While there are certainly many benefits to advancements in technology made over the last few decades, things like smartphones and tablets have also led to people being much more distracted on a regular basis than before—including, unfortunately, while driving on public roads. Even worse, commercial truck drivers are not an exception to this dangerous trend, and there are new examples virtually every day of truckers causing traumatic traffic collisions because they did not have their full attention on driving safely.
Distracted driving truck accidents in Walterboro can often serve as the basis for civil litigation which may allow you to obtain substantial financial compensation for your crash-related losses. That said, getting a good result from this sort of claim is usually far from a simple process, and help from an experienced truck accident attorney could go a long way towards improving your chances of achieving one from yours. Reach out to Whetstone Perkins & Fulda to begin reviewing your circumstances with a legal advocate.
How Do Truck Drivers Get Distracted Behind the Wheel?
Texting behind the wheel is one of the most common ways that drivers of all kinds end up engaging in distracted driving, to the point that almost every state in the country has expressly prohibited drivers from doing this and federal regulations prohibit truck drivers from using handheld devices of any kind while driving. That said, smartphones are far from the only source of distraction that can potentially lead to a truck accident in Walterboro, with other common forms of distraction including:
- Using a CB radio
- Personal grooming
- Eating and/or drinking
- Checking a map or GPS
- Changing a radio station or music playlist
- Speaking to someone else in the cab
- Reaching for something away from the driver’s seat
- Reading a book or watching a video
These distractions are not criminalized to the same degree as texting while driving—or in some cases, at all—but they still all qualify as “breaches” of the legal duty truck drivers have to stay focused on driving safely and lawfully. Proving that such a breach was the direct cause of an accident resulting in injury can allow for civil recovery based on “negligence” just like proving that a truck driver caused a wreck by breaking the law.
Holding the Right People Liable for a Distracted Driving Truck Crash
Of course, the truck driver who was actually distracted behind the wheel and caused a crash as a direct result is generally the person who bears the majority of legal fault for that crash’s consequences. However, that does not mean they are necessarily always the only person who holds legal fault for the wreck, as our team could further explain.
For instance, it is very often possible to hold trucking companies who hire irresponsible drivers “vicariously liable” for their employee’s misconduct, which can substantially increase the amount of compensation available to someone injured in a Walterboro distracted driving truck accident. If that trucking company refused to fire that driver after previous distracted driving incidents, that company may even be directly liable for an ensuing crash based on negligence, in much the same way their individual driver is.
Contact a Walterboro Attorney for Help After a Distracted Driving Truck Accident
No two distracted driving incidents are exactly alike, and neither are any two civil claims over injuries sustained in a collision with a commercial truck. What is consistent across virtually every case of this nature, though, is the importance of having dependable counsel on your side from start to finish of your legal proceedings.
Support from a truck accident lawyer could be essential to getting the most money possible from your claim built around a distracted driving truck accident in Walterboro. Call Whetstone Perkins & Fulda today for a private consultation.
