Distracted Driving Accident Attorney Poplar Bluff, MO

Distracted Driving Accident Attorney in Poplar Bluff, MO. If a distracted driver injured you or a family member, you need to talk to a distracted driving attorney right away. At Burger Law, we have a team of dedicated and experienced Poplar Bluff, MO distracted driving accident attorneys that will fight by your side, hold the negligible party accountable for your injuries and demand that you get the money you owed to help you on your journey to recovery. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free consultation.

The rules of the road are in place to make sure that we, our passengers and everyone else on the Poplar Bluff, MO roads are safe. When someone else breaks those rules, behaves carelessly and does not pay attention while they are behind the wheel, they put you and the people you care about directly in jeopardy. You should not have to lose wages, pay monstrous medical bills and suffer painful and restrictive injuries because of someone else’s negligence, and you deserve to collect complete compensation for their careless behavior.

The distracted driving attorneys at Burger Law have won every type of distracted driving case, and we have the experience, know-how and determination to get you great compensation for your injuries from your Poplar Bluff, MO distracted driving accident. We take care of all communication, documentation and litigation for you so you can focus on recuperating from your injuries. We fight in your corner and do not require any legal fees until we have won your case and helped you get the financial recovery you deserve. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free case review with a professional Poplar Bluff, MO distracted driving accident attorney. We get to work on on your case right away.

Distracted Driving Statistics

We have certainly all observed distracted drivers on the street, and you may even be guilty of it yourself. However, much of the data we have with respect to distracted driving is even more terrifying. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety estimates that nearly 9 in 10 drivers use their phones somehow while behind the wheel, and cell phone related crashes climbed by 30 percent between 2014 and 2018. In Missouri, there were 408 deaths in distracted driving crashes from 2016 to 2020, and thousands more people have been injured. In 2017, Missouri officially attributed 21,058 crashes to distracted drivers, which far surpasses the sum of drunk driving accidents (5,321) and is greater than speed-related accidents (19,535).

Missouri Revised Statutes §304.820 forbids cell phone use while driving, but only for individuals who are 21 years old or less or commercial drivers, in spite of the fact that seven out of ten accidents caused by cell phone usage were over 21 years old. Indeed, nearly a quarter of drivers in distracted driving accidents are between 20 and 29 years old. Even though new laws have been a hot topic in the state government lately, 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 unpredictable for Poplar Bluff, MO drivers, passengers and pedestrians. That is why it is important to remember that the distracted driving accident attorneys at Burger Law are here for you and will stand by your side if a distracted driver hurts you.

While Missouri law might not hold every driver responsible, you can be assured that the distracted driving accident attorneys at Burger Law will. Despite the fact that there is no statute against texting while driving in Poplar Bluff, MO, an irresponsible driver can still be held accountable for any injuries you suffer. Driving distracted still breaks our safety, requiring Poplar Bluff, MO road users to act in a way that is safe. As your Poplar Bluff, MO distracted driving accident attorney, the Burger Law legal team has helped hundreds of individuals and families in Poplar Bluff, MO no longer have full control of the vehicle. Even if one hand is still on the wheel, a driver’s reaction time is significantly decreased. A few examples of typical manual distractions include:

• Texting, taking a call, or otherwise using your phone
• Eating or drinking
• Adjusting the radio or temperature
• Changing clothes, removing 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 result in you taking your eyes off the road. Sometimes visual and manual distractions go together. 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 crash
• 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 may appear that somebody is doing everything properly, 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
• Concentrating too much on a conversation with someone else in the vehicle or on a hands-free device
• Being stressed out 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 source 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 cause a distracted driving accident. If you experienced injuries because another Poplar Bluff, MO driver was distracted and acted irresponsibly, 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 collect the full compensation you are owed. We insist on full payment for your distracted driving accident damages.

How to Prove a Distracted Driving Case

While you may or may not have observed that the other person was an undeniably distracted driver, it can be difficult to demonstrate beyond doubt to a resistant Poplar Bluff, MO insurance company or in a court of law. A skilled, devoted and diligent distracted driving accident attorney like those at Burger Law will be able to prove the negligible driver was distracted. Here is a look at some of the evidence you could use and how your distracted driving accident attorney can utilize it to prove your claim and demand your full recovery.

The Scene of the Accident. If you are able to, act quickly after you were hit in a distracted driving accident and collect evidence at the scene of the accident. This can include photos of both vehicles and the area surrounding the accident. The majority of drivers will try to turn sharply or break quickly before causing an accident. If you do not see any tire or brake marks, it could help demonstrate that the driver who crashed into you was not concentrated on the road. This is why it is vital to take pictures of the scene if you can. Surveillance video showing the other driver did not turn or brake could also help your case. The Poplar Bluff, 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 saw that the other driver was eating, texting or not looking at the road in front of them, they can give official statements to back your suit. If you hire Burger Law, your Poplar Bluff, 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 carried out any other action on a social media site in the moments immediately before the accident, it probably means they were distracted by their phone. Your Burger Law distracted driving accident lawyer will manage collecting this information to build your case.

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

Use the Police Reports. Police officers are coached on how to scrutinize accidents and judge who is responsible. If the Poplar Bluff, MO police officer at the scene determined the other person 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.

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

Contact Burger Law. Our devoted and skilled distracted driving accident attorneys enjoy taking on difficult cases to get our clients the compensation they deserve. With over seventy years of combined experience, we have fought every kind of distracted driving accident and have won our clients over $170 million in verdicts and settlements for their injuries. We resist bullies like resistant insurance companies and help get you back on the path to recovery. Your Burger Law distracted driving accident lawyer will take care of all official communication and litigation, and you do not owe us any fees until you get the compensation you are owed. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary consultation, and we will start working on winning your case straight 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 whenever 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 wonderful way to save time, it can also cause 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. Just like eating on the road, putting on makeup or getting dressed while driving may save time, but greatly increases your chances of personal injury or injuring another person.

Know how to get to your destination. Review directions beforehand so you will not have to look at your phone when you are on the road. While driving, turn the volume up on any GPS device 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 drowsy, pull over or have someone else drive. Not only are you risking 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.

Change the radio and settings before starting your trip. Adjust the seat, mirrors, heat or AC, music and sound system before you start your trip. You need to have your full 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 cause 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 entire attention should be on the road in front of you and your mirrors so that you can see what is going on around you. While that weird roadside attraction may look interesting, taking a moment to admire it is not worth putting you and others at risk.

Unfortunately, you can do everything properly when you are in the driver's seat and you or a loved one can still be injured because another driver disregarded the rules of the road. When that occurs, you need to contact the distracted driving accident lawyers of Burger Law straight away so we can use our talents and experience to help you get maximum compensation and start to make you whole again. We understand distracted driving accident claims, we know how to win them and we know how to demand full recovery for your damages.

The Poplar Bluff, 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.

• Survival Action Lawyer in Missouri
• 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 broke the rules of the road and acted irresponsibly, you are entitled to full compensation for your injuries. The Poplar Bluff, MO distracted driving accident attorneys at Burger Law hold thoughtless drivers responsible and stand up to unethical insurance companies care more about their bottom line than your well-being. We have the knowledge, insight, work ethic and grit to fight by your side from beginning to end, to win your case and to get you the best possible recovery to help you protect your family’s future. If another Poplar Bluff, MO driver was distracted and caused your injuries or the injuries of someone you care about, you should not have to handle the worry of medical expenses, 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 make you whole again.