Texting and Driving Accident Attorney in Louisiana

Texting and driving is unfortunately all-too-common a practice on Louisiana highways and surface roads. Even though Louisiana has comprehensive laws meant to deter drivers from texting while behind the wheel, many people—out of a desire to stay connected or an inability to focus their attention on the task at hand—still text and drive, leading to thousands of crashes and deaths every year.

If you’ve been a victim of a car accident where the other driver was texting and driving, you could be entitled to financial compensation for the damages you’ve suffered. Call an experienced car wreck attorney with Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys for a free consultation.

Texting and Driving Statistics

Just how dangerous is texting and driving? According to multiple studies and statistics, texting while driving is one of the most dangerous things you can do on the road:

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), over 3,000 people died because of a distracted driver, and 424,000 injured, in 2019.
• 9% of all fatal crashes are texting and driving deaths nationwide.
• More than 1,000 people are injured every day due to a distracted driver.
• While motor vehicle crashes are the primary cause of death for children, youth, and young adults aged 18–24, teens have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatalities.

These statistics and others are some of the main reasons why most states now have some sort of ban on texting and driving. Louisiana’s law is one of the most comprehensive in the country.

The Dangers of Texting and Driving

Drivers who text and drive endanger not only themselves, but everyone else on the road. Even talking on the phone while driving can lead to a four times greater risk of a traffic collision, and when texting, that likelihood is further increased.

The reaction time for drivers who are texting is comparable to those who drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) above 0.08%—the legal limit. Reading, responding, and sending a text takes drivers’ eyes off the road for an average of 5 seconds at a time, which at 55 mph is the equivalent of driving an entire football field with your eyes closed.

Louisiana Texting and Driving Laws

Louisiana law prohibits texting while driving. First offenders can receive up to $500 in fines, and following transgressions are charged up to $1,000.

Subsequent texting-and-driving charges can also be paired with a 60-day suspension of the driver’s license. If a driver is under the age of 18, they could also be charged up to $250 in fines for texting and driving.

All of the fines listed above are doubled if the texting driver was involved in a car accident.

To limit your chances of being involved in an accident, limit phone use as much as possible when driving, including talking on the phone. Never text and drive. Your safety, and that of others on the road, is much more important than replying right away.

What Compensation Can I Recover After a Texting and Driving Accident?

After any collision, the compensation received by the victim will depend on the type and severity of their damages, losses, or injuries. If you’ve suffered a personal injury due to another driver texting and driving, you could receive compensation for any of the following:

• Medical expenses related to your initial hospital stay and ambulance ride, as well as ongoing physical therapy, assistive devices, prescription costs, and others
• Loss of income caused by a temporary or permanent inability to work
• Pain and suffering, including physical and mental anguish and the loss of enjoyment of life
• Wrongful death damages, if the victim died in the accident
• Punitive damages that serve to punish the at-fault driver and prevent them from texting and driving again

Call a Dedicated Louisiana Car Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one has been hurt in a Louisiana traffic accident, first call 911 to be treated for your injuries. You should also call your insurance company to report the accident, though be careful not to accept any preliminary offer they may make. Insurance companies are incentivized to settle as quickly as cheaply as possible, which might not be what you need to heal.

Your next call should be to Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys.

Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys are Louisiana lawyers with 679+ years of combined legal experience helping people injured in car and truck accidents recover the compensation they need to heal from their injuries. We know what it takes to win the compensation you need, and we’re not afraid to go after the big insurance companies to do so. Give us a call today at 888.501.7888 for a free consultation as to your legal options.

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