Baltimore Distracted Driving Accident Attorney
It doesn’t take much to spot a distracted driver. They are the ones who aren’t following the flow of traffic, either slowing down to send a text or following too closely because they are trying to use the car in front of them to navigate safely while looking for a snack that’s sitting in the glove compartment. A distracted driver is the one who swerves to correct course out of the bike lane or shoulder last second because their vehicle had been drifting without hands on the wheel or eyes on the road. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), distracted drivers are also the ones who caused 2,841 fatalities and an estimated 400,000 injuries on American roadways in 2018. Distracted driving is irresponsible and those who cause injury or death need to be held responsible. If you or a loved one has been the victim of a distracted driver, it is time to speak with a skilled Baltimore distracted driving accident attorney about seeking compensation for the damages you sustained.
Types of Distracted Driving
Manual—This is any behavior that takes a person’s hands off of the steering wheel;
Visual—This includes any reason that a driver’s eyes are taken off the road; and
Cognitive—Anytime a person’s mind is taken away from the task of driving, they are distracted.Some distractions actually fall under multiple categories of distraction, which makes them even more dangerous. For instance, the most commonly referenced type of distracted driving is texting. Texting requires that a person have at least one hand off the wheel (manual distraction) and that they look at the screen (visual distraction). Since they are also communicating a thought through a text that has nothing to do with the task of driving, they are also cognitively distracted. This is why, according to the People’s Law Library of Maryland, it is illegal to write, send, or read a text while driving in the state. It is also illegal to use a handheld device to talk while driving. Other examples of distracted driving include:
- Eating and drinking;
- Trying to find an item on the ground or in the backseat;
- Looking at directions;
- Putting on makeup;
- Adjusting the climate or radio;
- Watching a video;
- Looking at passengers; and even
- Daydreaming.
Maryland’s “Contributory Negligence” Law
Maryland follows “contributory negligence” law, which means if a person is even the slightest bit at fault for their own injuries, they cannot seek compensation in a civil case. This means if a driver was texting while driving but you ran the stop sign, you would no longer be able to file a claim. For this reason, it is critical that a crash victim seek legal counsel as soon as possible to ensure they are not held responsible for injuries another person caused.
Contact a Baltimore Distracted Driving Crash Attorney Today
If you or a loved one has been involved in a traffic collision, there is a high likelihood that the liable driver was driving distracted. The knowledgeable Baltimore personal injury attorneys at Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP know how to investigate a distracted driving crash and prove liability. We work hard for our clients to make sure their rights are protected and that they receive maximum compensation from the insurance companies. Contact our offices at 800-248-3352 to schedule a free consultation today.
