takes a thorough investigation to uncover and clearly document evidence to make a compelling case against the driver at fault for the accident. Contact the experienced injury lawyers in Oklahoma City at Dan Davis Law for the legal counsel and representation you need for the best possible outcome.