Pursuing Compensation After a Wisconsin Distracted Driving Accident
You may not always think of distracted driving as being dangerous in the same way as drunk driving, but it can often be just as deadly. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that over 400,000 people are injured and almost 3,000 are killed each year in accidents involving distracted drivers. If you are a Wisconsin motorist who has been involved in a distracted driving accident, you need to know your options for pursuing compensation from the liable party through a personal injury claim.
Causes of Distracted Driving in Wisconsin
Cell phone use, especially texting, is perhaps the most prominent example of a distraction that leads to unsafe driving, but many other behaviors can also cause drivers to remove their eyes and attention from the road for several seconds or more, during which time an accident may occur. Some examples of these negligent actions include:
-
Reading
-
Eating and drinking
-
Personal grooming
-
Talking to a passenger
-
Adjusting the radio or other controls
-
Attending to a GPS navigation system
-
Looking at something in the surrounding area
Any of these actions may constitute negligence on the part of a driver if he or she contributes to an accident and the injuries or deaths of other people.
Seeking Damages from a Distracted Driver
Unlike in a drunk driving accident, for which blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test results can offer fairly objective evidence of a driver’s negligence, there is not always a clear way to prove a driver’s distraction. This is why it is so important to hire a knowledgeable personal injury attorney who can help you gather the evidence you need. This can include testimony from witnesses to the accident, as well as security camera footage, police reports, and phone records, all of which may require a subpoena to obtain.
Using all available evidence, your attorney will build a case for compensation for all damages you have suffered. The more proof you have, the more leverage you have in settlement negotiations or trial litigation in order to receive a higher payout.
Contact a Waukesha County Personal Injury Lawyer
At Bucher Law Group, LLC, we have years of legal experience, and we know how to collect the evidence you need to prove negligence in a distracted driving case or any other type of vehicle accident. We are committed to helping you secure relief for your injuries, and we offer free consultations so you can learn exactly what we can do to help. Call our skilled and dedicated Milwaukee County car accident attorneys today at 262-303-4916.
Source:
https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving