Macon Texting While Driving Accident Lawyer

The Micro-Distractions Behind “Just a Second” Crashes

Texting while driving is a dangerous move that takes drivers’ attention off the road and increases the risk of crashes. Yet, people across Georgia and around the country frequently reach for their phones and start typing as soon as they get behind the wheel.

For people injured in crashes involving texting drivers, the harm can be serious and even life-threatening. It is also entirely preventable: all drivers have to do is put their phones down.

The Macon texting while driving accident lawyers at Merritt & Merritt Law Firm help people and families who have been injured in a wide range of vehicle collisions. Our attorneys understand the pain and stress that can come with being involved in an accident, both for the person injured and his or her family. We are experienced attorneys who have dedicated our careers to getting our clients the full compensation available under the law.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, you are not alone. Our Macon texting while driving accident lawyers are just a phone call away. Call us today at 478-845-6464 to speak with an attorney about your rights and options.

Why Texting and Driving Is a Reckless Decision

Distraction is one of the leading causes of auto accidents. Cell phones, which people increasingly find difficult to put down, are a common source of distraction.

More than half (54%) of all traffic accidents in Georgia involve a distracted driver, according to data from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. Distracted drivers are involved in nearly one-third (30%) of serious injury crashes.

Younger drivers are particularly at risk of distraction behind the wheel. Drivers ages 15 to 24 represent about 15% of all motorists statewide. They account for 26% of all distracted driving accidents, however. Younger drivers account for 28% of all distracted driving crashes that end in death.

Texting while driving is particularly dangerous. It takes drivers’ eyes away from the road ahead, meaning that they may not spot slowing or stopped traffic, pedestrians, potholes and other dangerous road conditions and traffic signs providing important information about what is ahead.

Texting also takes drivers’ hands off the wheels and their minds away from the task of operating their vehicles. That slows their ability to react when needed. All it takes is a moment of combined distraction for devastating consequences to follow, especially when traveling at highway speeds.

Drivers using mobile phones are approximately four times more likely to be involved in a crash than drivers not using a mobile phone, according to the World Health Organization.

Here are some of the most common crashes that our Macon texting while driving accident lawyers see.

• Rear-end collisions: Texting drivers often fail to notice slowing or stopped traffic. These crashes happen without braking, leading to severe whiplash, spinal damage and traumatic brain injuries for drivers and passengers in vehicles hit from behind.
• Intersection and red light crashes: Drivers focused on their phones may entirely miss traffic signals, stop signs or cross-traffic. Side-impact or T-bone collisions are frequently the result.
• Lane departure crashes: Texting drivers may drift into oncoming traffic, bike lanes or road shoulders. This can cause head-on collisions, which are frequently catastrophic or fatal.
• Pedestrian and bicyclist collisions: Texting drivers routinely fail to see people outside of vehicles. Pedestrians and cyclists are at high risk of serious injury because they have little physical protection from oncoming traffic.

Texting drivers may never see the danger in front of them in these and other accidents. They are likely to be traveling at higher speeds in such situations, ramping up the likelihood of catastrophic injury or death.

What Is Considered a “Just a Second” Crash?

“I only looked down for a second,” is a common refrain from texting drivers after crashes happen. The truth, of course, is that a second is all it takes to change people’s lives forever.

Texting while driving often is not one mistake. Instead, it is a series of micro-distractions – small, seemingly insignificant moments – that can add up with catastrophic consequences.

Micro-distractions are brief lapses in attention. Many drivers mistakenly believe they are harmless because they are so short in duration. Some of the most common examples include:

• Glancing at a phone notification
• Reading part of a text message
• Unlocking a phone screen
• Typing a quick response
• Checking a navigation app update
• Silencing a phone alert

Each action may take only a second or two. But when a vehicle is moving at speed, those seconds translate into long distances traveled without attention on the road.

Drivers often underestimate how long their attention is diverted. What feels like a quick check often turns into multiple steps: noticing a vibration, unlocking the phone, reading the message, deciding whether to respond, and typing. By the time the driver looks back up, the situation ahead may have changed completely.

Compensation for Injuries in Car Accidents

If you have been injured in a traffic accident in Georgia, you have the right to take action against those responsible. That includes seeking compensation from negligent drivers and their insurers.

Money damages awarded in car accident cases are meant to help an injured person get back to the financial position that he or she was in prior to the crash. The amount of the compensation varies widely based on the circumstances, such as the extent of the injuries.

Medical costs often are the bulk of money damages. Injured people can recover money for ambulance and emergency room services, surgery, doctors visits, rehabilitation and physical therapy, prescription medication, medical devices and mental health treatment, among other medical costs. That includes costs already incurred and reasonably anticipated future medical expenses.

Lost wages are also a major impact of traffic accidents for people who are injured. If your injuries caused you to miss work, you can seek compensation for lost income. That includes time missed from work during treatment and recovery, as well as for related medical appointments.

Injuries can also limit a person’s future earning capacity, allowing for additional money damages. Even if you are still employed, you may have to take a different position, work fewer hours or stop working sooner than you otherwise would.

Additional compensation also may be available for mental and emotional anguish resulting from the crash and the injuries. That is not to mention punitive damages, which may be awarded to punish particularly extreme or reckless conduct.

In the tragic event that a person is killed in a traffic accident, his or her family has the right to seek compensation for wrongful death.

Although nothing can be done to bring your loved one back, the money damages in these cases can offer some financial security in the aftermath of losing a family member. That includes compensation for medical and burial costs, as well as missed income and pain and suffering.

Proving Fault in Texting and Driving Crashes

Texting and driving is not a simple “accident.” Drivers who cause crashes because they were distracted by their phones are likely to be legally liable for the harm they cause to others.

Drivers across the country are legally required to operate their vehicles in a reasonably safe manner. That means complying with traffic rules and refraining from dangerous behavior behind the wheel. In Georgia, state law makes it illegal for drivers to have phones in their hands or to even have phones touching any part of their bodies while driving.

There are a number of ways to establish that a driver was texting or using a phone in the moments before a crash. Some of the evidence most commonly used in these cases includes:

• Cell phone records
• Witness testimony
• Traffic camera or surveillance footage
• Police reports

In addition, cars themselves may provide important information. Newer cars are equipped with data tracking technology that can show whether a vehicle braked at all before a collision. If the car did not brake or braked only slightly, that is often a sign that the driver did not have his or her attention on the road.

Many people who are injured in auto accidents can get compensation from a negligent driver and/or insurer without going to court. Our Macon texting while driving accident lawyers have had significant success resolving cases through negotiated settlements. This allows our clients to start trying to move on with their lives while also getting the compensation to which they are entitled.

In other situations, filing a lawsuit and going to trial may be necessary to get what you deserve. We are seasoned litigators who stand ready to fight for clients in court.

Merritt & Merritt Law Firm Helps People Get Back on Their Feet

At Merritt & Merritt Law Firm, our Macon texting while driving accident lawyers are dedicated to helping people and families who have been injured through no fault of their own. We fight diligently to protect and defend our clients rights.

Our goal is to help you move on with your life after an accident by getting the full compensation available under the law. Call our team at 478-845-6464 for a free, no-risk consultation.