Tampa Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer

Attorney Armando Edmiston is focused on getting you results

Whether the other driver was trying to eat food or attempting to have a conversation with a passenger, if someone wasn’t paying full attention to the road and caused you to get injured in a car accident, that person should be held accountable for their negligence.

If you were injured in a distracted driving crash, call Armando Personal Injury Law right away. Distracted driving attorney Armando Edmiston can give your case the personal attention it needs and deserves so that you can fight for the compensation you’re entitled to.

How many car accidents are caused by distracted driving?

You may wonder how many car accidents happen due to distracted driving. The short answer is “a lot.” Hundreds of thousands of accidents every year are due to distracted driving. According to the NHTSA, distracted driving is a factor in about 15 percent of reported crashes. Distracted driving remains one of the more frequent causes of car accidents, especially in today’s fast-paced world of technology.

Did you know that distracted drivers are roughly four times more at risk of being killed in a fatal car accident than those who are paying full attention to their driving? Think about that the next time you go to reach for your phone when you’re behind the wheel.

If you’re wondering what causes the most distracted driving accidents, it’s cell phone use: talking on the phone, closely followed by texting. However, all types of distraction can be dangerous. Drivers need to put safety first.

What are the different forms of distraction?

The dangers of distracted driving are well documented, yet many people continue driving distracted. There are three different categories of distracted driving, including:

Visual – When something causes you to take your eyes off the road – even if for just a split second – it is considered a visual distraction. The most common types of visual distractions include looking at passengers, electronic devices, looking into your car’s rear-view or side mirrors, and people or things on the side of the road.
Manual – Anything that requires you to remove your hands from the steering wheel is a manual distraction. Phones, a GPS, the radio, food, drink, maps, and cigarettes are all common things that can create a manual distraction while you’re driving.
Cognitive – A cognitive distraction happens when you aren’t focused on your driving or the road ahead. Also known as being lost in thought or daydreaming, cognitive distractions can be anything from thinking about an argument with a loved one to having a conversation with a passenger or someone over the phone.

Keep in mind that not all behaviors fall neatly into one of the three types of driver distractions. Before you think about using your phone to send or read a text while you’re driving, consider that texting while driving is one of the few activities that falls under all three categories of distracted driving. That’s because in order to send or read a text you need to take your eyes off the road to look at your phone, take at least one hand off the wheel to type, and take your mind off your driving to think about what you’re reading or what message you’re going to send.

However, texting is just one type of distraction. Other examples of distracted driving include:

Talking on a cellphone
Programming a GPS
Turning to talk/look at a passenger
Rubbernecking
Adjusting the radio
Eating and drinking
Personal grooming (e.g., combing hair, applying makeup, shaving, brushing/flossing teeth)
Reaching for something
Listening to loud music
Smoking
Being lost in thought/daydreaming

Florida’s distracted driving laws do not directly cover most of these distractions; it’s only texting that is explicitly illegal. However, all drivers have a general responsibility to refrain from endangering others on the road, and driving distracted is a violation of that responsibility.

Put your case in the hands of an experienced lawyer

Just because your claim seems straightforward, doesn’t mean it won’t end up being complex. That’s because the insurance company may give you a hard time and try to reduce or deny the compensation that you’re rightfully due. You shouldn’t have to pay for someone else’s mistakes. The right Tampa distracted driving attorney can help.

Our law firm can handle every aspect of your claim and help you get the highest amount of compensation possible. If you were in a car accident, talk to distracted driving lawyer Armando Edmiston. Contact us today to set up a free case evaluation.