Distracted Driver Accidents

Distracted driving is a leading cause of road accidents in Northeast Louisiana. Drivers that don't pay attention to the road ahead are dangerous to those on the road. Many people only think of distracted driving as talking or texting on a cell phone while driving, but that involves much more. If you or your loved ones are involved in an accident caused by a distracted driver in Louisiana, The Law office of Eddie Clark and Associates can help you claim the rightful damages and compensation. Driver distraction is a contributing factor in many accidents in Louisiana according to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission (LHSC) . Statistical data shows that from 2011-2015, 192 people were killed for some distraction either inside or outside the car and 26,977 others were injured. While the use and texting of mobile phones are two of the most common distractions, any behavior that removes a driver's mind from the driving task, hands off the steering wheel, or eyes off the road is considered a distraction.

Louisiana has numerous distracted driving laws in it. There is some overlap but the laws generally prevent all drivers from texting and communicating with social media and forbid communicating on a cell phone for some drivers, and all drivers in certain areas. Not only cell phones and other devices can annoy drivers. Anything that diverts a driver's attention–eating, drinking, chatting, daydreaming, for example, and tending to kids–can lead to a distraction-related crash.

Louisiana bans the following when driving which leads to distraction:

• Reading or sending text messages
• Drivers under the age of 16 are not permitted to use wireless devices, even if they are hands-free.
• Within active school zones, the use of cell phones and other portable electronic devices is forbidden.
• Drivers under the age of 18, drivers with learner's permits and new drivers of any age for one year after obtaining their license are forbidden from using cell phones.

Along with litigation costs, high insurance premiums and damages, the penalties can be severe. When driving a motor vehicle in Louisiana on any public road or highway, it is illegal to use a mobile phone to send text messages or post to a social networking site. The fine is $175 for the first offense, and $500 according to La for each subsequent offense. RS: R.S. 32:300.5 the fines for recurring offenses increase.

The law also does not only recognize teen drivers for such cases. Louisiana has strict restrictions for adults.

Damage to car accidents appears to be categorized as one of two types: economic damage or non-economic damage. Money damage is known as economic damage, like fixing or replacing damaged cars, past, and future medical expenses, loss of income, and other out-of-pocket costs. Other, more difficult to quantify damages, such as suffering, emotional distress and disability or disfigurement, are known as non-economic damage.

Louisiana has, in most cases, no limit on damage in cases of personal injury or car accident. While there are no liability limits for automobile accidents in most cases in Louisiana, if the car accident involves a government agency, there is a $500,000 cap on the total amount of damages you can get. Furthermore, the state of Louisiana maintains a relatively short time limit on how long a driver can wait before a lawsuit is filed (the statute of limitations). For Louisiana, the threshold is just one year.

Insurance providers are attributing distracted driving to an increase in premiums, citing Internet browsing cell phones and drivers while driving as the main offenders.

If you have been injured in a car accident in Louisiana, contact our car accident lawyers at The Law Firm of Eddie Clark and Associates today and learn more about your legal choices.

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