Distracted Driving Truck Accidents in Palm Springs

Safe driving requires focusing your full attention on the road at all times. Doing so is especially critical for truck drivers, whose vehicles are cumbersome, slow to stop, and so heavy they do tremendous damage in a crash.

When you are in a truck accident and sustain injuries, investigating whether the driver was distracted is critical. If so, their failure to use appropriate care while driving makes them, and their employer, responsible for paying your losses.

Speak with a local truck accident attorney as soon as possible after the incident. A legal professional can help you explore your legal options and pursue appropriate compensation for your injuries after distracted driving truck accidents in Palm Springs.

Why Driving a Truck While Distracted Is So Dangerous

Trucks are difficult to drive. They have blind spots on all four sides, and although modern technology helps truckers monitor nearby vehicles, they still must be attentive to prevent blind spot accidents.

Trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, and their mass makes them slow to stop. At highway speeds, a truck can require six seconds and travel 100 yards or more before it comes to a complete stop. When a truck must stop quickly, the driver must apply the brakes skillfully or they could lock, causing a rollover or jackknife accident.

When truckers take their attention off the road, even momentarily, they could cause disaster. Our Palm Springs attorneys understand how to analyze truck crash evidence and find indicators that trucker distraction might have contributed to the accident.

Fault in a Distracted Driver Case

Whenever someone is injured in a vehicle accident and seeks compensation, they must prove someone else caused the crash through their negligence. Truckers and transportation companies must use the utmost care to avoid injuries to others using the roads. When they deviate from the best safety practices, they are negligent.

California Vehicle Code § 23123.5 makes it illegal to use a hand-held device while driving, and federal trucking regulations prohibit truckers from using cell phones or tablets while driving unless they are in hands-free mode. A Palm Springs lawyer could examine the driver’s cell phone records and in-cab camera to determine whether they were using an electronic device when the accident occurred. If so, the driver’s violation of the law is negligent.

Using a device is not the only form of distraction that could lead to accidents. When the trucker was eating, grooming, adjusting controls in the cab, or engaging in other activities just before or during the crash, an attorney could make the case that they were negligent.

Compensation for Truck Accident Injuries

Occupants of other vehicles are often badly injured in Palm Springs distracted driving truck accidents. They require substantial compensation to make them whole. An attorney could help an injured person document and prove their losses to ensure they receive adequate compensation.

Economic Damages

An injured person’s economic damages are the expenses they incurred due to the injury and the future losses they will experience. Examples include past and future medical expenses, the cost of in-home care if necessary, lost wages, diminished future earning capacity, necessary home renovations, and similar expenses.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages are more challenging to value. The injured person is entitled to a financial acknowledgment of the accident’s impact on their quality of life, such as physical pain, disability, scarring, lost ability to participate in activities they enjoy, mental anguish, and similar intangible losses.

Punitive Damages

Punitive or exemplary damages are available in relatively few cases where there is evidence the trucker or transportation company acted with complete disregard for others’ safety. In these cases, a survivor could request punitive damages, and a jury might award an amount several times the total of the survivor’s economic and non-economic damages.

Pursue Compensation for Injuries Sustained in a Distracted Trucker Accident in Palm Springs

Do not try to manage a truck crash claim without help from an experienced attorney. Insurers aggressively defend claims against transportation companies and might not offer fair compensation unless there is a legitimate threat of a lawsuit.

When you need help after a distracted driver truck accident in Palm Springs, contact a local injury lawyer. Call today to discuss your situation with a knowledgeable legal professional.