How A Distracted Driving Attorney Can Assist You After An Accident

By Stella Gay


One of the worst troubles financially is a motor vehicle accident. No vehicle is cheap, yet they are not hard to do extensive damage to. This damage is, in turn, very expensive to fix. Sometimes, even seemingly simple damage causes the entire car to be written off. Fluke incidents or unusual distractions at the wheel can lead to accidents, and in such cases the driver needs to speak to a distracted driving attorney in Hammond, LA order to understand what their rights are.

Distracted driving is not always so easy to define legally. Motorists may not have the same definition of distraction as the presiding officer in the court. Some motorists, it is true, try to fabricate excuses as to how the accident came about. However, even where the distraction was genuine, the law may still not recognize it as a mitigating factor in assigning liability.

The safer option is to eliminate distractions entirely while driving, and these basic steps are some ways in which that can be made possible. Admittedly, they are self-explanatory steps, but for some reason they are regularly not observed by drivers.

Mobile phones are a major hazard and should be treated with caution in the car. Never use one if you are driving. It is as simple as that. Research has shown that phone use at the wheel drastically reduces concentration, as well as ability. Driving with one hand while texting is obviously reckless and is reprehensible, since the driver's eyes are not on the road and split-second reactions become impossible.

Then there are pets. Cats are particularly troublesome because they tend to move around in the moving vehicle, perhaps seeking an escape. They also move across the dashboard, obstructing the driver's line of sight ahead. If handled or struck, they start to use their claws on people. Dogs are not much better, since they become too excited and start barking manically or leering aggressively at passersby through open windows. Always keep pets in closed containers during driving, or tranquilize them.

Mobile phones are also extremely dangerous if used by the driver during driving. Trying to navigate with one hand or, even worse, trying to type a text message while focusing on the phone and not on the road, is inconsiderate towards other road users and will obviously not attract the sympathy of the court. It has been shown statistically that using a phone while driving does indeed limit the driver's ability, and not by a small margin either.

Use a hands-free kit, or the loudspeaker setting of the phone. If nothing else, park at the side of the road and talk there.

If you have been involved in an accident involving distraction, first speak to an attorney about the situation. They will be able to advise you on what qualifies as legal distraction and how to approach the case. You might be glad that you did, since the law might not be so lenient about what you thought was a valid excuse.




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