If a distracted driver hurts you on the road, they have a responsibility to you for what they did. If you’ve spent much time on the roads and streets of Kentucky, you know the biggest hazard out there: other drivers.
Think about this:
- Every day in the United States about nine people are killed in texting and driving accidents or involving a distracted driver, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Every day 1,000 are injured.
- In 2015, almost 3,500 were killed and more than 390,000 injured in crashes with distracted drivers. These texting and driving death statistics or distracted driving statistics are alarming.
You have the right to compensation for your medical bills, for damage to your vehicle, for lost wages, pain and suffering, and long-lasting disabilities resulting from your collision.
It can be intimidating to take on big insurance companies on your own after an accident. But at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer, our car accident attorneys have the Kentucky Courage ™ to do just that. We have ten offices located throughout Kentucky in Lexington, Somerset, Manchester, London, Nt. London, Hazard, Paducah, Paintsville, Prestonsburg and Princeton.
Get a free consultation on your case. We also handle property damage claims for our car wreck injury clients for FREE, don’t be afraid to ask when contacting us.
Distracted Driving Is Not Just a Bad Habit — It’s Illegal
Kentucky has laws against distracted driving.
The state uses the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s definition of distracted driving. Any activity that diverts someone from the primary focus of driving their vehicle –– and increases the risk of an accident — is breaking the law.
Driver distraction comes in three major forms, according to the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety:
- Visual –– Failing to watch the road, perhaps while looking at a cellphone
- Manual –– Failing to keep hold of the wheel, perhaps when texting
- Cognitive –– Failing to focus on driving, perhaps because their mind was someplace else
How To Know if the Other Driver Was Legally Distracted
Kentucky law outlines specific types of distractions on the roads.
Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 189 outlines the following:
- Drivers under 18 cannot use a cell phone at all while their vehicle is in motion.
- Drivers of any age cannot write texts or emails while driving.
More and more, people are recognizing the danger of texting while driving. Almost every state has a law banning it now. Violators can be fined or even face suspension of driving privileges.
In addition to seeking compensation for damages and injuries from a driver who was texting, you soon may be able to pursue punitive damages, meant to punish them for their bad behavior, said a 2018 article from Bloomberg Law.
As the article said if you send or read a text at 55 miles per hour, that five seconds of distraction is like “driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.”
Violators can be fined or even face suspension of driving privileges.
The state also lists several other forms of distraction:
- Trying to pick up an object
- Operating the car’s stereo
- Talking to passengers
- Reading
- Eating
- Grooming
Distracted driving can have serious consequences for the driver, passengers, and people in other cars.
If a distracted driver has disrupted your life, get a lawyer experienced in handling these cases to help you prove distracted driving and recover all you need.
Contact Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer now.
How To Make Sure the Law Protects Me
After years of helping Kentuckians win compensation for their losses, we know the law — and how it’s supposed to protect you from the reckless and negligent behavior of others.
We also know that some big insurance companies try to take advantage of you, pressuring you into taking a quick settlement and giving you less than you’re entitled to receive.
Unfortunately, even some car accident lawyers let the insurance companies push you around.
Not us.
We work for you.
We push back.
If you or a loved one is the victim of a distracted driver, contact us today.
