Everybody knows the road is not the safest to be. There are always some threats lurking around in each direction. The worst part of being on the road is that your safety depends on others just as much as it depends on you. Therefore, you have to double sure about every move you make and the turn you take on the road. But, sometimes even that is not enough to ensure your complete safety. This is exactly what happens when someone gets struck by the vehicle of a distracted driver.
In such a case, one of the two drivers is mostly totally innocent, and the other one is entirely at fault. Road accidents due to some kind of distraction are very common. As a matter of fact, distraction is one of the major causes of deaths and injuries on the road. As per a report published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States, over 2018 people were killed and around 2800 people were seriously injured due to distraction on the road in 4.00.000.
Distracted driving can be really dangerous to the driver and others on the road. With so many things to focus on at one time, the number of accidents from distracted driving has gone really far up. This kind of accident may set in due to a wide variety of reasons. Let us have a look:
Phone-Related Distractions
It is not uncommon to come across drivers who like to dangerously multi-task. One hand on the steering, the second one holding the phone, and sitting alternatively changing between the phone screen and the road. It may seem harmless to do such a thing while driving, but believe it, this is way more dangerous than one imagines. People are doing all sorts of things - flipping through social media pages, messaging, chatting, and even video chatting while driving. It may seem unbelievable, but a lot of people even attend video conferences while driving.
Such a habit can cause a lot of damage, and hence must be quit.
Music Has A Limit In Vehicle
It’s a nice thing to have in a vehicle. It may be a long haul and the companionship of music really makes it go so smoothly. But, oftentimes, this melody turns into a threat. Keeping the attention fixed on the road becomes very difficult when one has something melodious going on inside. One may lose some part of control over the steering. Among young drivers, boost music is one of the primary reasons for fast driving.
On the other hand, soothing music can really rub one to sleep. This is why it is important that you only turn on the music where there is little rush and you know you are in total control. Volume should never be too high because then, you cannot listen if somebody is blowing a horn right behind your car. Keep in mind that this good, nice music is also one of the prime yet undervalued causes of auto accidents caused by a distracted driver, and you must be careful. If you have to have some kind of support while driving in the form of music, you must listen to it responsibly.
Say A Big No To Alcohol & Smoking
Alcohol drains out your consciousness like nothing else. A huge number of people carry the notion that smoking and alcohol improve their attention, but that is just a bunch of blahs. Alcohol is credited with playing a part in the highest number of road accidents by far. In addition to that, it is a misconception that a little does not cause a problem. Consuming alcohol and smoke causes one to feel dizzy due to which they can be totally conscious on the road. Another thing that one must always remember is that at first it always seems manageable, and sadly the realization of the mistake comes only after the accident has taken place. So, it’s better to stop here now.
What You Should Do If You Get Involved In One
What do you do if you have been involved in an accident that was triggered by another driver’s distraction? Well, there are a lot of things you can do. However, in order to ensure that you get justice as soon as possible, you should try following some effective ways. If you do not know what those ways are, do not worry. We have listed down some steps and methods that you can use to make sure you get the justice you deserve and compensation to recover from your losses. Let us check it out:
Seek Medical Care
First thing first, you need to see a doctor. It doesn’t matter if you can see or feel the injury or not, but the first thing you ought to do is to make sure there aren’t any health threats. Often some internal injuries remain low for some time and come out later to cause major problems. A doctor can help you figure out if you need medical care or not. If not, it’s great, but in case, you need to be in the hospital sometimes, you should do that. However, as you begin to feel well, you can start with the legal process to get justice.
Get Police Involved
This is a police case. People that are hit by a distracted driver can contact police to look into the details of the case. The police will help you with everything in the process from collecting shreds of evidence, compiling your accident report, to presenting them in the court in your favor. A police report has great worth, and it could make a big difference for you in the case.
Try To Find Evidences Yourself
You were the one involved in an accident, so probably nobody knows about the situation and how the accident came to pass better than you. As a result, it would help you immensely if you tried to help the police collect evidence. You can go to the accident spot and try to contact people nearly to see if they witnessed something. Only a few things in a case are as integral as an eye witness, so if you get one, you have got close to winning the case.
One more thing that you should not skip is looking for traffic cameras. If there is a traffic camera nearby, there is a good likelihood that the incident has been recorded. Similarly, you can make more efforts to strengthen your case.
Get Support From Attorney
It is not uncommon for accident cases to get tangled in a way that a layman can’t understand the complexities of it. In this case, you should try connecting with an accident attorney. These professionals are well acquainted with the ins and outs of all kinds of accident cases, so they can help you in ways nobody else can. Not only will they help you get your paperwork ready, but they can also make communications on your behalf.
A lawyer will help you in every aspect of the case whether it is related to managing pieces of evidence, legal documentation, or getting compensation. All you have to do is make sure that you share the details with your lawyer clearly and correctly. This will help your lawyer to frame your case better.
Manage The Negotiation
Negotiation is a vital part of any court case. The party at fault and the insurance company sometimes try to refrain from paying the compensation or the full amount. They may put up a string of arguments to convince you to settle for nothing or less. But in most cases, that may just be one of their knacks to save themselves from paying you. Therefore, it is better that you have a clear conversation with them and in the court. In other cases, they may deliberately delay the payment of compensation which may sometimes extend up to months and even years. To avoid that, you can get your lawyer to communicate with them. One strong notice from your lawyer is enough to get the job done. Proper communication is important throughout the case both inside and outside the court. The person who can help you the best is the attorney.
The accidents caused by distraction are frequent. A sense of responsibility among drivers can bring a significant change in the scenario. Put your phone in silent mode, and avoid messaging or calling during driving. In case, you need to take or make a phone call or something, it is better to stop on the side of the road. Similarly, you must never consider alcohol or any product that causes intoxication before or during driving that may prove to be fatal.
In the unfortunate situation where you couldn’t avoid the accident, it is in your best interest to keep calm and follow the methods that we have listed above for you. It should be your top priority to get medical treatment. Post that, you can start with the legal procedure. Get an attorney, gather pieces of evidence, and make sure everything is done in the right manner. This way, you can be certain of justice.
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