Distracted Driver Accident Attorney In Roanoke

Technology helps to improve our lives in many ways. Unfortunately, technology also creates many dangerous distractions when people drive. All too often, drivers in Virginia look at their phones instead of the road, or they focus on a text or phone conversation instead of what they should be focused on – safe driving.

We have some of the Best Distracted Driving Accident Lawyers in Roanoke

If someone else recently caused an accident in Roanoke, Charlottesville, or a nearby area that injured you or caused the loss of your loved one, our distracted driving accident lawyers in Roanoke will thoroughly investigate your case. We can determine whether distracted driving or some other form of negligence caused the accident. If so, we will aggressively pursue all compensation you are due.

When you work with a distracted driving accident lawyer at Lichtenstein Law Group PLC, you will have more than 100 years of combined legal experience on your side. Call or reach us online today to learn more. We will provide a free consultation about your case.

What Is Considered a Distracted Driving Accident?

Distracted driving occurs in many different ways. Examples include:

• Texting and driving – Perhaps the most obvious act of negligence is checking your texts or trying to send a text message while driving. Texting while driving involves visual, manual and cognitive distractions, which is why it is so dangerous.
• Talking on the phone – Just because you are not visually distracted does not mean you are not distracted. Numerous studies have shown that talking on a phone while driving – regardless of whether you use a hands-free or hand-held device – can be highly dangerous. This is because it takes your mind off driving.
• Messing with GPS devices and car controls – GPS devices can help us to find our way. However, they can become a problem if a person tries to read a map when the person should be focused on the road. Playing with the radio or other controls can also distract drivers and lead to crashes.
• Interacting with passengers – Passengers can create distractions by talking to the driver, showing them things on their phones or otherwise trying to get their attention. Having a pet in the car can be distracting as well.
• Smoking, eating, or drinking – Unfortunately, many people try to “multi-task” by driving while they are preoccupied with other matters such as smoking, eating, or drinking. Some people even try to put on makeup or groom while they are behind the wheel.
• Looking at outside distractions – Drivers may fail to see cars, people or objects directly in front of them if they are too busy looking to the side at another accident or staring at the passing landscape.

Who Can Be Held Liable for a Distracted Driving Wreck in Roanoke?

The Virginia Highway Safety Office reports that around 20 percent of the crashes that occurred on Commonwealth roads in 2017, or 26,123 total accidents, involved a distracted driver. Out of those crashes, 189 were fatal, while 9,284 caused injuries. Distracted driving clearly is a major factor in car accidents.

Drivers owe a duty to their passengers, other motorists, and others who are on or near the road such as pedestrians and bicyclists. The duty is to drive as a reasonable, prudent person would drive. If a person chooses to text when behind the wheel or engage in some other form of distracted driving, then the driver clearly breaches the duty which the driver owes to others. It is negligence. The driver deserves to be held accountable for any harm that he or she causes.

Virginia law actually establishes negligence as a matter of law, or negligence per se, when it comes to certain types of distracted driving. Currently, Virginia law bans all drivers from texting or using e-mail while driving. Additionally, the law prohibits drivers under the age of 18, school bus drivers, and commercial drivers from using cell phones for any purpose while they are driving.

In some cases, the distracted driver is not the only person who can be held liable for a car accident. If a driver was acting in the course and scope of his or her employment at the time of an accident, then the driver’s employer could be liable as well. For instance, the driver may have been talking about working on a phone when a crash happened, responding to a text from a boss, or surfing the web while making a delivery.

Contact our Roanoke Distracted Driver Accident Attorneys Today

The distracted driver accident attorneys at Lichtenstein Law Group PLC, have the experience, skills, and resources necessary to commit to your case. Our team will investigate all aspects of your car accident in order to determine why it happened and to identify every party who should be held liable for it. As part of our investigation, we will gather critical evidence such as cell phone records, accident scene photos, black box data, and witness statements. We may also consult with knowledgeable professionals in areas such as accident reconstruction.

Evidence tends to disappear with time or become harder to obtain. The memory of witnesses may fade as well. For this reason, you should contact us as early as possible so that we can immediately launch our investigation of your crash. Additionally, we can take over all communications with the insurance company (or companies), which will ease your stress and allow you to focus on your health.

Our Roanoke Distracted Driving Accident Attorneys Can Help You Today

Insurance companies want to pay as little as possible to resolve car accident injury claims. They often try to get away with paying nothing at all. For this reason, you should put an experienced and determined personal injury lawyer on your side.

Get help today from the personal injury lawyers at Lichtenstein Law Group PLC. Our distracted driving attorneys are highly skilled litigators who prepare every case for trial. We can leverage our hard work and trial preparation towards pursuing a settlement that fully and fairly compensates you for the harm caused by a distracted driver. In the end, we will define our success by your satisfaction.

To learn more, call or reach us online today and schedule a free consultation with a car accident lawyer about your accident through our offices in Roanoke and Charlottesville.