Hattiesburg Texting While Driving Accidents
Hattiesburg Car Accidents Caused by Distracted Driving
Experts estimate 1 out of every 4 car accidents in the United States occurs due to distracted driving. This is mainly due to the extreme dangers that correlate with texting while driving. For instance, the average time it takes to read or send a text message is 5 seconds. At 55 miles per hour, the average speed in the United States, a 5 second distraction leads to a driver traveling the entire length of a football field without paying attention to the road. Just picture someone driving down Hardy Street by the Hattiesburg Zoo blind-folded for 100 yards – disaster is bound to happen. If you have been injured or lost a loved one due to someone texting while driving, call the Hattiesburg car accident attorneys of Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz today. We have a team of over 30 attorneys and more than 120 support staff personnel that have helped over thousands of clients get compensated for their losses. For over 30 years, our attorneys have zealously advocated for our clients and have successfully recovered over $1.5 billion in settlements and awards for them and their families. We serve injured victims in Hattiesburg and all throughout the State of Mississippi. Call us today for a free consultation.
The Dangers of Texting While Driving
As a car accident lawyer in Hattiesburg can likely tell you, the chances that you will be involved in a car accident increase by 23% when you are texting while driving. With nearly 660,000 people driving while using electronic devices each day, it is no wonder that approximately 350,000 people are injured in accidents caused by distracted drivers each year. Texting while driving serves as the ultimate form of distracted driving. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are three main types of distractions: visual (taking your eyes off of your surroundings), cognitive (thinking about something other than driving), and manual (taking your hands off of the steering wheel to read or send a text).
When writing or reading a text message, all three of these distractions are occurring. Recent studies have shown that texting while driving is now more dangerous than drunk driving – up to 6 times more dangerous according to recent studies.
Getting Compensated for Your Injuries Following a Wreck
Getting compensated after an accident occurs requires that you prove another party in the accident acted in a negligent manner. A common way to do this is by using the legal doctrine of negligence per se. Under the negligence per se doctrine, the defendant may be found negligent if the at-fault party violated a safety statute, the injured party is a member of a class people protected by the statute, and the harm sustained is the type of harm sought to be prevented by the statute.
To help prove liability, it is always important to call the Hattiesburg Police Department immediately after the accident. Their headquarters are located at 300 Klondyke St, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, and the department can be reached by calling (601) 544-7900. Responding officers will be able to investigate the scene and cite the at-fault party for violating the traffic violation that caused the accident to occur, such as texting while driving.
Once negligence is established, you may be entitled to compensation. Compensation can come in multiple forms – including compensatory and punitive. Compensatory damages are your economic (medical bills and lost wages) and non-economic (pain and suffering, loss of consortium, mental anguish, etc.) damages. Punitive damages are only awarded if the defendant acted with a willful, wanton or reckless disregard for the safety of others. They are awarded to punish the at-fault party for his actions and deter others from engaging in similar conduct in the future.
Retain a Hattiesburg Personal Injury Attorney for Your Car Accident Case
If you have been injured in an accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Many times, those injured miss work, family activities, and social functions. Moreover, they are left with thousands of dollars of unexpected medical bills that now have to be paid. At Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, our Hattiesburg car accident lawyers are well-versed in Mississippi driving laws and have handled thousands of cases involving distracted driving. If you have been injured by someone texting while driving in Hattiesburg, call us today so that our lawyers can discuss all of your legal options with you. We serve injured people all throughout Mississippi, including cities such as Gulfport, Biloxi, Picayune, McComb, and Brookhaven. Contact our office by calling 800-529-4004 or by completing our online form to set up a free consultation. Once you get to know our car wreck lawyers, you will realize that NST is the way to go.