Drivers in Sacramento should always pay careful attention to the road and the driving task. Unfortunately, many California drivers carelessly drive while distracted. Even a moment’s distraction can be enough to interfere with reaction times and cause a serious car accident.
A distracted driving car accident claim can be difficult to navigate. Luckily, you have the right to hire an experienced Sacramento car accident attorney to represent you, handle the legal process for you and negotiate for fair compensation on your behalf.
Contact the Sacramento distracted driving accident lawyers at Jacoby & Meyers today for a free consultation.
What Is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving means the operator of a motor vehicle is simultaneously driving and engaging in another task or activity. There are cognitive, manual and visual driver distractions:
- Cognitive: anything that takes the driver’s mind or mental attention away from the task of safely controlling the vehicle.
- Manual: anything that removes one or both of the driver’s hands from the steering wheel, compromising the ability to steer and react quickly to changing roadway situations.
- Visual: anything that takes the driver’s eyes away from the road ahead, such as a cell phone screen or distractions outside of the vehicle.
All three types are equally dangerous. Drivers have a responsibility to avoid distractions and keep 100 percent of their attention on the driving task.
Common Causes of Distracted Driving Accidents in Sacramento
Distracted driving is a leading cause of fatal car accidents in the U.S. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,208 people died due to distracted driving in 2024. An additional 315,167 people were injured.
The most common forms of driver distraction are:
- Cell phone use
- Taking pictures or videos
- Eating or drinking
- Chatting with passengers
- Dealing with kids or pets
- Personal grooming
- Fiddling with the radio or infotainment system
- Looking at a GPS or map
- Reading (including billboards)
- Rubbernecking an accident
- Daydreaming
- Mental or emotional distractions
Cell phones are the most dangerous driver distraction because they are a visual, manual and cognitive distraction all at once. In California, it is against the law for drivers to use handheld phones while driving.
Common Injuries Caused By Distracted Driving
Distracted driving accidents in Sacramento can be severe, as the inattentive driver often does not notice the hazard or hit the brakes prior to the point of impact. This leads to collisions that occur at higher speeds, velocity and force.
Serious injuries can arise from distracted driving accidents, such as:
- Bone fractures
- Whiplash
- Soft-tissue injuries
- Head, skull and brain injuries
- Concussions
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis and nerve damage
- Lacerations and scarring
- Burn injuries
- Internal injuries
- Amputations
- Disfigurement
Car accident injuries can cost thousands of dollars in medical expenses alone – not to mention financial losses from the inability to return to work immediately, or at all. If a catastrophic injury occurs, the victim may have to live with the financial and personal costs for life.
Injured in a Crash?
Contact Our Distracted Driving Accident Lawyers in Sacramento Today
How to Prove a Distracted Driving Accident Case
California is a fault-based state, where liability (meaning financial responsibility) for an automobile accident goes to the driver or party at fault for the crash. The at-fault driver must pay for the victim’s injuries and losses, typically using his or her auto insurance coverage. To recover compensation, the victim must prove liability.
Take the following steps to build your claim against a distracted driver:
- Get immediate medical attention for your injuries and keep copies of your records.
- Call 911 to report the car accident to the police.
- Do not admit fault or apologize to the other driver for the crash.
- If you saw the driver texting or engaging in other distractions, tell this to the police.
- Take pictures of signs of distraction, such as food wrappers in the driver’s car.
- Look for dashcams or surveillance cameras in the surrounding area.
- If there were any witnesses, write down their names and phone numbers.
- Notify your own auto insurance provider of the accident.
- File an injury claim with the insurance carrier of the distracted driver.
- Work with an attorney to access the other driver’s cell phone records and other evidence of distraction.
There must be convincing evidence demonstrating that the other driver involved in the accident was distracted and that this is what caused your collision. A Sacramento distracted driving accident attorney can help you preserve and collect key evidence to prove your case.
Compensation Available in a Sacramento Distracted Driving Accident Claim
Under California’s tort-based rule, you have the right to seek financial compensation from the auto insurance provider of a distracted driver if he or she crashed into you in Sacramento. Every motorist in California is required to carry at least $60,000 in bodily injury insurance per accident and $15,000 in property damage coverage to pay for collisions they cause.
You may be eligible for both economic and non-economic damages as a crash victim, in addition to punitive damages (sometimes awarded to punish a reckless defendant). Your settlement or judgment award could include payment for past and future medical bills, property damage, pain and suffering, lost wages, and lost capacity to earn due to a disability.
How Can a Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer in Sacramento Help?
Navigating a distracted driving accident case in Sacramento can be difficult on your own. The best way to protect your rights and maximize your case outcome without the stress is by hiring an attorney. Hiring a lawyer can give you the peace of mind to concentrate on healing from your injuries without facing challenges presented by an insurance company.
A Sacramento distracted driving accident lawyer can investigate and collect evidence to prove that the other driver was distracted and caused your wreck. This includes collecting key evidence before it disappears, such as the driver’s cell phone records. An attorney can deal with one or multiple car insurance companies to negotiate a fair settlement while you recover.
You can count on your attorney to counter common car insurance tactics used to underpay claimants, such as comparative negligence, which blames the victim for his or her own injuries. Your Sacramento distracted driving accident attorney will work hard to maximize your settlement. If necessary, your attorney can take your distracted driving accident case to court in Sacramento County in pursuit of justice.
Contact Our Sacramento Distracted Driving Accident Attorneys Today
If you or a loved one has been injured in a recent distracted driving accident in Sacramento County, the Sacramento injury attorneys at Jacoby & Meyers can help you hold the distracted driver accountable and get the most out of your claim. Contact us today to start with a free consultation. Fill out the contact form on our website or call our Sacramento office at (916) 269-8918. Because you deserve justice.