Distracted driving car accidents in Orlando can lead to severe injuries due to the driver’s inability to react to hazards in time, resulting in higher speed collisions and increased impact force. If you suffered injuries in a recent collision due to a distracted driver, it is crucial to obtain qualified legal help to navigate the aftermath.
Our skilled car accident attorneys at Colling Gilbert Wright could investigate the crash, gather evidence to prove the other driver was distracted, and negotiate with insurance companies for fair compensation. If settlement negotiations are unsuccessful, we could aggressively advocate for your interests in court to pursue the utmost damages for the harm you have suffered.
What Commonly Causes Distracted Driving?
Preoccupied driving is a top cause of severe vehicle wrecks in Orlando and can lead to a range of serious outcomes that permanently change your life. When a driver’s attention is divided, their reaction time slows down, they may fail to notice traffic signals or other vehicles, and they may be unable to effectively steer, brake, or accelerate.
Driving distractions that frequently lead to serious or deadly collisions include:
Using a Cell Phone
Texting, talking, browsing, and even using hands-free devices can be distractions, affecting reaction time and focus.
Reaching for Objects
Reaching for items inside the vehicle, such as a dropped phone or drink, can take a driver’s hands off the wheel and eyes off the road.
Looking at Objects Outside the Vehicle
Watching accidents or other roadside events can cause drivers to miss important information about the road ahead.
Eating and Drinking
These activities require both hands and can remove attention from driving, increasing the risk of accidents.
Grooming
Applying makeup or other personal care tasks while driving is a visual and manual distraction that can easily cause crashes.
Adjusting Vehicle Settings
Adjusting the radio, climate control, or mirrors can lead to a driver taking their eyes off the road and hands off the wheel.
Interacting with Passengers
Talking to passengers, especially if it becomes heated or distracting, can divert a driver’s attention.
Visual distractions (eyes off the road), manual distractions (hands off the wheel), and cognitive distractions (mind not focused on driving) can all result in negligent driving that causes a collision.
If you have been injured in a collision, our car accident attorneys at The Florida Firm could gather evidence, including police reports, witness statements, and cell phone records, to determine if distracted driving was a contributing factor. We could investigate the details of the accident to establish that the other driver failed to exercise reasonable care and that their negligence caused the accident.
Injuries and Damages From Distracted Driving Car Crashes
Collisions involving inattentive drivers in Orlando can lead to a range of damages, including physical injuries, such as broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord damage. Florida is a no-fault state, meaning that your personal injury protection (PIP) insurance covers your initial medical expenses and lost wages, regardless of who caused the accident. PIP covers 80 percent of reasonable and necessary medical expenses and 60 percent of lost income, up to a total limit of $10,000.
If your medical expenses or lost wages surpass $10,000, you can pursue a claim against the at-fault driver. Florida law allows you to sue the at-fault driver if your injuries meet the serious injury threshold, meaning you suffered a permanent injury or received significant and permanent scarring, disfigurement, or loss of an important bodily function.
In a successful personal injury claim, you could recover the remaining portion of medical bills not covered by PIP, including future medical costs if necessary. You could be entitled to compensation for lost wages beyond the 60 percent payout as well, including future lost earning capacity. A personal injury lawsuit could also allow you to seek compensation for pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other non-economic damages.
Contact Our Orlando Attorneys After a Crash With a Distracted Driver
Our legal team at Colling Gilbert Wright is experienced in handling distracted driving car accidents in Orlando. We could help you by providing tireless legal representation, negotiating with insurance companies, and pursuing compensation for damages. We offer free consultations and handle our cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you only pay if we win.
Most of our clients come to us through referrals from past clients and other attorneys. Our firm is known and respected in the legal community statewide for professional, aggressive, and experienced advocacy for victims of all types of accidents and injuries.
Recent financial recoveries for our clients include a $1.2 million settlement for the wrongful death of a spouse who was killed while a pedestrian in a parking lot and $1.1 million auto accident settlement for an 11-year-old boy who suffered a head injury after being ejected from a vehicle while not wearing his seatbelt. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.