New Jersey Distracted Driving Accident Attorneys Win Compensation for Victims
Ridgewood lawyers sue dangerous drivers who cause collisions
Distracted driving is one of the most common and yet avoidable causes of accidents in New Jersey and across the United States. If you are a victim of a distracted driver, you can count on Seigel Law to represent you zealously in a lawsuit to recover your damages.
Distracted driving is a major problem on U.S. roads
Distracted driving occurs when drivers fail to concentrate on the task of driving safely. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 3,000 Americans a year die in resulting accidents. Teenage drivers are particularly frequent distracted drivers: 39 percent of high school students text or email while driving and 9 percent of drivers aged 15 to 20 involved in a fatal crash were distracted at the time, a significantly higher rate than for any other age group. Our own experience representing car accident victims bears out how often distracted driving is a cause of harmful collisions.
How to avoid distracted driving accidents
Distractions may be visual, manual or cognitive. A visual distraction may be looking at a cell phone or off-road scenery. Examples of manual distractions are eating, drinking or adjusting the car radio or other device. Cognitive distractions include daydreaming and drowsiness. There may be a combination of those types, such as when a driver texts or emails. New Jersey law prohibits the use of handheld cell phones while driving but doesn’t expressly prohibit other forms of distracted driving. Nonetheless, any kind of distracted driving is dangerous and can lead to committing other motor vehicle violations.
You can remain focused on your driving and avoid getting into an accident by such measures as:
- Making sure you’re well-rested and attentive
- Keeping your attention on the road, on your driving and on nearby traffic
- Looking away from the road only when necessary and then only for a few seconds
- Pulling over to the side of the road at a safe place and stopping your vehicle before engaging in an activity that could distract you
- Keeping a lookout for distracted drivers
The more careful you are, the less likely you will be to cause an accident that could injure or kill you, your passengers or others on the road. We would rather you be safe than in need of our legal services. However, we are ready to represent you if you suffer personal injuries in a traffic accident, even if you were partly at fault.
Why you need an attorney if you are injured in a distracted driving accident
When an accident occurs, it might not be apparently caused by distracted driving. The other driver is likely to deny that they were distracted. However, evidence of distracted driving may be obtained in the discovery phase of a lawsuit. Each party may request information from the other and the court can enforce those requests. For instance, we can:
- Request the production of phone records to prove the use of a cell phone at the time of the accident
- Ask the other driver specific questions about what they were doing and what they observed at the time of the accident
- Question the driver’s passengers and others about what they observed or what the driver said
We will pursue all reasonable avenues for proving distracted driving that might be a factor in causing the accident.
Contact a New Jersey distracted driving attorney for a free consultation
Seigel Law, located in Ridgewood, is a premier New Jersey personal injury law firm dedicated to helping accident victims get compensation. Call us at 201-444-4000 or contact us online to schedule an appointment in our office or, if you are unable to visit us, in your home or the hospital. Your initial appointment is free and you do not owe us a fee unless we win you compensation.
