Phoenix Distracted Driver Accident Lawyer
Most drivers claim to understand the risks of distracted driving, but few people truly devote 100% of their attention on the road. In the most recent year data is available, 391,000 people suffered injuries and 3,477 people died in accidents in the U.S. involving distracted drivers.
At Cruz & Associates, we make it our mission to help those who have suffered injuries in distracted driving car accidents. Our distracted driving accident attorneys believe that one distraction-related car accident death is too many. We represent injured car accident victims and the families of deceased loved ones in Phoenix and throughout Arizona. When you retain Cruz & Associates to represent you during a car accident claim, you get almost 30 years of experience, personalized legal services, and lawyers who fight for you. Learn how one of our attorneys could help you after a car accident.
Arizona Distracted Driving Laws
The term negligence per se is crucial for those seeing compensation in a personal injury lawsuit. In essence, negligence per se means that a violation of the law could automatically prove a defendant’s negligence. Courts in Arizona have applied the rule of negligence per se in civil cases in the past. If you have proof a driver broke one of the state or city’s distracted driving laws, it could be enough to prove the driver’s negligence, fault, and liability for the crash. The cell phone laws in Arizona are as follows:
- Arizona is one of very few states that have not enacted statewide-distracted driving laws. There is currently only a ban on cell phone use for school bus drivers.
- The city of Phoenix, however, has enacted its own laws prohibiting texting and driving. Texting and driving in Phoenix can lead to fines of $100 to $250. Tucson also passed the same legislation.
Accident victims should seek help from a distracted driving attorney who understands the complex driving laws in Arizona. When you work with Cruz & Associates, we can preserve key evidence such as the other driver’s cell phone records directly after a car accident. This evidence could prove that the driver was reading, writing, or sending a text, email, or other message behind the wheel, or using a handheld device against the law. Analyzing cell phone records is just one of the ways our lawyers can attempt to prove the other driver’s fault for a distraction-related accident.
Get Help for Your Distracted Driving Claim
Distracted drivers often cause serious to catastrophic car accidents. In many cases, they don’t see another vehicle, bicyclist, or pedestrian until they collide with the victim. This means little to no braking before impact, and an increased risk of more serious injuries. By studying on-scene evidence such as brake marks on the roadway, one might be able to prove another driver’s distraction at the time of the accident. Photographs of the crash, eyewitness interviews, and police reports can all serve as evidence.
All cities in Arizona follow “at-fault” insurance laws. This means that an injured party must prove the other driver’s fault to recover damages. In an accident involving a driver who was texting, eating, drinking, grooming, chatting, or daydreaming behind the wheel, it is up to the crash victims to prove distraction. Contact us today to start with a free consultation.