A person driving a car at 55 mph who glances down at a cell phone for 4.6 seconds can travel 100 yards – the length of an entire football field – before looking up again. This is why distracted driving is both dangerous and inexcusable. At Mann Law Firm, we have represented car accident victims and their families in Macon and throughout Georgia for more than 50 years. It has only been in recent years, however, that we began to see distracted driving becoming increasingly problematic – especially talking on cell phones and texting while driving.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car accident and someone else is at fault, we will look closely at whether that driver was distracted at the time of the crash. If so, this careless conduct may very well have caused you to suffer the injuries and losses you are now dealing with. We will seek full and fair compensation on your behalf.
To talk directly with a lawyer from Mann Law Firm about your car accident and discuss how we can help you, call us today at (478) 742-3381 or fill out our online form. We are available to provide a free and confidential consultation about your case.
How Can You Determine Distracted Driving?
We live in a multi-tasking society today. Unfortunately, this means that people try to do too many other things when they are driving, instead of paying attention to the road. This has given birth to the term, “distracted driving” and has led to closer scrutiny of this conduct. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) now tracks the number of distracted driving accidents just as it does drunk driving crashes. According to the NHTSA, 3,092 deaths and 416,000 injuries last year could be traced to distractions.
When we hear the term “distracted driving,” we usually associate it with talking and texting on cell phones. But, in reality, many different activities can take a driver’s attention off the road and cause a wreck. These include:
- Grooming
- Eating, drinking or smoking
- Talking to other passengers
- Moving objects or pets around
- Adjusting a radio, CD player or MP3 player
- Using a navigation system or GPS device.
If we take on your case, Mann Law Firm will investigate whether any of these distractions factored into your crash. However, it can often be difficult to collect evidence pointing to these activities, which may depend heavily on the statements of witnesses.
Talking on a cell phone or texting while driving is a different story. When we use electronics to communicate with others while driving, we leave behind electronic evidence. So, if a person was talking on a cell phone or sending a text message when the crash occurred, Mann Law Firm can often obtain this evidence through cell phone records. By working with experts in accident reconstruction, we can use these records to determine how distracted driving contributed to the crash.
Additionally, text messaging is banned for all drivers under Georgia law. School bus operators with passengers aboard and drivers under age 18 are prohibited from using cell phones as well.
If the driver has a prior citation for violating the texting laws, it may bolster any evidence already tending to show that the driver was distracted at the time of the accident. This evidence can also show that the driver was especially reckless while driving.
Seeking Compensation for Distracted Driving Victims
Any car accident can result in serious or fatal injuries. However, texting accidents and other types of distracted driving crashes tend to carry a higher risk of serious injury or death. This is because the driver often is traveling at unsafe speeds and fails to brake before impact.
Mann Law Firm knows how difficult it is to deal with medical bills, lost work and pain and suffering after an auto accident that was caused by another person. We don’t want innocent victims to suffer, which is why we are dedicated to pursuing all options to obtain relief for you.
As we develop your car accident case, we will seek compensation from all relevant insurance policies. This includes the at-fault driver’s insurance and possibly your own coverage.
Under Georgia law, drivers must carry minimum liability coverage, or insurance that will compensate victims of crashes that the driver causes. Currently, those minimum limits are $25,000 per person (or $50,000 if there are two people or more) for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage. If the driver lacks insurance coverage or has inadequate coverage, you may be able to seek funds through your own UM/UIM (uninsured/underinsured motorist) policy.
Mann Law Firm will seek a settlement as our top priority. We want you to move on as fast as possible after a crash. However, when an insurance company fails to provide a full and fair settlement offer, we will be prepared to go to trial on your behalf.
Contact a Distracted Driving Accident Attorney in Macon, Ga Today
Mann Law Firm provides free and confidential consultations to car accident victims in Macon and across Middle Georgia. To schedule a consultation, call us today at (478) 742-3381 or contact us online. We can review your case, including whether distracted driving was a factor. We can also go into more detail about your options as you move forward.
Attorney David Mann
Before leading his own firm, Mann served for several years as in-house defense counsel for a large insurance company, which gives him unique insight into how insurance companies work. He uses this critical knowledge as an advantage for his clients. He is a tough negotiator and litigator, and he is exceptionally strategic in building cases on behalf of personal injury victims.[ Attorney Bio ]
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