Trish Thames
Elisa Campechano
Natalie
At Griffin Law Firm, we have witnessed a significant increase in severe injuries and fatalities due to distracted driving in recent years. If you or someone you care about has been hurt or lost their life in an accident where distracted driving might have played a role, you should reach out to experienced personal injury attorneys who can support you and your family.
Contact the skilled professionals at Griffin Law Firm for a free consultation today. Our team will thoroughly investigate the crash and identify all factors that contributed to your injuries and losses.
Our dedicated Snellville car accident lawyers will fight aggressively to secure the full and fair compensation you deserve.
What Is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving occurs when a driver’s focus diverts from the task of operating their vehicle. These distractions can cause drivers to take their eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, or become mentally disengaged. Common distractions include:
- Reading or sending text messages.
- Talking on the phone.
- Eating or drinking.
- Adjusting the radio.
- Grooming.
Even a few seconds of distraction can lead to a severe accident, particularly at high speeds.
The Distracted Driving Crisis in Snellville
While Griffin Law Firm has been assisting personal injury victims for many years, we’ve seen a dramatic surge in distracted driving accidents recently. This increase aligns closely with the rapid advancement of technology, especially the widespread use of smartphones.
According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, distracted driving is a growing and severe problem. It is estimated that every day, more than eight people die, and 1,161 are injured in car crashes involving a distracted driver. Distracted driving significantly increases the likelihood of an accident occurring.
At its core, distracted driving is operating a vehicle without giving it your full attention. When a driver engages in any activity other than focusing on the road, the risk of a distracted driving accident rises substantially.
Georgia’s Distracted Driving Laws
Georgia has implemented strict laws to combat distracted driving. The state prohibits all drivers from using handheld cell phones or electronic devices while operating a vehicle, including holding or supporting the device with any part of the body.
Hands-free technology is permitted, allowing drivers to use voice-to-text features or AI assistants for calls or messages. However, it is essential to note that even hands-free use can still be a source of distraction.
For drivers under 18, the law is even more stringent, prohibiting using any electronic devices while driving, whether handheld or hands-free. At Griffin Law Firm, our experienced Snellville personal injury attorneys can review your case and help determine if any laws were violated in your accident.
Types of Distracted Driving
At Griffin Law Firm, we investigate various types of distracted driving cases involving personal injuries and wrongful deaths. We generally encounter three categories of distraction:
- Cognitive distraction: When a driver’s mind is not fully engaged in the task of driving safely and defensively.
- Manual distraction: When a driver uses their hands for activities other than driving, such as texting, eating, drinking, adjusting GPS, grooming, or any action that takes their hands off the wheel.
- Visual distraction: When a driver’s eyes are not focused on the road. This is often the leading cause of increased distracted driving injuries and fatalities. Activities like looking at cell phones, making videos, using social media, watching videos, or reading emails and texts all contribute to this hazard.
At Griffin Law Firm, our distracted driving accident lawyers in Snellville consider texting to be the most dangerous form of distraction because it combines all three types. When texting, a driver’s mind is engaged in the conversation, their hands are off the wheel to type, and their eyes are diverted from the road to read and respond to messages.
How Griffin Law Firm Holds Distracted Drivers Accountable
One of our primary responsibilities at Griffin Law Firm is to prove our client’s case to secure full and fair compensation. Our work begins with a thorough and comprehensive investigation. Proving distracted driving as a cause of injuries or death can be particularly challenging.
Our attorneys use various methods to reveal the facts about distracted driving. We start with the technology that has led to increased distracted driving incidents. Our distracted driving accident lawyers subpoena all relevant phone records. We also seek to obtain data from “black box” recorders present in many modern vehicles. If there’s any video surveillance in the area of the accident, we subpoena those recordings to get a clearer picture of what transpired. Video evidence showing a driver drifting between lanes before a crash can be crucial in building a case for distracted driving.
Seeking Legal Guidance from a Distracted Driving Accident Attorney
At Griffin Law Firm, our experienced distracted driving accident lawyers can guide you through the process of investigating your losses and arguing for your right to financial compensation. With accolades such as the AVVO Superb Rating and recognition as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers Association, Attorney Richard Griffin at Griffin Law Firm, P.C. has what it takes to handle complex distracted driving cases. Get in touch with us today!
