Distracted Driving Accident Attorney Carthage, MO

Distracted Driving Accident Attorney in Carthage, MO. If a distracted driver injured you or a family member, you need to talk to a distracted driving attorney today. At Burger Law, we have a team of devoted and experienced Carthage, MO distracted driving accident attorneys that will fight on your behalf, hold the negligible party accountable for your injuries and demand that you get the recovery you entitled to to aid you on your path to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.

We all have to play by the rules of the road to ensure that we, our passengers and everyone else on the Carthage, MO roads are safe. When a distracted driver breaks those rules, acts thoughtlessly and does not pay attention while they are on the road, they put you and the people you care about directly at hazard. You should not have to miss time from work, pay pricey medical bills and deal with painful and restrictive injuries because of someone else’s negligence, and you deserve to receive complete compensation for their careless behavior.

The distracted driving attorneys at Burger Law have argued every kind of distracted driving case, and we have the experience, skill and persistence to get you great compensation for your injuries from your Carthage, MO distracted driving accident. We take care of all communication, documentation and litigation for you so you can focus your energy on recovering from your injuries. We fight by your side and do not ask for any legal fees until we have won your case and helped you collect the financial compensation you are entitled to. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free consultation with an experienced Carthage, MO distracted driving accident attorney. We will get started on your case right away.

Distracted Driving Statistics

We have certainly all seen distracted drivers on the road, and you may even be guilty of it yourself. However, much of the information we have with respect to distracted driving is even scarier. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety estimates that nearly 9 in 10 drivers use their phones somehow while behind the wheel, and cell phone caused wrecks grown by 30 percent between 2014 and 2018. In Missouri, there were 408 fatalities in distracted driving accidents from 2016 to 2020, and thousands more people have been injured. In 2017, Missouri officially attributed 21,058 collisions to distracted drivers, which far transcends the number of drunk driving accidents (5,321) and is greater than accidents caused by speeding (19,535).

Missouri Revised Statutes §304.820 forbids cell phone use while behind the wheel, but only for people who are 21 years old or less or commercial drivers, despite the fact that 70 percent of drivers whose cell phone use caused an accident were 22 or older. Indeed, nearly a quarter of drivers in distracted driving wrecks are between the ages of 20 and 29. Although new legislation has been a hot topic in the state government recently, Missouri is still only one of two states without a no texting law for drivers of all ages and there are no other distracted driving laws in the state. This can cause roads to be especially dangerous for Carthage, MO 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 fight in your corner if a distracted driver hurts you.

While the letter of the law may not hold every driver accountable, you can be confident that the distracted driving accident attorneys at Burger Law will. Despite the fact that texting while driving is not against the law in Carthage, MO, a careless driver can still be held accountable for any injuries you receive. Driving distracted still breaks our safety, requiring Carthage, MO road users to behave in a way that is safe. As your Carthage, MO distracted driving accident attorney, the Burger Law legal team has helped hundreds of Carthage, MO residents recover full compensation when someone breaks the rules and hurts them. We have fought every type of distracted driving case, and resistant Carthage, MO insurance companies fear us because they know we take on – and win – the tough cases. Call a Carthage, MO Burger Law distracted driving accident attorney today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case evaluation and begin down the path to full recovery and maximum compensation. Your veteran Carthage, MO distracted driving accident lawyer will start working on your case and fighting for you immediately and will not rest until you get the money you deserve.

Common Types of Driving Distractions

There are a lot of ways a Carthage, MO driver can get distracted and cause a distracted driving accident. Burger Law’s distracted driving accident attorneys understand the best way to prove any kind of case to maximize your compensation. We have seen every kind of distracted driving accident, and, generally speaking, there are three main kinds of of distractions.

Manual Distractions

These occur when the driver does not have their hands on the wheel properly, {meaning they them to no longer have complete control of the vehicle. Even with just one hand on the wheel, a driver’s reaction time is appreciably lessened. A few instances of typical manual distractions are:

• Texting, talking, or otherwise using your phone
• Eating or drinking
• Changing the radio or temperature
• Changing clothes, taking off a coat, applying 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 include:

• 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 and checking how you look

Cognitive Distractions

These take place when something leads to a driver taking their mind off the road. These can be hazardous because while it can appear that someone is doing everything correctly, they are still not focusing 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 anxious or preoccupied with other things
• Other passengers, such as kids or pets, need something or need to be disciplined

As you might notice, cell phones are a principal cause of distracted driving accidents because they can cause manual, visual and cognitive distractions. When you are operating a vehicle, it is important to avoid your phone so you do not create a distracted driving accident. If you experienced injuries because another Carthage, MO driver was distracted and acted thoughtlessly, call the distracted driving attorneys at Burger Law and we will start working on your case immediately. We will remain dedicated to your case until you are awarded the full compensation you deserve. We insist on a full recovery for your distracted driving accident damages.

How to Prove a Distracted Driving Case

While you may or may not have seen that the other motorist was an obviously distracted driver, it can be complicated to demonstrate beyond doubt to a resistant Carthage, MO insurance company or in a court of law. A accomplished, dedicated and tenacious distracted driving accident attorney like those at Burger Law will be able to prove the negligible driver was distracted. Read on below for some of the evidence you could utilize and how your distracted driving accident attorney can take advantage of it to prove your claim and demand your full compensation.

The Scene of the Accident. If you can, react quickly after you have been in a distracted driving accident and accumulate evidence at the scene of the crash. This can mean pictures of both vehicles and the area surrounding the accident. The majority of drivers will try to swerve sharply or break quickly before causing an accident. If you do not see any tire or brake marks, it could help show that the motorist who crashed into you was not paying attention. This is why it is important to take pictures of the area if you can. Surveillance video showing the other driver did not veer or brake could also help your suit. The Carthage, MO distracted driving accident attorneys at Burger Law will acquire any video evidence and painstakingly review any photographs or other evidence.

Eyewitness Stories.Your case will be stronger if you have eyewitnesses who corroborate your account. If other people saw the accident and noticed that the other driver was combing their hair, texting or not focusing on the road ahead, they can give official statements to help your suit. If you hire Burger Law, your Carthage, MO distracted driving accident attorney and legal team will conduct depositions and collect official statements on your behalf. You only need to be sure you get any witnesses’ contact information at the scene.

Social Media Activity. If the other driver made a tweet, posted a photo on Instagram or carried out some other action on a social media site in the seconds right before the wreck, it probably means they were distracted by their phone. Your Burger Law distracted driving accident lawyer will take care of acquiring this information to help your case.

The Distracted Driver’s Cell Phone Records. Even if there is no social media trail, the distracted driver’s cell phone company will have usage reports detailing whether or not they were likely distracted by their phone when the accident took place. If the driver was texting, there will be a record of it. A savvy distracted driving accident attorney will subpoena those records to help win your suit.

Use the Police Reports. Police officers are instructed on how to evaluate accidents and decide who is responsible. If the Carthage, MO police officer at the scene determined the other motorist was distracted and was at fault in the accident, it will mean a great deal when convincing a judge, jury or resistant insurance company that you deserve to be compensated for your damages.

Hire a Crash Expert. Crash experts have years of experience in reviewing all available evidence and deciding fault in car accidents. Burger Law’s group of distracted driving accident lawyers has a vast network of Carthage, MO experts we trust and work with to make sure you get complete compensation for your damages.

Contact Burger Law. Our dedicated and talented distracted driving accident attorneys take pride in taking on tough cases to get our clients the money they deserve. With over seventy years of combined experience, we have experience with every variety of distracted driving accident and have won our clients over $170 million in verdicts and settlements for their damages. We stand up to bullies like resistant insurance companies and help make you whole again. 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 complimentary consultation, and we will start working on winning your case right away.

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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 doing two things at once can seem like a great way to save time, it can also lead to unnecessary hazards on the road. Taking a few extra minutes to eat before getting in the car can help keep you and others safe.

Get ready before you leave. Similar to eating on the road, shaving or getting dressed while driving may save time, but greatly increases your odds of personal injury or injuring somebody else.

Know where you are going. Look carefully at directions before you leave so you will not have to look at your phone when you are driving. While driving, turn the volume up on any GPS device so you will be able to hear the directions. Alternatively, if if someone is in the car with you, have them handle the directions so you can concentrate the road in front of you.

If you are exhausted, pull over or have someone else drive. Not only are you at risk of falling asleep at the wheel, but drowsiness increases the chances 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.

Change the radio and settings 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 focus on the road while you are behind the wheel.

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

Keep your eyes on the road. Your full concentration should be on the road ahead of you and your mirrors so that you can see what is happening around you. While that weird roadside attraction may look interesting, taking a minute to admire it is not worth putting you and others at peril.

Unfortunately, you can do everything correctly when you are in the driver's seat and you or a loved one can still be injured because somebody else did not respect the rules of the road. When that happens, you need to call the distracted driving accident lawyers of Burger Law right away so we can use our skill and experience to help you get maximum compensation and start to make you whole again. We know distracted driving accident suits, we know how to win them and we know how to demand the best possible recovery for your injuries.

The Carthage, MO lawyers of Burger Law have the experience and knowledge to help you receive the full recovery you deserve after any accident or injury caused by someone else leaves you injured. Learn more about our fields of expertise below.

• Truck Crash Lawyers in Missouri
• Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Missouri

Hire the Distracted Driving Lawyers at Burger Law Today

If you or someone you care about has been hurt because someone else broke the rules of the road and acted carelessly, you are owed full compensation for your injuries. The Carthage, MO distracted driving accident attorneys at Burger Law hold careless drivers accountable and stand up to resistant insurance companies who are more concerned about their bottom line than being fair to you. We have the knowledge, skillset, work ethic and persistence to fight by your side from beginning to end, to win your case and to get you the maximum compensation to help you protect you and your loved ones' future. If another Carthage, MO driver was distracted and caused your injuries or the injuries of a loved one, you should not have to manage the responsibility 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 consultation and to find out more about what Burger Law will do to get you back on your feet and back on the road again.