Distracted Driving Accident Attorney Lafayette County, MO

Distracted Driving Accident Attorney in Lafayette County, MO. If a distracted driver injured you or someone you care about, you need to talk to a distracted driving attorney immediately. At Burger Law, we have a team of committed and knowledgeable Lafayette County, MO distracted driving accident attorneys that will fight by your side, hold the at-fault party accountable for your injuries and demand that you get the money you are to aid you while you recover. 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 Lafayette County, MO roads are safe. When another driver breaks those rules, acts carelessly and does not pay attention while they are driving, they put you and the people you care about directly at risk. You should not have to miss time from work, pay costly medical bills and suffer painful and restrictive injuries as a result of someone else’s negligence, and you deserve to be awarded full compensation for their careless behavior.

The distracted driving attorneys at Burger Law have experience with every variety of distracted driving case, and we have the experience, skill and determination to get you complete compensation for your injuries from your Lafayette County, MO distracted driving accident. We take care of all communication, documentation and litigation for you so you can focus your energy on healing 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 receive the financial compensation you are owed. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free case review with an experienced Lafayette County, MO distracted driving accident attorney. We start working on your case straight away.

Distracted Driving Statistics

We have certainly all observed distracted drivers on the road, and you may even be guilty of it yourself. However, much of the information we have regarding distracted driving is even scarier. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety estimates that nearly 9 in 10 drivers use their phones in some way while driving, and cell phone caused wrecks escalated by 30 percent between 2014 and 2018. In Missouri, there were 408 fatalities in distracted driving crashes from 2016 to 2020, and thousands more people have been injured. In 2017, Missouri officially attributed 21,058 wrecks to distracted drivers, which far exceeds 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 driving, but only for drivers who are 21 years of age or younger or commercial drivers, even though 70 percent of drivers whose cell phone use caused an accident were 22 or older. As a matter of fact, nearly a quarter of drivers in distracted driving accidents are between the ages of 20 and 29. Even though new laws have been a hot topic in the state government recently, Missouri is still only one of two states that does not have a no texting law for all drivers , nor are there any other distracted driving laws in the state. This can cause roads to be especially perilous for Lafayette County, MO drivers, passengers and pedestrians. That is why it is vital to keep in mind that the distracted driving accident attorneys at Burger Law are here for you and will fight by your side if a distracted driver harms you.

While Missouri law may not hold everybody responsible, you can be confident that the distracted driving accident attorneys at Burger Law will. Even though there is no law against texting while driving in Lafayette County, MO, a distracted driver can still be found liable for any injuries you experience. Driving distracted still breaks our safety, requiring Lafayette County, MO road users to act in a way that is safe. As your Lafayette County, MO distracted driving accident attorney, the Burger Law legal team has helped hundreds of Lafayette County, MO residents recover full compensation when somebody disregards the rules and harms them. We have fought every type of distracted driving case, and shady Lafayette County, MO insurance companies are afraid of us because they know we take on – and win – the tough cases. Call a Lafayette County, MO Burger Law distracted driving accident attorney today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case evaluation and get started on the journey to full recovery and maximum compensation. Your veteran Lafayette County, MO distracted driving accident lawyer will begin working on your case and fighting for you at once and will not let up until you get the money you are owed.

Common Types of Driving Distractions

There are a variety of ways a Lafayette County, MO driver can get distracted and cause a distracted driving accident. Burger Law’s distracted driving accident attorneys know how to prove any kind of case to get you a full recovery. We have seen every kind of distracted driving accident, and, typically, there are three main types of of distractions.

Manual Distractions

These happen when the driver does not have their hands on the wheel properly, {meaning they them to no longer have full control of the vehicle. Even if one hand is still on the wheel, a driver’s reaction time is considerably lessened. Some examples of common manual distractions include:

• Texting, talking, or otherwise using your phone
• Eating or drinking
• Changing the radio or temperature
• Changing clothes, removing a coat, applying makeup, combing your hair or other “grooming” activities
• Removing something from your purse, wallet, or pocket

Visual Distractions

These are distractions that result in you taking your eyes off the road. Sometimes visual and manual distractions happen simultaneously. 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 and checking your appearance

Cognitive Distractions

These take place when something leads to a driver taking their mind off the road. These can be hazardous because while it could seem that somebody is operating their vehicle right, they are still not focusing or as alert as they should be. They can be:

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

As you can notice, cell phones are a leading cause of distracted driving accidents because they can lead to 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 received injuries because another Lafayette County, MO driver was distracted and acted recklessly, call the distracted driving attorneys at Burger Law and we will get started on your case right away. We will stay committed to you and your case until you are awarded the full compensation you are entitled to. We demand a full recovery for your distracted driving accident damages.

How to Prove a Distracted Driving Case

While you may or may not have noticed that the other person was a clearly distracted driver, it can be complicated to prove to a resistant Lafayette County, MO insurance company or in a court of law. A seasoned, devoted and tenacious distracted driving accident attorney like those at Burger Law will be able to prove the at-fault driver was distracted. Below is some of the evidence you could present 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 can, act quickly after you were hit 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. The majority of drivers will try to swerve sharply or break quickly before causing a crash. If there are no tire or brake marks, it could help illustrate that the person who hit you was not concentrated on the road. This is why it is vital to take pictures of the area if you can. Surveillance video in which the other driver did not swerve or brake could also help your case. The Lafayette County, MO distracted driving accident attorneys at Burger Law will procure any video evidence and painstakingly review any photographs or other evidence.

Eyewitness Statements.Your case will be stronger if you have eyewitnesses who corroborate your account. If other people observed the accident and saw that the other driver was eating, texting or not focusing on the road in front of them, they can offer official statements to help your suit. If you hire Burger Law, your Lafayette County, MO distracted driving accident attorney and legal team will conduct depositions and obtain official statements on your behalf. You only need to make sure you get any witnesses’ contact information at the scene.

Social Media Activity. If the other driver made a tweet, posted a picture on Instagram or performed any other action on a social media platform in the seconds right before the wreck, it probably means they were distracted by their phone. Your Burger Law distracted driving accident lawyer will manage acquiring this information to help your case.

The Distracted Driver’s Cell Phone Records. Even if there is no social media activity, the thoughtless driver’s cell phone company will have usage reports detailing whether or not they were likely looking at their phone when the accident happened. If the driver was texting, there will be proof of it. A skilled distracted driving accident attorney will subpoena those records to help win your claim.

Use the Police Reports. Police officers are taught to analyze crashed and judge who is responsible. If the Lafayette County, MO police officer at the scene determined the other person was distracted and was responsible for 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 group of distracted driving accident lawyers has a huge network of Lafayette County, MO experts we trust and work with to make certain you get the best possible compensation for your damages.

Call Burger Law. Our committed and accomplished distracted driving accident attorneys enjoy taking on hard cases to get our clients the money they deserve. With over seventy years of combined experience, we have experience with 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 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 compensation you are entitled to. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation, and we will begin working on winning your case at once.

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How to Avoid Being a Distracted Driver

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

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

Get ready before you leave. Just like eating behind the wheel, applying makeup or getting dressed while driving may save time, but considerably increases your odds of personal injury or hurting another person.

Know how to get to your destination. Review directions before you leave 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 concentrate the road ahead.

If you are drowsy, pull over or have someone else drive. Not only are you at risk of falling asleep at the wheel, but drowsiness increases the odds 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 starting your trip. Adjust the seat, mirrors, temperature, music and sound system before you take the car out of park. You need to have your complete concentration 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 lead to a manual, visual and cognitive distraction. If something happens and they need your attention, it is advisable to pull over to the side of the road.

Keep your eyes on the road. Your full focus should be on the road ahead of you and your mirrors so that you can see other drivers and pedestrians. While that weird roadside attraction may look interesting, taking a minute to admire it is not worth risk you could pose to yourself and others.

Unfortunately, you can do everything correctly when you are driving and you or someone you care about can still be harmed because another driver did not respect the rules of the road. When that happens, you need to reach out to the distracted driving accident lawyers of Burger Law immediately so we can use our skill and experience to help you get full recovery and start to make you whole again. We have experience with distracted driving accident cases, we know how to argue them and we know how to insist on the best possible recovery for your damages.

The Lafayette County, 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 a loved one has been injured because another driver did not respect the rules of the road and acted recklessly, you deserve to be fully compensated for your injuries. The Lafayette County, MO 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 knowledge, insight, work ethic and persistence to fight on your behalf from beginning to end, to win your case and to get you the best possible recovery to help you safeguard you and your loved ones' future. If another Lafayette County, MO driver was distracted and caused your injuries or the injuries of a loved one, you should not have to take on the worry 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 complimentary consultation and to learn more about what Burger Law will do to get you back on your feet and back on the road again.