Representing Clients
Throughout Central Alabama
Experienced Birmingham Personal Injury Lawyers Who Help Victims Of Distracted Driving In Central Alabama
While vehicle accidents because of distracted drivers are nothing new, the advent of portable technology over the past 20 years has created a cataclysmic increase in the number of causes. Nationwide, distracted drivers now cause nearly 400,000 accidents and at least 3,285 deaths yearly.
Alarmingly, since 1990, fatalities because of distracted driving have increased by over 28.4%, as reported by a National Institute of Health (NIH) study. Worse, the exact number of distracted driving injuries, both fatal and nonfatal, is unknown because not all causes are accurately reported. The numbers are likely even higher than those documented.
The personal injury attorneys at Salter Ferguson represent clients injured in distracted driving accidents in the Central Alabama neighborhoods of Birmingham-Hoover, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, Decatur, Auburn-Opelika and surrounding areas. Speak to a Birmingham car accident lawyer today and see how you can get the compensation you deserve.
Our Attorneys Fight To Win Compensation For Victims Of Distracted Driving In Birmingham
Alleged distracted driving can be hard to prove, but irresponsible drivers who engage in such dangerous behavior can and should be held responsible.
When you’ve been injured, or a loved one killed, because of an irresponsible distracted driver, Birmingham’s personal injury attorney team at Salter Ferguson has the resources and means to conduct the necessary investigations to determine what happened and who was at fault in your Birmingham distracted driving accident.
Distracted Driving Has Become An Epidemic In Alabama And Across The Us
In the United States, catastrophic injuries and fatalities due to distracted driving have become a national epidemic, which has led to the creation of specific federal and state laws designed to protect the public against distracted driving accidents.
Despite these laws, many Alabama drivers continue to engage in behaviors that divert their focus from the road. Though the reasons are unknown, according to Drive Safe Alabama, drivers traversing Alabama’s roads and highways are at the greatest risk of dying in a vehicle accident. The rate is higher than anywhere else in the nation.
Whether it’s rear-end and head-on crashes, side-impact intersection collisions, side-swipes, rollovers, or multi-vehicle pile-ups, car crash injuries can be devastating and life-altering — and all because of irresponsible and illegal distracted driving.
Motor Vehicle Fatalities Are The Second-leading Cause Of Unintentional Injury Deaths In Alabama
On Central Alabama’s roads and highways, conscientious vehicle operators’ lives can be changed forever because of an irresponsible driver who has caused the wrongful death of a loved one.
If you visited this website because a loved one has been killed by a distracted driver, you may be entitled to a wrongful death financial settlement. We know that no amount of money can ease your sorrow. However, when such a tragedy causes financial losses, both current and long-term, there are laws designed to protect you. In some cases, the emotional trauma you’ve experienced, including loss of companionship, may also be monetarily compensated through a wrongful death civil lawsuit.
Alabama’s Distracted Driving Laws: Code Title 32-5a-350
Alabamians who operate a vehicle have an inherent legal and moral obligation to drive responsibly. In fact, in 2012, law 32-5a-350 was passed by our state legislature to deter and punish drivers for the distracting and dangerous use of cell phones. Law 32-5a-350 prohibits the sending, receiving, or composing of any typed messages – text and email – while driving. Despite these laws, however, many Alabama drivers still engage in conduct that distracts them from safe driving. Far too often, when these laws are violated, catastrophic injuries and preventable fatalities result.
Even with the passage of law 32-5a-350 by the Alabama legislature in 2012, the number of distracted Alabama drivers and resultant accidents has increased.
Drivers Plus Technology Use Often Leads To Disaster On Birmingham Roads And Highways
Use of cell phones and other technology on the road has created a motor vehicle accident maelstrom. In recent years, the police, legislators and media in Alabama have focused on the dangers of driver texting. However, many other technology uses are equally dangerous. The types of technology-caused distractions are not limited to cell phone use while driving. Some of these dangerous driver distractions include:
- Texting
- Emailing
- Instant messaging
- Talking on a cell phone, including hands-free
- Programming GPS
- Watching videos
- Live video streaming Facebook and YouTube
- Adjusting digital music players
Recognizing the increased dangers of commercial vehicle crashes, the laws against the use of cell phones while driving are stricter for large truck and bus operators. While Alabama’s laws allow for cell phone voice communication in cars, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which regulates and governs large trucks, buses and other commercial vehicles on the road, mandates that commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers not reach for or hold a cell phone to conduct a voice communication while driving.
Beyond Use Of Technology On The Road: “old-fashioned” Causes Of Distracted Driving Crashes Are Just As Dangerous For Alabama Motorists
Although technology use on the road has increased traffic accidents, the old-fashioned causes of serious car accidents still exist. Beyond technology use, the other behaviors that cause distracted driving accidents can be just as catastrophic. Anything that takes a driver’s eyes and focus off the road is considered “distracted driving.” Nontechnology distractions may include:
- Eating and drinking
- Talking to passengers
- Tuning a radio
- Makeup application
- Shaving
- Referring to a paper map
- Reaching for a dropped object
- Pet interaction
And while laws governing safe driving may not specifically address every act or behavior that causes distracted driving, anything a driver does that causes focus impairment in Alabama is illegal. For instance, no specific law says that you can’t eat and drive; however, if a police officer notices a driver is distracted by eating, the operator can be cited and heavily fined for distracted driving.
Don’t Run Out Of Time – Contact Salter Ferguson’s Birmingham, Alabama, Distracted Driving Lawyers Today
Contacting us immediately is crucial. Alabama’s vehicle accident statute of limitation laws limit the time you have to file a personal injury complaint. Our distracted driving lawyers will fight with insurance companies to win a fair monetary settlement for your injuries, pain and suffering, and financial losses, both present and future.
To contact our law firm and ensure that your rights are protected, call us today at 877-298-4878 and schedule a FREE discussion and review of your case. Or you can send us a message through our online contact form.
Because you don’t need any more stress than you’re experiencing now, if we take you on as a client, you will never pay a penny upfront for our representation. Our attorneys only get paid when we win your distracted driving case.