Safe motor vehicle operation requires a driver to keep their attention focused on the road. Attentiveness to your surroundings and the movements of other vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists is essential to avoid accidents. However, drivers sometimes allow themselves to become distracted while behind the wheel, which causes accidents due to their lack of attention.
Phillips Law Group’s experienced auto accident attorneys often represent victims of distracted driving car accidents in Prescott. When you sustain harm because a driver was not paying attention and caused an accident, we can help you seek appropriate compensation for your injuries. With over 30 years of experience under our belts, we are confident we can provide you with the caring guidance you need and deserve.
Distraction Takes Many Forms
Some people think distracted driving solely means texting while driving. Holding a portable electronic communication device while operating a vehicle violates Arizona Revised Statute § 28-914, but using a phone is not the only dangerous distraction that could cause an accident.
Other distractions include:
- Using the vehicle’s onboard navigation system or satellite music system
- Talking to a passenger
- Responding to children in the back seat
- Eating or drinking
- Grooming
- Smoking
- Daydreaming
- “Rubbernecking” at accidents or other things on the road
When representing a car accident victim, a Prescott attorney will look for evidence that the driver was distracted when the crash happened. Any evidence the driver was distracted is also evidence of negligence. They will review witness statements, the police report, photographs of the vehicles, cell phone records, and any other available information.
Pursuing a Claim After a Crash
Anyone who experiences financial losses after a distracted driving wreck in Prescott should file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company for compensation. All drivers in Arizona must carry minimum liability coverage of $25,000 for injuries to one person, $50,000 aggregate for injuries to multiple people, and $15,000 for property damage. Drivers are personally liable for losses that exceed their policy limits.
Some drivers pursue a claim with the distracted driver’s insurer themselves. This is usually an unwise decision. Insurance companies strive to pay as little as possible and will look for reasons to deny or discount the claim. Working with a legal professional offers a better chance that the insurance company will negotiate in good faith.
Our attorneys have honed their negotiation and litigation skills over years of representing people injured in vehicle accidents. They have a strong sense of a claim’s value and will insist the insurer pay a reasonable sum to compensate the accident victim. When the insurer does not make an acceptable offer, we do not hesitate to bring a case to court.
Compensation Available After a Crash
When a Prescott attorney can prove a distracted driver caused someone else to sustain financial losses due to a wreck, the driver is obliged to pay those losses. The compensation is called damages.
Economic damages are actual financial losses. These include medical expenses, diminished income, and property damage. When an injured person needs continuing medical treatment or cannot return to work due to the injury, their economic damages include their future losses.
Non-economic damages are compensation for an injury’s impact on the motorist’s quality of life. A negligent driver must compensate an injured person for their physical pain, emotional trauma, inconvenience, and any permanent impacts like disability, scarring, loss of companionship, and lost enjoyment of life.
Consult a Prescott Attorney When a Distracted Driver Causes a Crash
Driving while distracted is irresponsible and dangerous. When a distracted driver injures you, it is important to take swift, firm action to ensure they pay for the harm they caused.
Obtaining fair compensation after a car accident requires experience and skill. The attorneys at Phillips Law Group have been obtaining excellent results for injured people in our community for years. When you sustain injuries in any distracted driving car accidents in Prescott, get in touch right away to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.
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