Distracted Driver Accident & Injury Attorney

Driving is a privilege. Even more than that, however, driving is a responsibility that should never be taken lightly. You are literally taking your life into your own hands when you get behind the wheel of a vehicle, and a failure on your part could lead to catastrophic injuries to those around you, too. It is important that everyone understand just dangerous driving can be, especially if you are not paying attention. Anyone who has taken Driver’s Ed can tell you, after all, that the most important rule of the road is to be a defensive driver who is aware of the road conditions as well as the traffic around them.

Unfortunately, not everyone is willing to drive safely and follow the rules. Sometimes people who drive decide that talking on their cellphone or checking the latest Facebook post is more important than paying close attention to the road around them. In fact, to say that distracted driving is an ever-increasing epidemic infecting our roads is no exaggeration. More and more people each year are engaging with smartphones or other devices when driving rather. This means that they are giving their attention to a device screen rather than the view through their windshield or in their mirrors. As you might expect, this can lead to some truly devastating accidents that leave lives forever changed.

At Bingham Law, we are committed to maximizing the recovery of our clients who have been injured in automobile accidents by a distracted driver. Our firm serves clients throughout Elgin and the surrounding area, including the counties of Cook, Kane, DuPage, McHenry, Lake and DeKalb.

The Facts About Distracted Driving

According to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), over ten percent of the fatal crashes reported in 2011 were the result as distracted driving, as well as seventeen percent of accidents that involved injury (but not death). To be a bit more specific, that means that around 387,000 were injured and 3,331 individuals killed by distracted drivers. Many of these accidents were the direct result of the at-fault driver using a smartphone while driving. Keep in mind that any of the following uses of a smartphone constitute distracted driving:

• Texting
• Talking
• Other cell-phone-related activities
• Listening to a phone call
• Dialing

According to a study conducted by the University of Utah, talking on a smartphone can quadruple your accident risk. Texting is even worse, rising to eight times more than normal, if you are texting rather than talking on the phone. These situations are essentially the equivalent of driving drunk in terms of the severity in which your risk for an accident increases. One of the worst parts about this information is that while many drivers are quick to accept that other drivers texting or talking on their phones while driving are putting themselves at risk for an accident while simultaneously increasing the chances that they will significantly harm someone while driving, they are equally quick to justify their own distracted driving.

Vicarious Liability

If the at-fault party in a car accident caused by distracted driving is on duty during the time and acting within the scope of their employment, then it is possible for their employer to be held responsible. This might be true whether the employer knew that their employee was driving poorly or not. An infamous example of this is the lawsuit involving Coca-Cola in 2012 in Texas. The company had to pay a woman who was in an accident caused by a distracted Coca-Cola salesperson $24 million.

Now, not every settlement will come to anywhere near that amount, of course, but it illustrates the potential hazards of distracted driving very well.

Have you been injured by a distracted driver?

If you or a loved one has been injured by a distracted driver, you need to find an attorney who is familiar with the law. Someone who has the experience and trial confidence to fight for your rights can help ensure that you receive the compensation to which you are entitled. At Bingham Law, we have established attorneys who handle all manner of distracted driving cases. We have represented our clients well and always fight to ensure their rights are upheld. Because we understand just how difficult life after an injury can be, we strive to ensure that you can focus on recovery while we focus on the case.

If you or members of your family have been seriously injured in an accident caused by distracted drivers and need an accident lawyer who is experienced with insurance coverage and personal injury issues, please contact an Elgin, Illinois, distracted driver accident injury attorney at Bingham Law. Call us toll free at 888-695-9822 or use our online contact form.