Drivers texting behind the wheel is a serious problem throughout the United States. Unfortunately, not only do passenger car drivers often cause wrecks by acting irresponsibly in this way, but tractor-trailer drivers sometimes do as well, despite both state and federal laws prohibiting them from doing so.
Because texting while driving is illegal for truckers in Arizona, texting and driving truck accidents in Phoenix can very often serve as valid grounds for personal injury litigation. If you have been hurt in a wreck like this recently, you should reach out to a seasoned truck accident lawyer from Phillips Law Group sooner rather than later to discuss your options for civil recovery.
Proving a Truck Driver Was Texting Behind the Wheel
It is illegal for all drivers in the state of Arizona to use a handheld electronic communications device for any purpose unless they are making an emergency call or using the device in hands-free mode. Under no circumstances can anyone read, write, or send text messages on such a device while operating a motor vehicle. Unfortunately, even if a truck driver was texting and driving immediately prior to getting involved in a truck crash in Phoenix, proving that they were acting irresponsibly in this way can be harder in practice than many people expect.
Support from a knowledgeable legal professional is key to collecting, preserving, and making effective use of evidence that can help establish texting while driving as the primary cause of a wreck, including things like:
- Accident reports written by police who responded to the crash scene
- Cell phone records showing when specific messages were read and sent
- Surveillance/dashboard camera footage
- Information from a truck’s onboard “black box”
- Witness testimony
Legal counsel can likewise play a key role in proving that specific compensable losses stemmed directly from a truck driver’s negligence.
Are Trucking Companies Liable for Texting and Driving Wrecks?
Perhaps most importantly, a skilled truck accident lawyer can help ensure that everyone who holds civil liability for a Phoenix traffic collision caused by a truck driver’s texting behind the wheel is held financially accountable for the crash’s consequences. This is important because it is often possible to hold trucking companies vicariously liable for the misconduct of one of their employees.
Alternatively, a trucking company may be directly liable for a texting and driving wreck if the wreck stemmed in part from their own negligent hiring practices—for example, because they hired a driver with a history of traffic convictions for texting-related offenses. In some situations, there may even be other people directly involved in a crash like this who were partially at fault for causing it, such as a passenger car driver who was speeding when a texting trucker crashed into them.
Talk to a Phoenix, AZ Attorney About Suing Over a Texting and Driving Truck Accident
Texting drivers may not all think that what they are doing is particularly dangerous, but being distracted like this behind the wheel can lead to crashes just as easily as driving drunk can. Even worse, proving that someone else directly caused a wreck by texting behind the wheel can be difficult and next to impossible to accomplish without help from capable legal representation.
At Phillips Law Group, our truck accident attorneys have decades of experience helping people much like you through cases much like yours all over the Phoenix metro area. Call today to speak with one of our team members and learn how we can assist you with your texting and driving truck accident in Phoenix, AZ.
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