Distracted Driving Accident Attorney St. Francois County, MO

Distracted Driving Accident Attorney in St. Francois 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 dedicated and accomplished St. Francois County, MO distracted driving accident attorneys that will fight by your side, hold the responsible party accountable for your injuries and demand that you get the recovery you are to help you on your road 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 St. Francois County, MO roads are safe. When somebody else breaks those rules, behaves irresponsibly and does not pay attention while they are behind the wheel, they put you and the people you love directly at peril. You should not have to lose pay, pay pricey medical expenses and experience painful and limiting injuries as a consequence of someone else’s negligence, and you deserve to be awarded full compensation for their thoughtless actions.

The distracted driving attorneys at Burger Law have seen every type of distracted driving case, and we have the experience, shrewdness and determination to get you maximum compensation for your injuries from your St. Francois County, MO distracted driving accident. We manage all communication, documentation and litigation for you so you can concentrate on recuperating from your injuries. We fight in your corner and do not ask for any legal fees until we have won your case and helped you be awarded the financial recovery you are owed. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free case evaluation with an experienced St. Francois County, 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 street, and you may even be guilty of it yourself. However, much of the data we have concerning distracted driving is even more terrifying. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety estimates that nearly 9 in 10 drivers use their phones in some capacity while behind the wheel, and cell phone related accidents 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 harmed. In 2017, Missouri officially attributed 21,058 accidents to distracted drivers, which far exceeds the amount 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 behind the wheel, but only for drivers who are 21 years old or less or commercial drivers, ignoring 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 wrecks are between the ages of 20 and 29. Although new legislation has been a big issue in the state government as of late, Missouri is still only one of two states without a no texting law for drivers of all ages , nor are there any other distracted driving laws in the state. This can cause roads to be especially dangerous for St. Francois 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 hurts you.

While Missouri law may not hold every driver 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 St. Francois County, MO, a distracted driver can still be held responsible for any injuries you suffer. Driving distracted still breaks our safety, requiring St. Francois County, MO road users to act in a way that is safe. As your St. Francois County, MO distracted driving accident attorney, the Burger Law legal team has helped hundreds of individuals and families in St. Francois County, MO 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 examples of common manual distractions are:

• Texting, talking, or using your phone in another manner
• Eating or drinking
• Adjusting the radio or temperature
• Changing clothes, removing 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 result in 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 crash
• Looking at your phone
• Looking in the mirror to check your appearance

Cognitive Distractions

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

• Concentrating too much on an audiobook or song
• Daydreaming
• Paying too much attention to 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 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 driving, it is important to eschew your phone so you do not cause a distracted driving accident. If you sustained injuries because another St. Francois County, MO driver was distracted and behaved irresponsibly, call the distracted driving attorneys at Burger Law and we will get started on your case immediately. We will stay devoted to your case until you collect 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 an undeniably distracted driver, it can be complicated to demonstrate beyond doubt to a resistant St. Francois County, MO insurance company or in a court of law. A skilled, dedicated and persistent distracted driving accident attorney like those at Burger Law will be able to prove the at-fault driver was distracted. Read on below for some of the evidence you could use and how your distracted driving accident attorney can take advantage of it to prove your claim and demand your maximum 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 where the crash happened. This can include pictures of both vehicles and the area surrounding the accident. The majority of drivers will attempt to swerve sharply or break quickly before causing a wreck. If there are no tire or brake marks, it could help show that the person who crashed into you was distracted. This is why it is essential to take photographs of the area if possible. Surveillance video showing the other driver did not swerve or brake could also help your suit. The St. Francois County, MO distracted driving accident attorneys at Burger Law will obtain any video evidence and meticulously review any photographs or other evidence.

Eyewitness Accounts.The more people who say they saw that the other driver was undeniably distracted, the stronger your case will be. If other people observed the accident and saw that the other driver was eating, texting or not concentrating on the road ahead, they can offer official statements to help your suit. If you hire Burger Law, your St. Francois County, MO distracted driving accident attorney and legal team will conduct depositions and obtain official statements on your behalf. You only need to make certain 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 some other action on a social media site in the seconds right before the accident, it almost definitely means they were distracted by their phone. Your Burger Law distracted driving accident lawyer will carry out gathering this information to build your case.

The Distracted Driver’s Cell Phone Records. Even if there is no social media trail, the irresponsible driver’s cell phone company will have usage reports with a record of what they were doing likely looking at their phone when the accident took place. If the driver was texting, there will be proof of it. An experienced distracted driving accident attorney will subpoena those records to help prove your suit.

Use the Police Reports. Police officers are instructed on how to inspect accidents and judge who is responsible. If the St. Francois County, MO police officer at the scene determined the other driver 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 damages.

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

Call Burger Law. Our devoted and talented distracted driving accident attorneys take pride in taking on difficult cases to get our clients the money they entitled to. With decades of combined experience, we have fought every sort 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 manage all official communication and litigation, and you do not owe us any fees until you get the recovery you deserve. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary case evaluation, and we will start 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 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 doing two things at once can seem like a wonderful way to save time, it can also cause 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 behind the wheel, putting on makeup or getting dressed while driving may save time, but considerably increases your chances of personal injury or injuring another person.

Know where you are going. Review directions before you leave so you will not have to look at your phone when you are on the road. 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 manage the directions so you can concentrate the road in front of you.

If you are tired, pull over or let 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.

Make adjustments before starting your trip. Adjust the seat, mirrors, heat or AC, music and sound system before you put the car in drive. 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 results in 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 attention should be on the road ahead of you and your mirrors so that you can see what is happening around you. While that brightly colored restaurant may look interesting, taking a second to admire it is not worth danger you could pose to yourself and others.

Unfortunately, you can do everything correctly when you are in the driver's seat and you or someone you care about can still be harmed because another person broke the rules of the road. When that happens, you need to get in touch with the distracted driving accident lawyers of Burger Law at once so we can use our talents and knowledge to help you get the best possible compensation and start to make you whole again. We understand distracted driving accident suits, we know how to fight them and we know how to insist on full recovery for your injuries.

The St. Francois 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.

• 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 someone you care about has been hurt because someone else disregarded the rules of the road and acted thoughtlessly, you are entitled to full compensation for your injuries. The St. Francois County, MO distracted driving accident attorneys at Burger Law hold thoughtless drivers responsible and stand up to dishonest insurance companies care more about their bottom line than your well-being. We have the experience, skillset, work ethic and tenacity to fight on your behalf from beginning to end, to win your case and to get you the full compensation to help you protect you and your loved ones' future. If another St. Francois County, MO driver was distracted and caused your injuries or the injuries of a loved one, you should not have to carry 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 case review and to learn more about what Burger Law will do to get you back on your feet and make you whole again.