As Missouri drivers, one of the most dangerous risks we face every day has nothing to do with the car we are in or the roadways on which we drive. The biggest threats are driven by human behavior—distracted driving in particular. The costs of distracted driving are staggering:
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,477 lives were lost in the U.S. due to distracted driving in 2015. Far more people were injured, sometimes in life-altering ways; NHTSA estimates that 391,000 Americans were hurt by distracted drivers in 2015. Surveys estimate that an astounding 660,000 drivers in the United States use their mobile devices while operating their vehicles during daylight hours. The risk to you and your family is enormous, and the number of distracted driving accidents, injuries, and deaths continues to climb. That’s why the experienced personal injury attorneys at The Popham Law Firm in Kansas City aggressively pursue cases against distracted drivers and their insurance companies. If you have been injured due to someone else’s negligence in Missouri, you deserve compensation.
Distracted Driving: The Risks and the Law
No one should ever allow themselves to be distracted while they are operating a motor vehicle. With the average weight of a car being about 4,000 pounds, it is easy to see why so many people call vehicles “lethal weapons.” A car or truck that hits something is never a trivial matter, no matter what the speed at impact was. Obviously, remaining attentive and careful behind the wheel is any Missouri driver’s first and foremost priority.There are many reasons why a driver might become distracted behind the wheel. The most commonly thought of reason for distraction is the use of a cell phone or electronic device, but there are other ways that a driver can be subtly incapacitated by a distraction in the car. Tuning a radio, changing songs on a stereo, using a navigation system, listening to loud music, and even a conversation with a passenger can lead to a distraction significant enough to cause someone’s injury or death.When it comes to what is commonly referred to as “texting and driving,” Missouri law states that doing so is only illegal for those people who are under the age of 21 and drivers operating commercial vehicles. That is just part of the equation; if a person operating a motor vehicle in Missouri injures someone or causes an accident that results in a fatality, the person can be charged with grave criminal offenses. In one case in 2012, a 16-year-old Kansas City girl was charged with involuntary manslaughter when the accident she caused ended in the death of a 72-year-old woman. Additionally, the young lady was charged with third-degree assault, as the woman’s 10-year-old granddaughter was also seriously injured in the crash. Sadly, events like the tragedy that befell that poor grandmother are increasingly a common occurrence. That is one of the reasons that The Popham Law Firm exists—we ensure that victims of reckless drivers get the justice that they deserve.Under Missouri law, all drivers are required to exercise the highest degree of care when operating their vehicles. While it is nice to know that a careless driver who injures you or a loved one will be held responsible by the state, that doesn’t help you recover from the severe physical, emotional, and financial trauma that you’ll experience after an accident takes place. To reduce the harmful effects of someone else’s negligence in your life, you need The Popham Law Firm’s highly-qualified personal injury attorneys to ensure that your interests are represented and protected.
If You are the Victim of Distracted Driving
It is a sad fact that sometimes distracted drivers’ negligence results in suffering and a lifetime of consequences for their victims. If you have been involved in any accident, but especially one that was caused by someone who was distracted or texting behind the wheel, you need to make sure that your rights are protected. Insurance companies will be looking to close your case as fast as they can and at a minimum cost to them. It is important to remember that insurance companies are concerned about their bottom line. For them, your welfare is a secondary concern.When you have been victimized by someone else’s carelessness, you need an experienced personal injury law firm in your corner that is looking out for your best interests. The stakes are high because in addition to the emotional trauma and physical pain, being hurt by someone else in a traffic accident can have enormous financial consequences. Medical bills, physical therapy, lost wages, and the loss of earning potential are all things that you can’t afford to not bear in mind. That is why The Popham Law Firm maintains a toll-free helpline to help you find legal advice fast. Just call us at 1-(844) 243-2288 or through our website. We’ll get you represented by one of Missouri’s best personal injury attorneys. They’ll stand between you and the insurance company to ensure you get the settlement to which you are entitled.The Popham Law Firm isn’t content to stop with the insurance settlement. We understand that, as a victim, your future is at stake. We’ll use aggressive legal tactics to look at every element of the accident to prove that the driver that caused your injuries was negligent. In many cases, we have successfully sued the people who injured our clients in Missouri civil courts. Using our expert knowledge along with evidence from eyewitness testimony, police reports, and cell phone records, we have been able to prove time and time again that distracted drivers were sending or reading texts behind the wheel. By showing that the driver who caused the accident was at fault, our aggressive personal injury law tactics have resulted in substantial awards for our clients.When you’ve been injured, you deserve to have the very best personal injury law attorneys fighting for you. Don’t delay—call The Popham Law Firm today.
