Phoenix Distracted Driving Accident Attorneys
People who drive while distracted can cause catastrophic or fatal accidents in a matter of seconds. Even if they are only distracted for a short time, it can still have severe consequences. These accidents are preventable and would happen far less often if drivers kept their eyes attentively on the road.
If you or a loved one sustained an injury because of a distracted driver, the team at Gallagher & Kennedy can help you hold them accountable for their actions—especially if their carelessness left you with painful injuries that could affect the rest of your life. Our Phoenix distracted driving accident lawyers are ready to stand up for you during the claims process, so you can get the compensation you need to move forward. Contact us today for a free case review.
We Fight for All Personal Injury Clients
At Gallagher & Kennedy, we are compassionate and committed attorneys who handle some of the nation’s biggest cases. With over 210 years of combined legal experience, our goal is always to maximize the amount of compensation our clients receive.
Our Phoenix car accident lawyers know how to handle even the most complicated cases. We also know how to negotiate with insurance companies and get them to make fair settlement offers. If they don’t offer something acceptable, we aren’t afraid to take your case to court.
Benefits of Choosing Our Firm
Choosing Gallagher & Kennedy as your Phoenix distracted driving accident lawyer has countless benefits. On top of the support and guidance we provide throughout your case, we also work as hard as we can to give you the best possible results.
There are so many reasons to choose us to represent you, including:
- We take a personal approach to each case and work closely with each client to achieve their goals.
- We advocate aggressively for our client’s rights and fight for institutional change.
- We get justice for our clients and treat your case the same way we would for a family member or loved one.
- We handle the biggest cases all over the country, so we have the skills and knowledge needed to execute a strong case strategy.
Because no two cases are alike, we make sure we provide the exact legal services you need.
How Much Does an Attorney Cost?
After getting into a car accident, the last thing you need to worry about is paying for an attorney. At our firm, we understand that you might not have the extra funds right now, especially if you’re out of work and medical bills are piling up.
That’s why we offer the following fee structure:
- Free consultations: After a distracted driving accident, you can speak to a member of our legal team at no cost. During this discussion, we’ll answer your questions and explain how we can help you recover compensation for your injuries.
- Contingency fees: For most car accident cases, we work on a contingency fee basis. This means we don’t charge anything for our legal services unless we help you to recover compensation. If we win your case, you only have to pay a small percentage of the compensation you recover. If we don’t win, you owe us nothing.
Because of how we set up our fees, there’s no risk involved with having us represent you during your claim or lawsuit.
How Much Is My Distracted Driving Accident Case Worth?
The amount of compensation someone might recover for a distracted driving accident depends on the circumstances of your case. One of the biggest factors is how severe your injuries are and how much they could affect you or your loved one’s life. The more severe the injuries are, the more compensation you could likely recover.
In a distracted driving accident case, the negligent driver must pay the injured party for their losses—including economic or non-economic damages.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are justified monetary losses the victim incurred because of their injuries. These damages are easy to quantify because there is a monetary amount associated with each one. An attorney from our firm can review your losses to determine what types of damages apply to your case.
Economic damages you could recover after getting hurt by a distracted driver include:
- Medical bills: If you had to pay for any medical bills, including emergency room fees, doctor bills, surgeries, diagnostic tests, or medications, you could include them on your accident claim.
- Future medical bills: Depending on the severity of your injuries, you could also recover future medical bills—especially if it’s obvious you will have to deal with these injuries for years to come.
- Lost income: Accident victims who miss work while recovering from their injuries could recover compensation for their lost income, whether they only missed a few days or a longer period of time.
- Diminished earning capacity: If you can no longer perform your usual job duties because of your injuries, you could include diminished earning capacity in your claim or lawsuit.
- Property damage: If your car sustained damage in the accident, you could recover compensation to repair or replace your vehicle.
A Phoenix distracted driving accident lawyer from our firm can help you to recover the compensation you need for your various economic damages.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are subjective losses not associated with an exact monetary value. These damages can compensate you or your loved one for the intense physical pain, emotional distress, and other losses you’ve dealt with because of your injuries.
Non-economic damages you could recover after a distracted driving accident include:
- Pain and suffering: You could recover compensation for the pain, anguish, discomfort, or inconvenience your injuries caused you. Even if the pain lasted only a few days, our attorneys could still fight for you to recover compensation.
- Emotional distress: You could recover compensation for any emotional turmoil you went through because of your injuries, such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or sleep issues.
- Loss of enjoyment: If you can no longer participate in activities you once loved because of the severity of your injuries, you could recover compensation for loss of enjoyment of life.
Recovering Damages for Your Deceased Loved One
If your loved one passed away due to injuries they sustained in the accident, we first want to extend our sincerest condolences. We know that your family is going through a difficult time after such a sudden loss. However, you can hold the liable party accountable by demanding compensation for your family’s damages.
While money can’t bring your loved one back, it can help ease some of your financial stress. For example, you could recover compensation for their funeral, burial, or cremation services and final medical expenses.
You shouldn’t have to pay for costs caused by someone else’s negligent actions. Our attorneys can help determine which surviving family members are eligible to recover compensation for your loved one.
What Is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving is a dangerous driving behavior that takes many people’s lives—over 3,100 lives every year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Anyone who is using a cell phone or doing something else while driving cannot pay 100 percent attention to the road, often leading to dangerous accidents.
Most collisions that involve distracted driving are preventable, especially if drivers understand how dangerous their actions are. No one deserves to have their life turned upside down because of another person’s carelessness. At Gallagher & Kennedy, we work hard to pursue compensation on behalf of injured victims and their families.
Types of Distracted Driving
Anything that takes your eyes off the road can dangerously distract a driver.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the three main types of driving distractions include:
- Visual: A distraction that could force someone to take their eyes off the road
- Manual: A distraction that could force someone to take their hands off the wheel
- Cognitive: A distraction that could force someone to take their mind off driving
Reasons for Distracted Driving
Common reasons that people participate in distracted driving include:
- Texting while driving: Texting is a popular form of quick communication from one person to another. Many people do it so often that they feel comfortable sending a text while driving. But even if a driver only looks down at their phone for a second or two, it’s enough to cause an accident.
- Eating: When drivers eat in the car, they significantly lower their ability to respond to unforeseen obstacles in the road. If someone ahead of them stops quickly, they might not see in time if they are reaching for their food. Also, at least one of their hands is unavailable if they need both hands on the wheel.
- Tending to children: Children usually ride in the backseat, which means the driver has to look back when tending to their child. If the child screams, it could cause the driver to lose concentration. If they hand something back to the child, they could take their eyes off the road long enough for an accident to occur.
- Looking at a GPS device: Many of today’s drivers use GPS to find their destination. While GPS is a powerful tool, some people focus too much on their devices and not enough on the road. If someone concentrates too hard on a GPS device, they could cause a collision.
Regardless of how drivers get distracted, an accident can occur in seconds if they take their eyes off the road. If you or a loved one sustained an injury in a Phoenix distracted driving accident, the attorneys at Gallagher & Kennedy can help you recover the compensation you need to make you financially whole again.
Texting and Driving Laws
State lawmakers have taken major steps to prevent distracted driving, and Arizona recently became the 48th state to prohibit handheld cellphone use while driving. Anyone who gets caught on their phone could get a traffic ticket and/or fine.
There are other laws that prohibit people from driving while distracted and protect the legal rights of victims. Anyone who gets into an accident could face a civil lawsuit if they injure someone else due to their negligent actions.’
Our Attorneys Can Help You Prove the Other Driver Was Distracted
If you believe the person who caused your accident was driving while distracted, we can help prove that fact by gathering evidence.
Some of the ways we can show the other party breached their duty of care by driving distracted include:
- Eyewitness statements about what happened just before the accident
- The driver’s cell phone records
- If the driver has a history of driving while distracted
- Food wrappers near the driver’s seat
- Video surveillance footage
- The police report
- Testimony from distracted driving experts
A Phoenix distracted driving accident lawyer from Gallagher & Kennedy can also revisit the accident scene to search for any available evidence against the at-fault driver. Strong evidence could force an insurance company to reevaluate its decision to deny your claim or push the company to offer a larger settlement. Our team has the expertise and resources to build the strongest possible case for you.
Contact Our Phoenix Distracted Driving Accident Lawyers Today
Our Phoenix Distracted Driving Accident Attorneys
Whether the insurance company has denied your claim, offered a low settlement, or you’re just getting started with the legal process and want to understand your options, Gallagher & Kennedy is here to help. Our Phoenix personal injury lawyers will fight for you to recover the compensation you deserve after a distracted driving accident.
We offer free, no-obligation consultations to accident victims. It’s easy to get started. Contact us today at (602) 530-8400 to learn more.