No matter what type of motor vehicle they are driving, everyone on public Arizona roads has the same “duty of care” to keep their focus entirely on driving and to avoid getting distracted by anything inside or outside of their car. However, it is especially important for commercial truck drivers to abide by this duty, mostly because a trucker who fails to do so can wind up causing exponentially greater harm to other people around them compared to a standard commuter car driver.
Of course, the severity of a traffic accident involving a tractor-trailer is something you are all too familiar with if you were recently caught up in a distracted driving truck accident in Phoenix, AZ. With help from a capable truck accident attorney, though, you can proactively pursue civil compensation for the injuries and losses you have sustained from the people — and sometimes the companies — at fault for causing your wreck. Reach out to Phillips Law Group today to begin reviewing your options with a trusted advocate.
How Do Truck Drivers Distract Themselves Behind the Wheel?
In modern day, texting while driving is probably the single most common way in which drivers of all kinds, including people operating massive semi-trucks, distract themselves while driving to a degree that leads to them causing otherwise avoidable crashes. This is also the only form of distracted driving that is expressly illegal for a truck driver passing through the area to engage in, thanks to both state-level and federal-level laws.
Other things a Phoenix, AZ truck driver may do instead of focusing on the road which could increase the risk of causing a serious accident include:
- Looking at a map or GPS readout
- Talking to someone over the phone, through a CB radio, or sometimes in their passenger seat
- Eating and drinking
- Reaching for something in the cab
- Personal grooming
- Reading a book or watching a video
Truckers who have not gotten enough sleep and are driving while drowsy are also more likely to be distracted behind the wheel, as are truckers who are impaired by alcohol, illegal drugs, or prescription medications.
Suing a Trucking Company Over a Truck Driver’s Negligence
Ultimately, though, the important thing when it comes to suing over a distracted driving truck crash in Phoenix is not exactly how the truck driver in question was distracted, but whether their distraction was the main and direct cause of the accident in question. Anyone who injures another person by acting “negligently” in this way may be held civilly liable for all damages the other person sustains directly because of that incident, including things like medical bills, vehicle repair/replacement costs, and various forms of physical and mental suffering.
In addition, it is often possible to hold a trucking company liable for a wreck caused by the distracted driver they employed, either under the legal doctrine of respondeat superior or because they were negligent themselves in the hiring and training practices they maintained. Either way, this can allow for far greater financial recovery than a single trucker could provide, which can be crucial in light of how catastrophic the effects of commercial truck crashes often are.
Contact a Phoenix, AZ Attorney for Help With a Distracted Driving Truck Accident Claim
Distracted truck drivers are a danger not just to themselves, but to everyone else around them on any road they are not paying proper attention to. Unfortunately, knowing that does not necessarily make it easier to take effective legal action over a wreck caused by a trucker being irresponsible in this way, particularly for people who try to do it without capable legal counsel on their side.
By working with an experienced truck accident lawyer from Phillips Law Group, you can dramatically improve your chances of getting the best possible case result and obtaining the compensation you need following a distracted driving truck accident in Phoenix, AZ.
Call today to speak with a member of our team about what we could do for you —and what we have done for over 30 years for other people like you in the Phoenix area. You are under no obligation to work with us after this initial meeting, and your first consultation is always free. Please do not hesitate to reach out to learn more today!
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