Distracted driving has become one of the leading causes of vehicle accidents on U.S. roads. The potential for distracted driving accidents has increased as a result of the introduction of electronic gadgets that most drivers find extremely useful, such as GPS’s and communication devices.
If you have had the misfortune to have been involved in a distracted driving accident and have been injured as a result of another driver’s negligence, you have the right to claim compensation for the financial and psychological effects of your injuries. Securing adequate and fair compensation through a personal injury claim is made more certain if you obtain legal help from an experienced personal injury attorney.
What is the Chance of Being Forced Off the Road by a Driver Distracted by a GPS?
Few drivers these days drive without some type of GPS. There are many different types, and most of them have the potential to distract a driver unless the driver actually stops the vehicle out of the way of traffic to use the GPS.
Some of the better GPS systems have a person who uses audio commands to direct the driver. This at least stops the driver from looking every few minutes at a GPS screen. Even an audio commentary on position can cause distraction, though.
The worst case scenario occurs when the driver momentarily loses concentration when passing another vehicle, forcing the other driver to avert a collision by driving off the road. This can potentially cause very serious damage to the vehicle and severe injuries to its occupants.
Possible Crash Injuries When Forced Off the Road
The actual circumstances of the accident dictate what sort of injuries can occur. What was the speed that you were driving at when forced off the road by the distracted driver? Was your vehicle actually hit by the other vehicle? Did your vehicle hit an obstacle when it left the road, like a barrier, a building, a tree, or another vehicle? Did your vehicle go into a ditch? Did it flip over or somersault? What type of vehicle were you driving at the time?
The range of potential injuries is dependent on an evaluation of all these factors. For example, if the impact happened at high speed, your vehicle was actually hit by the other driver, your vehicle was quite small, you hit a solid object, and your vehicle turned over, you would be lucky to survive.
What You Can Do to Recover Damages
If you have been forced off the road by a distracted driver and badly injured, you have the right to pursue compensation from the driver at fault’s insurance company. You will have to file a personal injury claim taking into account the state laws in the location that the accident took place. These laws limit the period in which you can make a claim, make special provisions if you were forced off the road by a government employee, and may reduce what you can claim if you were in any way at fault yourself.
The success of any claim of this type depends heavily on proving negligence. A crash investigation is likely to provide useful evidence of what happened, and a police report will also help to support your claim when you eventually file it. It is quite hard to actually prove that someone was distracted by using their GPS at the time of the accident, unless it was clearly observed by you, another occupant of your vehicle, or another driver.
Why You Should Use an Attorney to Help You With a Personal Injury Claim
Distracted driving accidents cause serious injuries, especially if you have been forced off the road. However, proving negligence can be difficult, and you will need all the help you can get from an experienced personal injury attorney.
