Distraction

If you drive around Hollywood or South Florida, you’ve probably seen many drivers talking on their phones, using their mobile devices, singing along with their music, and otherwise not paying attention to the road. Maybe you have even been rear-ended or sideswiped by this type of distracted driver. Unfortunately, distraction is all too common on our roads, even though there are numerous studies and awareness campaigns to remind us how dangerous and deadly it can be.

If you have been injured by a distracted driver, reach out to a personal injury attorney at Flaxman Law Group for a free accident consultation. Our attorneys have more than six decades of combined experience and understand the challenges and best practices of proving distracted driving cases. Our legal team can offer you a free accident consultation so that you can discuss your plan of action for moving forward after your collision.

In the news and in education campaigns, drivers are repeatedly warned about the dangers of texting and driving or using mobile devices while driving. There are even Florida laws that ban texting and driving. Federal employees are not allowed to text and drive when they are driving on the job, and some companies have created policies preventing cell phone use in company cars. All of this means that most of us associated distracted driving with cell phone use.

This is a mistake.

In reality, distracted driving can involve any activity that removes a driver’s hands from the wheel, a motorist’s eyes from the road, or a driver’s focus from driving. Distraction on the road can include a number of activities, including:

• Eating
• Grooming
• Talking to passengers
• Daydreaming
• Watching scenery rather than the road
• Changing music
• Changing setting on the dashboard
• Using mobile devices
• Attending to a pet or child in the back seat
• Reaching for an object on the floor, in the glove compartment, or on another seat
• Taking photos

Just about any activity that takes your focus away from driving can be dangerous and could potentially cause an accident.

Distraction removes focus from driving, which can slow response times. Studies have shown that distracted drivers often fail to notice pedestrians, children, and bicyclists in their way, which of course increases the chances of a tragic accident. Distraction allows a vehicle to travel over long distances essentially without driver interaction. In the time a driver takes to change a music station, for instance, a car traveling a typical speed may have traveled the length of a football field without the motorist looking where they are going. Just as you would not drive blindfolded, it is essential not to drive distracted.

Many people who have been seriously injured in a car accident caused by distracted driving worry about legal costs and decide to file an insurance claim on their own rather than seeking legal advice from an attorney. Unfortunately, this can be a very expensive mistake. An insurance carrier may not give you the full amount you may need to pay for your losses and you may find yourself facing financial difficulties as well as the challenges of your injuries. The fact is that you need an attorney’s advice. You deserve to know whether you have a claim and how much that claim may be worth. You deserve legal advice.

The attorneys at Flaxman Law Group can work on a contingency basis. This means that they do not collect fees until and unless you recover compensation through a trial or an out-of-court settlement. The law offices of Flaxman Law Group even offer a free initial consultation with no obligation, so that you can get legal advice with no risk. If you have been injured, contact our Hollywood and South Florida attorneys today for your free accident consultation.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a car crash caused by the negligence of another driver, you may have the right under Florida law to seek fair compensation for your losses and injuries. Florida laws make it clear that those injured by the recklessness of others have rights under the law. If you would like to find out whether you have a claim, contact Flaxman Law Group. Our law firm has offices in Hollywood, Homestead, and Miami. Our team includes attorneys who have more than sixty years of combined experience and a track record of thousands of trial wins and out-of-court settlement. Contact our caring legal staff today for a free accident consultation so that we can discuss your situation together.