Distracted Driving Accident Attorney

Distracted Driving Accident Attorney in St. Louis and Missouri.. If a distracted driver injured you or a loved one, you need to talk to a distracted driving attorney immediately. At Burger Law, we have a team of dedicated and knowledgeable Missouri distracted driving accident attorneys that will fight on your behalf, hold the responsible party accountable for your injuries and demand that you get the compensation you deserve to help you on your road to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review.

We all have to play by the rules of the road to ensure that we, our passengers and everyone else on the Missouri roads are safe. When someone else breaks those rules, behaves recklessly and does not pay attention while they are driving, they put you and the people you care about directly in harm’s way. You should not have to lose wages, pay exorbitant medical fees and suffer painful and limiting injuries because of someone else’s negligence, and you deserve to receive full compensation for their careless actions.

The distracted driving attorneys at Burger Law have seen every type of distracted driving case, and we have the experience, skill and tenacity to get you maximum compensation for your injuries from your Missouri distracted driving accident. We handle all communication, documentation and litigation for you so you can focus on healing from your injuries. We fight by your side and do not charge you any legal fees until we have won your case and helped you receive the financial recovery you deserve. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free case review with a qualified Missouri and St. Louis distracted driving accident attorney. We will get started on your case right away.

Distracted Driving Statistics

We have likely all seen distracted drivers on the road, and you may even be guilty of it yourself. However, much of the data we have concerning distracted driving is even more frightening. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safetey estimates that nearly 9 in 10 drivers use their phones in some capacity while driving, and cell phone related crashes increased by 30 percent between 2014 and 2018. In Missouri, there were 408 fatalities in distracted driving cases from 2016 to 2020, and thousands more have been injured. In 2017, Missouri officially attributed 21,058 accidents to distracted drivers, which far exceeds the number of drunk driving accidents (5,321) and is higher than speed-related accidents (19,535).

Missouri Revised Statutes §304.820 prohibits cell phone use while driving, but only for individuals who are 21 years of age or younger or commercial drivers, despite the fact that 70 percent of drivers whose cell phone use caused an accident were 22 or older. In fact, nearly a quarter of drivers in distracted driving accidents are between the ages of 20 and 29. Although new legislation has been a hot topic in the state government lately, Missouri is still only one of two states without a no texting law for all drivers and there are no other distracted driving laws in the state. This can make Missouri roads especially dangerous for drivers, passengers and pedestrians. That is why it is important to know that the distracted driving accident attorneys at Burger Law are here for you and will stand by your side if a distracted driver injures you.

While the letter of the law may not hold everybody accountable, you can be confident that the distracted driving accident attorneys at Burger Law will. Even though texting while driving is not against the law in Missouri, an irresponsible driver can still be found liable for any injuries you sustain. Driving distracted still breaks our safety, requiring road users to behave in a way that is safe. As your St. Louis and Missouri distracted driving accident attorney, the Burger Law legal team has helped hundreds of individuals and families in St. Louis and Missouri recover full compensation when someone breaks the rules and hurts them. We have tried every type of distracted driving case, and crooked Missouri insurance companies fear us because they know we take on – and win – the tough cases. Call a St. Louis-based Missouri Burger Law distracted driving accident attorney today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary consultation and get started on the road to full recovery and maximum compensation. Your experienced distracted driving accident lawyer will start working on your case and fighting for you immediately and will not let up until you get the money you deserve.

Common Types of Driving Distractions

There are a lot of ways a Missouri driver can become distracted and cause a distracted driving accident. Burger Law’s distracted driving accident attorneys know how to prove any type of case to maximize your compensation. We have seen every kind of distracted driving accident, and, in general, there are three main categories of distractions.

Manual Distractions

These occur when the driver’s hands are occupied, meaning they no longer have full control of the vehicle. Even with just one hand on the wheel, a driver’s reaction time is significantly lowered. Some examples of common manual distractions include:

• Texting, taking a call, or otherwise using your phone
• Eating or drinking
• Adjusting the radio or temperature
• Changing clothes, taking off a coat, putting on makeup, combing your hair or other “grooming” activities
• Getting something out of your purse, wallet, or pocket

Visual Distractions

These are distractions that lead to you taking your eyes off the road. Sometimes visual and manual distractions coincide. Some examples are:

• Looking at a GPS device, map, or otherwise looking at directions
• Looking at another passenger or in the backseat
• Looking around instead of ahead, such as at a roadside attraction, sign, or accident
• Looking at your phone
• Looking in the mirror to check your appearance

Cognitive Distractions

These happen when something causes a driver to take their mind off the road. These can be dangerous because while it may seem that somebody is doing everything right, they are still not concentrating or as alert as they should be. They can be:

• Paying too much attention to an audiobook or song
• Daydreaming
• Focusing too much on a conversation with someone else in the car or on a hands-free device
• Being stressed out or preoccupied with other things
• Other passengers, such as your kids or pets, need something or need to be disciplined

As you might imagine, cell phones are a leading cause of distracted driving accidents because they can lead to manual, visual and cognitive distractions. When you get behind the wheel, it is important to avoid your phone so you do not cause a distracted driving accident. If you sustained injuries because another driver was distracted and acted carelessly, call the distracted driving attorneys at Burger Law and we will get started on your case immediately. We will stay committed to you and your case until you get the full compensation you deserve. We demand full payment for your distracted driving accident damages

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How to Prove a Distracted Driving Case

While you may or may not have seen that the other person was a clearly distracted driver, it can be difficult to prove to a resistant Missouri insurance company or in a court of law. A skilled, committed and tenacious distracted driving accident attorney like those at Burger Law will be able to prove the other driver was distracted. Here is a look at some of the evidence you could use and how your distracted driving accident attorney can leverage it to prove your claim and demand your full recovery.

The Scene of the Accident. If you are able to, act quickly after you have been in a distracted driving accident and collect evidence at the scene of the accident. This can include pictures of both vehicles and the area surrounding the accident. Most drivers will try to swerve sharply or break quickly before causing an accident. If there are no tire or brake marks, it could help demonstrate that the person who hit you was not paying attention. This is why it is important to take photographs of the area if possible. Surveillance video showing the other driver did not swerve or brake could also help your case. The St. Louis and Missouri distracted driving accident attorneys at Burger Law will acquire any video evidence and painstakingly review any photographs or other evidence.

Eyewitness Accounts.The more people who say they saw that the other driver was clearly distracted, the stronger your case will be. If other people witnessed the accident and saw that the other driver was eating, texting or not looking at the road ahead, they can give official statements to support your case. If you hire Burger Law, your Missouri and St. Louis distracted driving accident attorney and legal team will conduct depositions and collect official statements on your behalf. You just need to be sure you get any witnesses’ contact information at the scene.

Social Media Activity. If the other driver tweeted an article, posted a picture on Instagram or performed some other action on a social media platform in the seconds leading up to the crash, it likely means they were distracted by their phone. Your Burger Law distracted driving accident lawyer will take care of collecting this information to help build your case.

The Distracted Driver’s Cell Phone Records. Even if there is no social media trail, the negligent driver’s cell phone company will have usage reports detailing what they were doing on their phone at the time of the accident. If the driver was texting, there will be a record of it. A skilled distracted driving accident attorney will subpoena those records to help prove your case.

Use the Police Reports. Police officers are trained to examine accidents and decide who was at fault. If the police officer at the scene determined the other driver was distracted and was at fault in the accident, it will go a long way towards convincing a judge, jury or resistant insurance company that you deserve to be compensated for your injuries.

Use a Crash Expert. Crash experts have years of experience in examining all available evidence and determining fault in car accidents. Burger Law’s team of distracted driving accident lawyers has a vast network of St. Louis and Missouri experts we trust and work with to make sure you get maximum compensation for your injuries.

Hire Burger Law. Our dedicated and knowledgeable distracted driving accident attorneys love taking on tough cases to get our clients the money they deserve. With decades of combined experience, we have seen every type of distracted driving accident and have won our clients over $170 million in verdicts and settlements for their damages. We take on bullies like resistant insurance companies and help get you back on the road to recover. Your Burger Law distracted driving accident lawyer will handle all official communication and litigation, and you do not owe us any fees until you get the money you deserve. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation, and we will begin working on winning your case immediately.

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How to Avoid Being a Distracted Driver

While Missouri’s distracted driving laws may be light, you should still exercise extreme caution any time you get behind the wheel. There are a number of steps you can take to keep yourself, your passengers, other drivers and other pedestrians safe.

Eat before you leave. While double-tasking can seem like a great time-saver, it can also lead to unnecessary dangers on the road. Taking a few extra minutes to eat before getting behind the wheel can help keep you and others safe.

Get ready before you leave. Just like eating on the road, personal grooming or getting dressed while driving may save time, but greatly increases your chances of personal injury or injuring another person.

Know where you are going. Look carefully at directions beforehand so you will not have to look at your phone when you are behind the wheel. While driving, have the volume on any GPS device at its maximum level so you will be able to hear the directions. Alternatively, if you have a passenger, have them handle the directions so you can focus on the road in front of you.

If you are tired, pull over or let someone else drive. Not only are you at risk of falling asleep at the wheel, but drowsiness increases the risk of an accident by almost four times, and over a third of drivers have admitted to nodding off or falling asleep while driving at least once in their lives.

Make adjustments before getting on the road. Adjust the seat, mirrors, heat or AC, music and sound system before you start your trip. You need to have your full attention on the road while you are in the driver’s seat.

Secure children and pets. Looking at or reaching to the backseat or passenger seat can cause a manual, visual and cognitive distraction. If something happens and they need your attention, it is best to pull over to the side of the road.

Keep your eyes on the road. Your entire attention should be focused on the road in front of you and your mirrors so that you can see other drivers and pedestrians. While that brightly colored restaurant may look cool, taking a moment to admire it is not worth putting you and others at risk.

Unfortunately, you can do everything right when you are behind the wheel and you or someone you care about can still be injured because somebody else broke the rules of the road. When that happens, you need to call the distracted driving accident lawyers of Burger Law immediately so we can use our expertise and experience to help you get full compensation and start to make you whole again. We know distracted driving accident cases, we know how to win them and we know how to demand a full recovery for your injuries.

Hire the Distracted Driving Lawyers at Burger Law Today

If you or a loved one has been hurt because another driver broke the rules of the road and acted carelessly, you deserve to be fully compensated for your injuries. The Missouri distracted driving accident attorneys at Burger Law hold irresponsible drivers accountable and stand up to unethical insurance companies who are more concerned about their bottom line than your well-being. We have the experience, skillset, work ethic and tenacity to fight by your side from beginning to end, to win your case and to get you the maximum compensation to help you protect your family’s future. If another driver was distracted and caused your injuries or the injuries of a loved one, you should not have to bear the burden of medical bills, lost wages or lost future earnings, pain and suffering and mental anguish. Call us today a (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation and to learn more about what Burger Law will do to get you back on your feet and back on the road again.