Distracted Driving Accidents

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Tens of thousands of commercial trucks drive in and out of Orlando every day, bringing us groceries and essential goods. Truck accidents due to distracted driving have become commonplace in the U.S. The NHTSA reported 400,000 injuries in 2018, or 15% of all incidents. When drafting a claim, many attorneys must carefully consider a distracted driving crash situation, as there are many criteria for an objective review of what happened. Insurance companies and courts often have to deny claims because distracted driving is not proven. To avoid this hassle, we recommend that you contact an Orlando distracted truck driver lawyer, who will take a detailed look at your case and help you develop the right strategy for dealing with the parties involved.

Distracted Driving Truck Accident Lawyers in Orlando

Proving a driver’s distraction can be difficult at times because several factors beyond the driver’s control must be considered. Professional lawyers must piece together the details of the accident. Expert opinions are invaluable in this regard, allowing you to reliably determine the degree of culpability in a distracted driving incident. If you’ve been in a car accident and you feel guilty, don’t try to tell anyone about it, as your words could be construed as an admission. In fact, only a trial by an experienced attorney in Orlando can find the missing evidence and facts that may point to your degree of innocence in the distracted driving case. There is no need to delay and aggravate the situation. It is better to seek help from our lawyer right away.

Types of Driver Distractions

What are the main types of driver distractions? The Federal Department of Motor Vehicles has identified three of them, which apply to Orlando distracted driving as well.

Visual factors. These are circumstances that have nothing to do with direct driving, such as situations in which you are checking your navigation equipment in the car, looking for a song on the radio, or looking for lost items on the floor of the car while driving. These situations can result in a distracted driving crash.

Manual factors. These are situations directly related to taking your hands off the steering wheel while driving. For example, you decide to drink water, eat, check your phone, correspond with your mobile device, smoke, etc. Important: When you break down a distracted driving case, you must consider why you took your hands off the wheel and how that situation led to the incident.

Cognitive factors. These can be a conversation with a passenger, an aggressive state, alcohol or drug intoxication, stress, or fatigue. These situations are not related to visual and manual distractions.

The Dangers of Truck Driver Distraction

When Orlando distracted driving occurs, the likelihood of a truck accident is high. More often than not, the driver loses control of the vehicle and collides with another vehicle or obstacle. In some cases, distracted driving can cause a vehicle to tip over. Also, situations involving driving into the oncoming lane, which causes a head-on collision with another vehicle, have been recorded. If you have been involved in distracted truck driver accidents in Orlando, seek help from our lawyer, who will advise you on your next steps.

The Laws on Distracted Driving for Commercial Drivers

The trucking industry in Florida is subject to several laws and regulations that are mandatory for commercial drivers.

Hours of service regulations. A truck driver can be behind the wheel no more than 60 hours per week or no more than 70 hours in an eight-day period. After that, the driver must take a break of 34 hours. A break of 30 minutes must be taken every eight hours.
Commercial vehicles must have proper identification signs.
A vehicle with a 26,000-pound weight rating must have an appropriate fuel sticker.
There are restrictions on the movement of any vehicle carrying more than 80,000 pounds.
The truck must be in good working order at all times.

Also, the truck must have a Florida or U.S. Department of Transportation registration plate. These laws reduce the risk of distracted driving trucks.

Distracted Driving Truck FAQs

Our attorneys have prepared answers to questions related to distracted driving. If you can’t find your answer, contact a lawyer for an initial free consultation.

Can truck drivers talk on the phone while driving?

It is illegal to talk on the phone while driving. If you take your hand off the steering wheel, the car may become unstable, leading to an accident. Statistically, about 8% of all car accident fatalities involved the use of a cell phone while the car was in motion. Every case involving the use of a cell phone while driving is handled in detail. Our attorney can help you properly craft a claim for compensation and restitution.

How likely is an accident?

The risk of a distracted driving accident is quite high. In 2018, for example, about 82% of all fatal accidents had signs of distracted driving.

How do you define “distracted driving”?

If there has been a car accident, the signs of distracted driving can be determined by an expert. Sometimes, circumstantial signs will be the testimony of witnesses. Other signs of distracted driving come from data from video recorders and testimony from traffic police officers. If you are in this situation and have been charged with distracted driving, contact our lawyer for help.

Get a Free Consultation

Distracted driving creates a high risk of car accidents. If you or a relative has been involved in an auto accident, contact our attorney for help and get an initial free consultation.

References and Resources:

https://blog.drivedifferent.com/blog/three-types-of-distracted-driving

https://www.jjlawoffice.com/orlando-truck-accident-lawyer/

https://bencrump.com/areas-we-serve/orlando-fl/car-accident-lawyer/distracted-driving/

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812926