Distracted Driving Accident Attorney Westport, MO

Distracted Driving Accident Attorney in Westport, 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 talented Westport, 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 recovery you deserve to assist 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 Westport, MO roads are safe. When someone else breaks those rules, drives carelessly and does not pay attention while they are on the road, they put you and the people you care about directly at peril. You should not have to lose pay, pay monstrous medical expenses and experience painful and restrictive injuries because of someone else’s negligence, and you deserve to collect complete compensation for their thoughtless actions.

The distracted driving attorneys at Burger Law have won every variety of distracted driving case, and we have the experience, shrewdness and resolve to get you complete compensation for your injuries from your Westport, MO distracted driving accident. We take care of all communication, documentation and litigation for you so you can concentrate on healing from your injuries. We fight by your side and do not require any legal fees until we have won your case and helped you receive the financial recovery you are owed. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT for a free case evaluation with a professional Westport, MO distracted driving accident attorney. We will get started on your case straight away.

Distracted Driving Statistics

We have certainly all seen distracted drivers on the road, and you may even have done it yourself. That said, much of the statistics we have regarding distracted driving is even more startling. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety estimates that nearly 9 in 10 drivers use their phones in some capacity while driving, and cell phone caused accidents increased by 30 percent between 2014 and 2018. In Missouri, there were 408 fatalities in distracted driving wrecks from 2016 to 2020, and thousands more people have been hurt. In 2017, Missouri officially attributed 21,058 crashes to distracted drivers, which far transcends the number of drunk driving accidents (5,321) and is bigger than accidents caused by speeding (19,535).

Missouri Revised Statutes §304.820 outlaws cell phone use while behind the wheel, but only for drivers 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. In fact, nearly one out of four 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 lately, Missouri is still only one of two states without 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 Westport, MO drivers, passengers and pedestrians. That is why it is essential to know that the distracted driving accident attorneys at Burger Law are here for you and will fight by your side if a distracted driver injures you.

While Missouri law might not hold every driver responsible, you can bet that the distracted driving accident attorneys at Burger Law will. Even though there is no statute against texting while driving in Westport, MO, a reckless driver can still be held responsible for any injuries you experience. Driving distracted still disregards our safety, requiring Westport, MO road users to behave in a way that is safe. As your Westport, MO distracted driving accident attorney, the Burger Law legal team has helped hundreds of individuals and families in Westport, MO no longer have full control of the vehicle. Even if one hand is still on the wheel, a driver’s reaction time is appreciably lessened. A few instances of common manual distractions are:

• Texting, talking, or using your phone in another manner
• 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 cause you to 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, for example 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 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
• Concentrating too much on a conversation with someone else in the vehicle 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 imagine, cell phones are a leading cause of distracted driving accidents because they can cause manual, visual and cognitive distractions. When you are operating a vehicle, it is essential to keep away from your phone so you do not create a distracted driving accident. If you experienced injuries because another Westport, MO driver was distracted and behaved thoughtlessly, call the distracted driving attorneys at Burger Law and we will get started on your case straight away. We will stay committed to you and your case until you collect the full compensation you are owed. We demand full payment for your distracted driving accident damages.

How to Prove a Distracted Driving Case

While you may or may not have noticed that the other motorist was a visibly distracted driver, it can be hard to demonstrate beyond doubt to a resistant Westport, MO insurance company or in a court of law. A accomplished, committed 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 utilize and how your distracted driving accident attorney can leverage it to prove your claim and demand your full compensation.

The Scene of the Accident. If you can, act quickly after you have been 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. 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 illustrate that the motorist who crashed into you was not paying attention. This is why it is important to take pictures of the area if possible. Surveillance video showing the other driver did not swerve or brake could also help your suit. The Westport, MO distracted driving accident attorneys at Burger Law will secure any video evidence and painstakingly review any photographs or other evidence.

Eyewitness Accounts.Your case will be stronger if you have eyewitnesses who corroborate your account. If other people witnessed the accident and saw that the other driver was combing their hair, texting or not looking at the road ahead, they can give official statements to support your case. If you hire Burger Law, your Westport, MO distracted driving accident attorney and legal team will conduct depositions and acquire 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, responded to a picture on Instagram or carried out any other action on a social media page in the seconds leading up to the crash, it in all likelihood means they were distracted by their phone. Your Burger Law distracted driving accident lawyer will carry out acquiring this information to build your case.

The Distracted Driver’s Cell Phone Records. Even if there is no social media footprint, the thoughtless driver’s cell phone company will have usage reports with a record of whether or not they were on their phone at the time of the accident. If the driver was texting, there will be proof of it. A seasoned 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 decide who was at fault. If the Westport, MO 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 damages.

Hire a Crash Expert. Crash experts have years of experience in evaluating all available evidence and deciding fault in car accidents. Burger Law’s team of distracted driving accident lawyers has a huge network of Westport, MO experts we trust and work with to ensure you get maximum compensation for your damages.

Hire Burger Law. Our committed and skilled distracted driving accident attorneys take pride in taking on difficult cases to get our clients the recovery they are owed. With over seventy years of combined experience, we have fought every category of distracted driving accident and have gotten over $170 million for our clients in verdicts and settlements for their damages. We take on 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 recovery you are entitled to. Call us today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review, 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 any time you drive. 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 lead to unnecessary dangers 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, applying makeup or getting dressed while driving may save time, but significantly increases your odds of personal injury or hurting another person.

Know where you are going. Look carefully at directions before you leave so you will not have to concentrate on 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. On the other hand, if if someone is in the car with you, have them handle the directions so you can keep your eyes on the road ahead.

If you are exhausted, pull over or have someone else drive. Not only are you at risk of falling asleep at the wheel, but fatigue 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 put the car in drive. You need to have your full focus 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 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 cool, taking a second to admire it is not worth putting you and others at risk.

Unfortunately, you can do everything properly when you are behind the wheel and you or someone you care about 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 straight away so we can use our talents and experience to help you get full recovery and start to make you whole again. We understand distracted driving accident claims, we know how to win them and we know how to insist on the best possible compensation for the harm the thoughtless driver caused you.

The Westport, 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 family member has been injured because another person disregarded the rules of the road and acted thoughtlessly, you deserve to be fully compensated for your damages. The Westport, MO distracted driving accident attorneys at Burger Law hold reckless 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 full recovery to help you protect your family’s future. If another Westport, MO driver was distracted and caused your injuries or the injuries of a family member or friend, you should not have to deal with the anxiety 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 evaluation and to learn more about what Burger Law will do to get you back on your feet and make you whole again.