You don’t have to be a detective to see clear signs of distracted driving around Lexington. The weaving across the lanes, the speeding or sometimes going way too slow are all tip-offs that a driver isn’t paying attention.
There’s one device that puts a million distractions in the palm of your hand. The smartphone. Drivers looking at their phones may not care if they slow down traffic, but they may not realize how many other motorists they’re putting at risk with each glance at a phone.
Texting And Driving Dangers Around Lexington
The Kentucky State Police will tell you that cell phones create more than just a nuisance on local streets and highways. In their report for 2018, they cited cell phone use as being involved in over 1,000 accidents.
The numbers may actually be much higher because drivers who cause a collision because of cell phone use won’t always admit to it. A better gauge may be State Police figures on driver inattention. They have inattention down as the cause of almost 50,000 accidents or making up 37% of all accidents in 2018.
Drivers can glance down for a second and travel much farther than they realize. If another vehicle is nearby, everyone inside is put at risk. A distracted driver can cause a severe accident and leave innocent victims with injuries. The long, expensive road to full health may leave victims asking themselves if the at-fault driver can be held responsible for the hospital bills and lost wages left in the wake.
The Kaufman & Stigger Injury Lawyers in Lexington can help you answer these questions and determine the best way to make sure you don’t get stuck with the bills for your recovery.
Kentucky Laws on Texting and Driving
In Kentucky, it is currently legal to use a cell phone in your car. However, you may not use a phone for texting, instant messaging, or emailing while driving or while stopped in traffic.
That’s the current situation, but things may be changing by the end of 2020. In January, State Representative James Tipton introduced a bill that would be much stricter on drivers. It’s known as the “Phone-Down Kentucky Act.” The Courier-Journal reported on the details of the proposal.
If the bill passes, it would ban the use of cell phones in a vehicle. The cell phone could never be in a driver’s hand while on the road. The exceptions would be if the phone was used as a GPS device, but it would have to be mounted. Calls could be made or taken using voice command.
It remains to be seen when this bill will be up for vote in 2020.
Compensation After a Texting and Driving Accident
This all adds up to more people on the road driving carelessly. It doesn’t matter how small the violation, the accident that results can have a devastating effect on motorists unlucky enough to be traveling alongside a texting driver.
If you’re injured in an accident caused by a distracted driver you’ll see medical bills pile up and your paychecks dry up when you’re forced to miss work. At-fault drivers who decided to look at their phones rather than the road should be forced to pay for the hardships that follow for the victims.
Kentucky places the statute of limitations on filing a claim for damages at one year from the date of the accident. It is best to file as soon as you can. The evidence and documents you’ll need to prove your case will be harder to come by when months have passed. You’ll need that information to build a strong case against the driver and his or her insurance company.
If it is ruled that you are entitled to compensation you can recoup many of the damages you have suffered after the accident. Those awards can include:
- Hospital and medical expenses now and in the future.
- Past and future lost earnings.
- Physical Therapy and rehab costs.
- Counseling and psychological services costs.
- Damage or destruction of property costs.
- Physical pain and suffering compensation.
- Loss of enjoyment of life compensation.
Contact a Lexington Car Accident Injury Lawyer
If someone texting and driving left you injured after a traffic accident you’ll want to ensure all of your physical, emotional, and financial losses are covered by the person responsible. An experienced Lexington attorney can help you determine the best way to get full compensation for your recovery from the driver and his or her insurance company.
Talk to a Lexington Car Accident Attorney you can trust to be on your side and get you what is yours under the law. The attorneys at Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, have that knowledge and a combined 100 years’ experience in helping clients get the compensation they’ll need to make a full recovery. To discuss your case, contact Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC today, by clicking here to contact them online.
