Portland Distracted Driving Accident Lawyers
EXPERIENCED DISTRACTED DRIVING ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS REPRESENTING INJURED PERSONS IN THE GREATER PORTLAND, OREGON AREA
Distracted driving is a growing cause of car accidents across the United States and Portland. When a driver takes their full attention off the task of driving, disastrous and catastrophic accidents can occur.
If you have suffered an injury in a distracted driving accident in Portland, it is important to have someone on your side that can help you obtain relief. It is often difficult to prove distracted driving occurred. Insurance companies know this. They may want to settle quickly, before you have a chance to investigate the accident fully.
At Schauermann Thayer, our Portland car accident attorneys leave no stone unturned when we investigate distracted driving accidents. We may need to work to preserve cell phone records, obtain police records, and/or interview eyewitnesses. In some cases, we can even obtain video camera or surveillance footage to help prove your case.
While you focus on your recovery, our distracted driving accident lawyers will go to work for you. We can take the legal burdens off your shoulders, so you don’t have to worry about legal paperwork and insurance adjusters. You can contact us today by filling out a contact form, or calling now (360) 695-4244 to schedule a free consultation.
What is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving is any activity that diverts a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety.
There are three main types of distractions:
- Visual: taking your eyes off the road;
- Manual: taking your hands off the wheel; and
- Cognitive: taking your mind off driving.
Each type of distraction increases your risk of being involved in a crash. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2020 alone, 3,142 people lost their lives in crashes involving a distracted driver.
Texting and Driving in Portland
Texting while driving is especially dangerous because it combines all three types of distractions. For example, texting while driving requires you to take your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel, and your mind off driving.
Sending or reading a text message can take your eyes off the road for 5 seconds or more. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field essentially blindfolded. It’s simply not worth the risk.
Yet, people text and drive every day in Portland, even though Oregon’s laws state that it is illegal to drive while holding a mobile device. This includes texting.
Other Types of Driving Distractions
Texting and driving is not the only distraction drivers encounter. Any distraction that takes your mind, eyes, or hands away from driving qualifies as distracted driving. Some of the most common types of distracted driving behaviors include:
- Eating and drinking;
- Adjusting or reading your GPS;
- Attending to children in the back seat;
- Personal grooming;
- Listening to audio books or podcasts;
- Searching for items in a bag or purse; and
- Using car infotainment systems.
Compensation for Your Distracted Driving Accident Injuries
After a distracted driving accident in Portland, you can seek to collect compensation for your injuries and damages you suffered. In general, you can seek
three different types of compensation after a distracted driving accident.
- Economic Damages. Compensation for economic damages is a reimbursement for your financial losses. Losses can include medical bills, lost wages, loss of future earnings, and property damage. Medical expenses can include the cost of any hospitalization, surgeries, rehabilitative care, and other medical bills that you incur as a result of the accident, as well as any future expenses you might need.
- Non-economic Damages. When you seek compensation for non-economic damages, you want to put a value on the emotional and physical pain and suffering you endured.
- Punitive Damages. Finally, in some rare cases, injured accident victims can recover punitive damages. These damages seek to punish the person or entity that caused the accident.
If you have been injured in a distracted driving accident, it is important to speak with an experienced Portland distracted driving accident lawyer at Schauermann Thayer to discuss your legal options. Our attorneys can help you understand the types of compensation you may be entitled to. We will fight to get you a fair amount of compensation.
Contact Our Portland Distracted Driving Accident Lawyers Today
If you or someone you love got hurt in a distracted driving accident in Portland, we want to help you seek justice. The Portland distracted driving accident lawyers at Schauermann Thayer have nearly 40 years of success helping injured car crash victims obtain the money they need to put their lives back together again. We know how to hold distracted drivers accountable for their negligence.
Contact Schauermann Thayer to explore your legal options in a free consultation. You can contact us today by filling out a contact form, or calling now (360) 695-4244 to schedule a free consultation.
