Los Angeles Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer

Distracted driving is a common component in car accident cases. A distracted driver is a danger to everyone else on the road, unable to dedicate his or her full attention to driving. In 2017, driver distraction contributed to at least 3,166 traffic deaths in the U.S. Distracted drivers can easily crash into other vehicles, bicyclists or pedestrians in Los Angeles.

If you believe the driver that recently caused your wreck is guilty of distracted driving, a car accident lawyer from Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP may be able to help. Our LA distracted driving car accident lawyers have experience with these specific types of accidents. We can investigate your recent crash for signs and evidence of driver distraction. We may be able to help you obtain compensation for your damages.

Why Choose Our Firm?

• We commit to each client and case 100%. We take the actions necessary to obtain the compensation we believe our clients deserve.
• We have handled car accident cases nationwide, as well as in California and Nevada, for decades.
• We have obtained billions of dollars in settlements and jury verdicts for injured clients over the years.

How Much Does a Lawyer Cost?

Hiring a distracted driving accident lawyer does not have to put your family under financial stress. At Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP we take car accident cases on a contingency fee basis. This eliminates the need for you to afford a lawyer out of pocket after a serious accident. Instead, you will only pay legal fees if your lawyer secures a settlement or verdict on your behalf. Then, your lawyer will take the fees directly from your award rather than your pocket, based on a prearranged fee agreement. Plus, your attorney can fight for a better compensation amount than an insurance company is likely to award you without legal representation.

How to Prove Distracted Driving

In California, you may be able to obtain compensation after a distracted driving accident if you can prove the other driver was at fault for your collision and damages. You or your lawyer must have proof the other driver was driving distracted, and that this act of negligence is what caused the car accident. Car accident claims based on negligence require four main elements of proof from your side of the case.

1. Duty of care. Your lawyer must demonstrate the other driver owed you a duty of care at the time of the accident. An example is the duty to pay attention to the road and to obey California’s distracted driving laws.
2. Breach of duty. Distracted driving is a breach of driver duty. The driver knows it could put others’ lives in danger, yet negligently or recklessly engages in the dangerous activity anyway.
3. Your lawyer must prove you suffered specific damages in the distracted driving accident, such as physical injuries, pain and suffering, lost income, or property damage.
4. The driver’s distraction or another type of negligence must be what caused your car accident. If an unrelated factor caused the crash, the other driver may not be liable for your damages.

Navigating the elements of a distracted driving car accident claim in California is easier with help from an attorney. Your lawyer can collect evidence and build a case that proves your eligibility for compensation while you focus on your medical care. An injury attorney from Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP will know how to prove driver distraction to an insurance company, judge or jury.

Call Today for a Free Case Review

If you wish to speak to a lawyer today about your recent car accident and related injuries, call us for a free case review at (310) 928-6200. We can listen to your story and guide you to the next step toward achieving justice. Initial consultations are always confidential and come with no obligation to hire our attorneys.

What Causes Distracted Driving Accidents?

With so many cars and trucks on our highways, it is easy to forget just how dangerous operating a motor vehicle can be. Distracted driving car accidents contribute to car, truck, SUV and motorcycle crashes. These type of accidents are the leading cause of death for Americans aged eight to 34, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; causing one death every 12 to 15 minutes and injuring more than 2.5 million each year.

These accidents and deaths are caused by many factors which can include things like poorly maintained or defectively designed automobile equipment, hazardous roadways, and operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Without question, however, the number one cause of the most tragic of auto accidents that we deal with is driver negligence due to distracted driving.

There are many ways that a driver can become distracted while driving. Driving involves the coordination of your vision and reflexes and anything that distracts your eyes or mind from the road or takes your hands off of the wheel of your car can be considered a driving distraction. Some of the most common distractions include:

• Talking to a passenger
• Tuning a car radio
• Eating or drinking while driving
• Reaching for a moving object inside the vehicle.
• Looking at an object or event outside of the vehicle.
• Reading
• Applying makeup
• Talking on a cell phone
• Texting or emailing on a cellular device

Driving While Using Cell Phones

While distractions for drivers have increased, so has the attention that the problem has attracted. The issue of talking on or using cell phones while driving has become the topic of much discussion and legislation in recent years. While most think of cellular phones as modern conveniences that make our lives much easier, distraction from driving while using cell phones (hand held or hands free) can delay a driver’s reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent.

The recent increase in popularity of “smart phones” has added to the problem, with many individuals not only holding conversations while driving, but now also reading and answering texts and emails while operating motor vehicles, leading to often deadly cellphone texting car accidents.

Driving While Texting – Distracted Teen Driving

Teen drivers are some of the most at risk individuals on our highways. The NHTSA estimates that the leading cause of death for 15-20 year olds are vehicle crashes, accounting for one third of all deaths for that age group. Even more disturbing — more crashes occur when passengers, usually other teens, are in the vehicle with a teen driver. It is estimated that two out of three teens die as passengers in a vehicle driven by another teen. Since teens are inexperienced, immature, and very often, overconfident, they are at special risk for being involved in a distracted driving accident, especially an accident involving texting while driving.

Part of the issue revolves around the recent explosion in online communication and the popularity of texting to stay connected among teenagers. Daily text messaging among American teens has shot up in the past 18 months, from 38% of teens texting friends daily in February of 2008 to 54% of teens texting daily in September 2009.

The Los Angeles distracted driving car accident attorneys at Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP have seen firsthand the dangers of distracted driving, especially among teens. Many of our firm’s attorneys are parents themselves, and have been compelled to help increase the education and discussion of distracted driving among teens and their parents. For more information on how you can help your teen to make the decision to NOT text and drive contact us for more information.

Los Angeles Car Accident Injury Attorneys Representing Those Injured By Distracted Drivers

While our firm is dedicated to educating the public on the dangers of distracted driving in an effort to prevent deadly distracted driving car accidents, we are also vigilant in our efforts to defend the rights of those innocent individuals who are seriously injured in distracted driving car accidents at no fault of their own. By representing our clients to the best of our ability, we hope to further publicize the dangers of distracted driving while insuring that negligent drivers are held accountable for their actions.

If you have been involved in a car accident involving a driver who was talking on their cell phone, texting, or was otherwise distracted, our firm can help you. Contact us today for a consultation of your situation at (877) 800-1700.