A tractor trailer struck two vehicles killing one and seriously injuring another. The accident happened around 5:30 p.m. Sunday, September 29, 2019, when the driver of the tractor trailer failed to notice that traffic had slowed considerably. He first struck a Jeep Liberty killing its driver, and then struck an SUV seriously injuring a passenger.
Police say that the driver was distracted by a phone that he had mounted on his dash which was playing a video and likely kept him from noticing the traffic slowdown. Police arrested the driver and charged him with second degree manslaughter.
Distracted Driving Crashes
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, around 3,500 people die and around 350,000 are injured each year because of distracted driving. In the last decade, the focus has been on texting or other cell phone use while driving, However, the Center for Disease Control reports that only from one quarter to one third of all distracted driving fatalities were in crashes where cell phone use was the primary factor.
The are many other ways to be distracted including eating, putting on makeup or combing hair, shaving, reaching for objects in the back seat, or anything that takes the driver’s eyes off the road for more than a moment.
Tractor Trailers and Distracted Driving
Distracted driving directly affects stopping distances of all vehicles. The average reaction time for a driver to begin braking is one to three seconds which adds around 25 percent to the stopping distance it takes the average passenger car to stop going 50 mph.
Thus if someone is distracted another 2 seconds, then the reaction time adds up to 50 percent on the stopping distance. When the vehicle is a large commercial truck, then the added reaction time due to distracted driving can add hundreds of feet to the stopping distance.
Distracted Crash Injuries
A high number of distracted driving crashes are rear-end collisions, but they can also be factors in rollovers, head-on collisions and T-bone crashes. These can bring significant injuries to those involved, with the most common of them being:
- Blunt Force Trauma
- Head Injuries/Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Broken Bones
- Chest Compressions
- Organ Damage
- Internal Injuries/Bleeding
- Air bag injuries
Contact an Auto Accident Attorney Today
Accident victims often wonder if they need an attorney, and the answer is almost always yes. The insurance company agents have years of experience and are good at their job which is to pay you as little as possible or nothing at all. You need someone just as experienced to help you level the field. Talk to someone you can trust to be on your side and get you what is yours under the law.
The attorneys at Kaufman and Stigger, PLLC, have that knowledge and a combined 100 years’ experience in helping clients get the results they deserve. To discuss your case, call Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC today, at (800) 937-8443 or click here to contact them online.
