Distracted driving accidents are often dangerous. In fact, car accidents involving a distracted driver were responsible for injuring more than 400,000 people in the United States in 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These accidents can also be fatal.
Because of this, most states have put distracted driving laws in place to protect drivers, passengers, and pedestrians alike while on the road. These laws may come with serious consequences for the at-fault driver.
People who drive distractedly and seriously injure or kill another person may be held responsible for such damages.
If a distracted driver harmed you or a close loved one, you may have options. Consider working with a Metairie car accident lawyer to learn about these options. Contact Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers now at (337) 777-7777 for more information.
Distracted Driving Can Lead to Serious Injuries
When a driver looks away from the road for even a few seconds, the consequences can be vast. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) explains that taking your eyes off the road for even up to five seconds greatly increases the risk of injury and death in a car accident.
Safe driving requires that the driver pay attention at all times, not look away to complete text messages, make phone calls, stream videos, or perform other tasks not related to driving.
Many distracted driving accidents injure people who are not even within a vehicle, such as pedestrians walking on the side of the road or those riding bicycles. This means injuries are often severe.
Some injuries which people may experience in distracted driving accidents include:
- Bruising and scarring
- Broken bones
- Head injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Whiplash
- Paralysis
- Permanent damage
- Wrongful death
Even if your injuries were not severe, you may be able to file a claim after a distracted driving accident caused by another driver with a Metairie personal injury lawyer.
Laborde Earles injury was great for me they took care of me very fast and professional. If for any reason I need legal help they will be who I use.
ClientGetting Compensation After the Accident
Personal injury claims allow you to pursue compensation for the costs you incurred due to the accident. This could include payment for things like medical expenses, as well as for any other ways the accident impacted your life.
Filing a Claim
Filing a distracted driving accident claim requires showing that the distracted driver caused the accident due to unsafe driving behavior and that the accident led to your injuries.
From your perspective, this may seem like a straightforward process, but it can be a complex task for the average person. For this reason, it may be helpful to you to work with a distracted driving accident lawyer.
A lawyer can help you by explaining all the evidence they will need to present in order to support your claim. For help from a Metairie distracted driving accident lawyer, contact Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers at (337) 777-7777. A team member will get you started on your claim.
Types of Damages to Claim
Once you are ready to file, a car accident lawyer in Metairie, LA, can evaluate your situation to help you understand which damages you can claim.
You may be able to pursue compensation for these damages (and others that are specific to the accident you experienced) and the ways the accident affected your life:
- Medical costs resulting from treating your injuries
- Lost wages while in recovery from your injuries
- Future medical costs, if your injury will be prolonged or permanent
- Future lost wages if you will be unable to work or have reduced working capacity
- Pain and suffering compensation
- Emotional anguish compensation
- Payments for the wrongful death of a loved one due to a distracted driving accident
I thank God for Digger & David. I don’t know what we would have done if it hadn’t have been for them.
Rick Smith | ClientLaws for Distracted Driving
Metairie, and the state of Louisiana as a whole, has a strict law for distracted drivers, particularly texting while driving.
Texting while driving, streaming videos of any kind, posting to or engaging with social media, and other related activities are prohibited, according to the Louisiana Revised Statutes (RS) §32:300.5.
This means that those who drive distractedly can receive fines, traffic citations, or other consequences. If they injure a person while taking their eyes off the road, they may also be held liable for that person’s injuries, which is why you may be able to pursue the distracted driver who caused your accident.
However, personal injury claims also come with a statute of limitations or a timeline for filing your claim. In Louisiana, the personal injury statute of limitations is one year, as outlined by Louisiana Civil Code (CC) §4.1.3492.
The reassurance from Digger and his staff gave me that renewed hope that it’s going to be okay down the road.
ClientBenefits of Hiring a Metairie Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer
If you are concerned about the laws that apply to your claim or that you may have missed the deadline to file, a lawyer can help better explain these laws and offer help in a number of ways, such as the following.
Help with Gathering Evidence
A lawyer will help ensure that you collect all the necessary details and documentation to show evidence for the distracted driver’s actions, as well as how they led to your injuries (and all the ways those injuries have cost you).
Managing Your Claim
With knowledge in personal injury law and distracted driving claims, a lawyer will manage your claim from start to finish. They will handle all legal aspects for you, so you are free to focus solely on recovering from your injuries.
Constant Legal Support
Perhaps most importantly, a distracted driving accident lawyer will offer legal advice and support throughout the entire process.
This will help ease your concerns, answer your questions, and help keep you informed if your claim does not reach an agreeable settlement or needs to go to court.
They treated us like no other people would. Whenever we needed something they were there for us. I put my trust in them and I don’t regret it.
ClientGet in Touch with Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers Today
Distracted driving accidents can have disastrous consequences. While you cannot reverse the injuries you or a loved one experienced due to the fault of a distracted driver, you may be able to get compensated for the resulting costs.
A Metairie distracted driving accident lawyer can help with your claim. Reach out to Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers today at (337) 777-7777 for a free consultation.