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Distracted Driving Attorney in Charlottesville
Driving requires a vehicle operator’s full attention at all times. When distracted driving occurs on Virginia’s roads, it puts all road users in danger. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in a distracted driving accident, a skilled personal injury attorney can help you seek financial compensation for your losses.
At Kendall Law Firm, our Charlottesville distracted driving attorneys have a proven track record of helping injured individuals in their time of need. Let us be your advocates on the road to recovery. Call us today or contact us online for a free consultation.
How Our Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer Can Help You After a Crash
At Kendall Law Firm, we understand the challenges of distracted driving cases and can help you build a strong claim for compensation. Our legal team can do all of the following to help with your legal claim against a negligent distracted driver:
- Handle all communication with insurance companies – We prevent insurers from taking advantage of you in your time of need.
- Gather compelling evidence – We collect police reports, medical records, witness statements, and surveillance footage to strengthen your case.
- Document your losses thoroughly – We work with medical professionals and financial specialists to calculate the full extent of your current and future expenses.
- Negotiate aggressively on your behalf – We fight for the maximum compensation you deserve while you focus on recovery.
- Take your case to trial if necessary – We prepare every case as if it will go to court, ensuring we’re ready to advocate for you before a judge and jury.
What Is Distracted Driving?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), distracted driving takes three primary forms: visual, manual, and cognitive.
- Visual distractions involve anything that takes a driver’s eyes off the road. This may include reading a text message on a cell phone, looking at a GPS device for too long, or rubbernecking.
- Manual distractions occur when a driver takes one or both hands off the wheel due to the distraction. Manual distractions include cell phone use, eating, drinking, and picking up loose objects in the vehicle.
- Cognitive distractions may sometimes be less visible, but they can also be the most dangerous. These include daydreaming, talking on the phone, or getting behind the wheel too soon after an argument.
What Are the Dangers of Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving creates serious hazards on Virginia’s roads, leading to devastating consequences for everyone involved. Taking your eyes off the road for just five seconds while traveling at 55 mph is like driving the length of a football field blindfolded, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This dangerous behavior often results in:
- Rear-end collisions – Distracted drivers frequently fail to notice when traffic ahead has slowed or stopped, leading to more rear-end car crashes.
- Lane departure crashes – Other motorists who aren’t focusing on the road may drift into other lanes or off the road entirely, leading to otherwise avoidable car accidents.
- Intersection accidents – Distracted drivers might run red lights or stop signs, leading to devastating T-bone collisions.
- Fatal crashes – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that thousands of people die each year in distraction-related accidents.
- Pedestrian and cyclist accidents – Motorists who aren’t paying attention may fail to notice vulnerable road users, especially in urban areas like Charlottesville.
Understanding these dangers highlights why Virginia takes distracted driving so seriously and why our firm remains committed to holding negligent drivers accountable for the harm they cause.
What Are Virginia’s Distracted Driving Laws?
Virginia’s hands-free law was expanded in 2021 to illegalize physically holding a phone anytime you are behind the wheel. Drivers are not allowed to make calls, send texts or emails, or check notifications. The law applies even when you are waiting at a red light. First offenders face a $125 fine, and the fine doubles for repeat offenders. Those who contravene this law will also see repercussions for their driving records.
What Financial Compensation Can I Recover After a Distracted Driving Incident?
Sustaining injuries in a distracted driving accident can affect every area of your life. While filing a compensation claim cannot undo the harm you have suffered, it can allow you to recover much-needed compensation for losses such as:
- Medical expenses, including ambulance rides, emergency room visits, diagnostic tests, specialist appointments, surgeries, hospital stays, medications, and assistive devices
- Long-term care and assistance
- Lost income if your injuries force you to miss work
- Reduced earning capacity if you must take a lower-paying job or leave the workforce entirely due to your injuries
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Our personal injury attorneys can thoroughly assess your situation to give you an accurate estimation of how much your case is worth.
How to Prove Distracted Driving Caused the Accident
Proving that the at-fault driver was distracted during a car crash may include the following evidence:
- Police officer observation – If law enforcement officers see a motorist using their cell phone in Virginia, a resulting citation or police report can be crucial evidence in a compensation claim.
- Driver admission – If the at-fault driver admits they were texting or otherwise distracted under police questioning, this admission can strengthen your case.
- Phone records – If the driver’s cell phone records demonstrate activity at the moment the incident occurred, this can constitute hard evidence of distracted driving.
- Witness statements – Other road users who saw the driver participating in the distracting activity can strengthen your case with eyewitness accounts.
- Dashcam video – Dashboard cameras in police or civilian vehicles sometimes capture other drivers’ negligent behavior.
Circumstantial evidence – Signs of erratic driving can imply that the driver was distracted at the time of the collision.
An experienced Charlottesville distracted driving accident attorney can thoroughly investigate your case, gather all available evidence, and present a compelling case to the insurance company or in court in pursuit of the compensation you deserve.
Contact an Experienced Distracted Driving Injury Attorney for a Free Consultation Today
Despite the Commonwealth’s laws against texting and driving, infringements continue to occur far too often on Virginia’s roads. When distracted driving accidents result in injuries, you need a Charlottesville car accident attorney who knows how to hold distracted drivers accountable for their negligence.
At Kendall Law Firm, our team has over 30 years of experience fighting for injured Virginians. Our distracted driving accident law firm focuses entirely on personal injury cases, and we have the knowledge and skills to maximize your compensation. Call us today or contact us online for a free consultation with a distracted driving attorney in Charlottesville.