Every driver owes a duty of care to the people they share the roads with. As part of that obligation, each driver needs to pay full attention to their driving duties. They cannot allow themselves to be distracted by their cell phone, radio, or anything else that could divert their attention away from what they are supposed to be concentrating on. People who drive large commercial vehicles need to be even more careful because trucks can cause severe harm to occupants of smaller vehicles. Distracted driving truck accidents in Marion can result in devastating injuries.
When you believe the truck driver who caused your accident was distracted, you might be eligible to collect compensation. Whetstone Perkins & Fulda could help you build a solid claim.
Common Types of Truck Driver Distractions
Like all other drivers, truckers can occasionally face distractions that take their focus away from the road. Because commercial truck drivers operate their large vehicles for many consecutive hours, usually by themselves, they are often more apt to engage in activities that can distract them to combat the fatigue and boredom that come from long, solitary hours on the road.
Sometimes, truckers text or talk on their cell phones to pass the time. Other times, they drink coffee to try to stay awake or eat lunch or dinner on the road to save time instead of stopping at a diner or restaurant. Since truckers are behind the wheel of their truck for so many hours, they often brush their hair or look in their rearview mirror to perform other self-grooming activities. Truckers usually regularly check their vehicle’s GPS systems to find the quickest routes to their destinations. Many trucks have onboard computers that truckers check for delivery information and also use to input details about their deliveries. These computers can distract truck drivers.
Whetstone Perkins & Fulda could investigate your Marion truck accident to determine if the driver was distracted when the crash occurred. We could skillfully review the evidence from the accident, including the truck’s black box, traffic camera footage, and surveillance video footage from nearby homes and businesses. We could also follow the correct procedural protocols to obtain copies of the trucker’s cell phone records to see if they were on the phone or texting. Additionally, we could interview witnesses to the wreck to see if they observed the driver doing anything suspicious immediately prior to the accident.
What Can Happen When a Truck Driver Is Distracted?
Trucks do not handle the same as passenger vehicles. They take considerably longer to stop. If a truck driver is distracted, they might not see that a traffic light has turned red or that the car in front of them has slowed down or come to a sudden stop. A trucker’s inattentiveness could cause them to rear-end the car in front of them or sideswipe another vehicle as they turn. Jackknifing accidents can also happen when a trucker applies their brakes too late.
Trucking crashes almost always cause significant injuries. A skilled attorney from Whetstone Perkins & Fulda could help you pursue reasonable compensation for what you have gone through.
Contact a Marion Attorney After a Distracted Driving Trucking Crash
Distracted driving truck accidents in Marion frequently result in life-altering and even fatal injuries. If a truck driver acted negligently or recklessly by choosing to text or do something else instead of paying attention to their driving duties and caused an accident that injured you or your loved one, you deserve help.
Contact a trusted local lawyer from Whetstone Perkins & Fulda today to arrange an initial consultation to discuss filing a legal claim.
