If you or someone you love were injured by a distracted driver in Tucson, experienced legal counsel could help you recover the compensation you rightfully deserve. At Showard Law Firm, a texting and driving accident lawyer has the knowledge and resources necessary to gather evidence that would demonstrate the at-fault driver’s negligence.
For more than 15 years, we have advocated for injury victims throughout Southern Arizona, helping our clients achieve the money damages needed to pay medical expenses and move forward with their lives.
Texting and driving accident lawyer serving Tucson
Motor vehicle accidents can have devastating financial and physical ramifications that you don’t have to face alone. If you live in Tucson, Sierra Vista, or the neighboring communities and are hit by a texting motorist, it pays to explore your legal options. You may be eligible for significant compensation that can cover the costs of medical treatment, physical therapy, lost wages, pain, and suffering, and other damages sustained. We are ready to assist you during this difficult time with a one-on-one consultation, free of charge.
In Tucson, too many innocent lives have been lost or significantly effected in texting and driving accidents. Our legal team wants to ensure that justice is served and help our clients secure maximum compensation. Find out if you have a valid claim, what kinds of damages you can seek, and how our attorneys can help you on the road to recovery.
New law to curb Tucson distracted driving accidents
In 2019, Arizona joined 47 other states by banning all handheld mobile devices while driving. The law, known as HB 2318, prohibits texting and holding or supporting a wireless device. It also bans watching, recording, or broadcasting video while driving. The legislation is more than just a ban on texting while driving in Arizona; it’s forcing motorists to go completely hands-free.
Another change ushered in by House Bill 2318 is that holding a cell phone while driving is considered a primary offense. Law enforcement can pull over drivers for this action alone. While the ticketing and fines won’t kick in until 2021, the measure comes at a critical time, with increasing numbers of injuries and deaths caused by texting motorists. The only exceptions are if a driver is fully stopped at a red light or reporting an emergency.
Texting and driving increases crash risk
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, texting while driving is one of the most dangerous types of distraction, causing visual, manual, and cognitive disruption that makes it impossible to safely operate a motor vehicle.
More than 12,000 car crashes are caused by distracted driving in Arizona each year, and many of these are attributed to texting drivers. Smartphones are ubiquitous– providing ample ways to take a driver’s focus off the road for long periods of time. All it takes is a few seconds of reading a message, searching for music, scrolling through social media, or sending a text to cause a serious, if not fatal, accident.
According to recent polls, a whopping 43 percent of teenagers admit to texting while driving, even though they know it increases the odds of an accident. Texting while behind the wheel not only decreases your reaction time, it significantly raises the odds of being in a collision. But it’s not just adolescents who are spending time on their cell phones when driving– adults, who are fully aware of the dangers, are just as addicted to their smartphones.
Dangers of distracted driving
Research shows that the average time it takes to read or respond to a text is 5 seconds. While that doesn’t sound like much, consider that a vehicle going 55 mph can travel the length of an entire football field in that time. That is essentially driving blind– and putting the lives of other people in grave jeopardy.
Anecdotal evidence also shows that texting and driving are just as hazardous as drunk driving. In fact, you are six times more likely to crash when texting than if you were intoxicated. Close to 500,000 people are injured every year in the country by distracted drivers. At its best, texting and driving is irresponsible and risky, and at its worst, it can be lethal.
How experienced car accident attorneys can help
Many types of evidence can be used to prove a driver’s negligent behavior. In texting and driving cases, we often subpoena the defendant’s cell phone records that show activity at the time of the accident. There may also be eyewitness testimony, footage from traffic or dashboard cams, and other proof that establishes the driver was distracted.
Showard Law Firm will determine a fair value for your claim, demand monetary compensation that fully accounts for your losses, and will factor in how those injuries have impacted your quality of life.
Put your trust in Showard Law Firm
Thanks to our breadth of experience litigating injury claims, we are uniquely qualified to help clients whose lives were upended by distracted drivers. To discuss your options for filing a texting and driving lawsuit, call our Tucson law office to schedule a private case review. We provide personalized representation on a contingency-fee-basis, so there are no fees unless we make a recovery on your behalf.
Additional Resources:
- Federal Communications Division, The Dangers of Distracted Driving https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/dangers-texting-while-driving
- CDC, Distracted Driving https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/index.html
- National Safety Council, Distracted Driving Research https://www.nsc.org/road-safety/safety-topics/distracted-driving/research