What Are the Legal Implications of Distracted Driving Accidents in San Antonio?

Does Texas and San Antonio Have Severe Laws to Penalize Distracted Drivers?

For a long time, distracted driving laws across Texas and San Antonio have focused on the consequences of cell phone use while driving. This fact emphasizes specific circumstances, such as school zones, drivers under 18, and even drivers of some special types of commercial vehicles. 

In January 2015, the state of Texas legally banned the use of cell phones while driving. The city of San Antonio followed suit and was a significant case of local government attempting to find a balance between Texas’s legislation and this growing and devastating issue. That said, San Antonio’s distracted driving laws are harsh and rival those of larger, more dense cities like Houston, Dallas, etc.

San Antonio’s distracted driving law, aka the ‘Hands-Free Ordinance,’ was signed into law in 2014 and legally forbids using hand-held phones to call, text, or otherwise engage while driving. If an officer stops you from using a cell phone while driving, you can be harshly fined, ticketed, or (depending on the circumstances) face far worse penalties.

It’s been well-known for decades that the number one method of preventing car collisions involves “defensive driving.” This concept involves perpetual vigilance and awareness on the part of the vehicle operator. Any distracted driving negates this proven and time-tested method of preventing accidents. It often leads to the distracted driver causing severe and debilitating injuries to others.

When used by a professional distracted driver lawyer, San Antonio’s and Texas’s enacted laws provide a comprehensive and effective legal means to obtain the compensation you need for medical bills, recovery costs, lost wages, and more.

Does San Antonio Have Harsh Penalties for Distracted Drivers Who Cause Accidents?

Initially, distracted driving was primarily aimed at using a cell phone while driving, but now it also includes much more, such as texting, eating, putting on makeup, using a GPS, etc. If you cause an accident while doing any of these things (and more), you can face severe fines, license suspension, and even criminal charges. Additionally, many of these penalties can have a dire impact on your career since, in many cases, your driving record affects your employment, insurance rates, and more.

Distracted driving is the cause of many accidents in Texas, especially those involving commercial vehicles. If you’re a commercial driver in Texas, a distracted driving accident will severely and negatively affect your career.

You should also know that the company employing the distracted driver can also face legal consequences in these cases. This is especially true if the company employee is required to use their phones or other devices while driving.

To avoid these potentially dire legal consequences and settlements, drivers and companies in Texas should always prioritize safety. Many companies reduce accidents by implementing strict policies against anything that may cause distracted driving. Most companies have rules that promote a safety culture and ensure compliance with Texas distracted driving laws.

However, if you’ve been injured in an accident with a commercial vehicle caused by distracted driving your personal injury case can be challenging.  A distracted driving lawyer’s professional, passionate, and knowledgeable guidance is necessary to maximize the compensation available to you.

What Actions While Driving Could Be Considered “Distracted” Driving?

Distracted driving and the accidents they cause are expected to continue rising. Current statistics show us that distracted driving has now surpassed underage drinking as the number one cause of yearly teen accident deaths in the U.S.

The victims of distracted driving in San Antonio often suffer long-term debilitating injuries, devastating financial issues, and, in far too many cases, death.

Although cell phone usage while driving is a major contributor to distracted driving accidents, many other things that cause distractions contribute to driver negligence and severe injury to various degrees. Some of the most common of these are:

• Handling a cell phone while driving.
• Preoccupation with changing the radio station.
• Reaching down or around the vehicle for an item.
• Smoking, vaping, or eating while driving.
• Application of makeup, hairdos, etc.
• Interaction with the dashboard or tech in the car.
• Other passengers that cause disturbances or distract the driver, and more.

The sad truth is that too many items distract us from what we should focus on in our modern, high-tech lives. This is especially true while driving. Taking our eyes off the road for mere seconds can be catastrophic at our travel speeds.

However, Texas and San Antonio laws are in place to help you get the compensation you need if a negligent, distracted driver crashes in to you. These laws are designed to help you recover both physically and financially. Still, for your case to succeed and to get the maximum compensation you deserve requires that you have knowledgeable, professional, aggressive, passionate, and highly personal attorneys, like the Crash Angels of Pelaez Law Firm, helping you at every step.

How Can a Skilled San Antonio Lawyer Help If A Distracted Driver Injures you?

Texas and San Antonio’s distracted driving laws were written to lessen and prevent the growing number of distracted driving car accidents. If another driver violates safety laws and causes severe harm, they can be held “negligent per se.”

Legally, this means the very fact of their illegal violation proves they were negligent, and you, as the victim, may not need to produce additional evidence demonstrating the distracted driver was at fault.

Your knowledgeable, passionate, and dedicated personal injury lawyer will use this fact to establish the distracted driver’s negligence in causing that accident to harm you or a loved one.

However, let’s say the other driver wasn’t cited for violating the distracted driving laws. A good legal team will investigate the situation and work to produce evidence of distracted driving. Then, they will present their findings to establish fault in settlement talks with the driver’s insurance company, or the jury if the case goes to trial. 

In addition to proving fault, your personal injury lawyer will always fight to maximize the damages owed to you by demonstrating how the distracted driver’s negligence and the injury caused impacted your life.

Some of the damages pertaining to a distracted driving car accident in San Antonio could include the following:

• Your current and future medical expenses.
• Any lost income or loss of current and future earning capacity.
• Pain and suffering that you, or your family, have endured and may for a long time.
• Mental anguish due to physical impairment, pain, loss of relationships, etc.
• Loss of enjoyment in your ongoing life.
• Punitive or exemplary damages, and much more.

I’ve Been Injured By a Distracted Driver; How Should I Proceed?

Usually, car accident cases are legally complex; distracted driver cases are even more so. Additionally, the drivers and insurance companies will always try to minimize their liability for damages. This is why having the right  highly knowledgeable, effective, and compassionate personal injury lawyer fighting by your side is really important.

The Crash Angels at Pelaez Law Firm have a long and winning history of fighting for car accident victims’ rights and the full compensation they deserve.

Call the Crash Angels today at 210-801-9314 for a free review and evaluation of your case. The Crash Angels will fight for you to maximize the compensation you and your family deserve, while you recuperate.