Experienced Tennessee Attorneys Handling Sevierville Truck Accident Cases Involving Distracted Drivers
Why inattentive drivers are being held accountable for their actions in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
The statistics on the dangers of distracted driving are overwhelming. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, distracted driving kills eight people and injures more than 1,161 people daily. Distracted drivers take their eyes off the road, their hands off the steering wheel, and their mind off the traffic conditions around them. Just a momentary lapse can cause catastrophic injury or death to other drivers, passengers in any vehicle, and pedestrians. Truck drivers are especially likely to drive while distracted because of the long hours involved and the long time away from home.
The Sevierville truck accident lawyers at Delius & McKenzie, PLLC have the experience, skills, and resources to hold distracted drivers accountable for their inattentiveness. Our legal team helps victims and families in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Seymour, and locations across Tennessee get their lives back on track by fighting for compensation for all damages. Including lost income, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other losses.
Types of truck driver distraction
Drivers can lose their focus for many reasons. A driver traveling at 30 mph who is not looking at the road for just 15 seconds travels close to a tenth of a mile. Distraction can cause that driver to fail to stop in time, swerve into oncoming traffic, race through a stop sign, or commit many other driving violations which can increase the odds of a serious accident.
The most common causes of distracted truck driving include:
- Texting
- Talking on a cellphone
- Eating or drinking
- Fixing one’s makeup or hair
- Examining a GPS device for directions
- Playing with the radio station or adjusting the CD player
- Watching a video
- Lighting a cigarette
- Reading a map or any written item
- Chatting with other passengers or on a CB radio
While none of these circumstances may seem that dangerous, anything that takes a driver’s eyes or focus off the road can have disastrous consequences. Distracted driving can cause a head-on crash, sideswipe accident, truck rollover, multi-vehicle crash, or rear-end collision. Some distracted drivers go into an opposite lane or drive into a pole or fixed object. If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident with a distracted truck driver, our Sevierville truck accident attorneys are here to help.
How an experienced attorney can help
Our legal team reviews phone records, police reports, and other documents to help prove a driver was distracted. We speak with witnesses who were in the truck or who observed the accident. Photographs and physical evidence at the scene of the accident can often help prove how the distraction happened. Sometimes we employ road traffic experts to help determine what happened.
In egregious cases, a Sevierville truck accident lawyer from our firm files a claim for punitive damages. This is especially true if the driver violated a federal or state law. Federal law prohibits texting while driving and reading text from a cellular device. In addition to filing a claim against the driver, we may bring a claim against the company that trained and hired the driver for faulty instruction and improper guidance
Make an appointment with a Sevierville distracted truck driver lawyer today
After a truck accident involving a distracted driver, it is crucial that victims and families contact a Sevierville truck accident attorney as soon as possible. The legal team at Delius & McKenzie, PLLC is ready to begin working hard to determine fault and to fight for full compensation for all legal damages. Please make the call today to 865-428-8780 or complete our contact form to schedule a free case evaluation. We proudly represent clients in Sevierville, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Seymour, and throughout Tennessee.
