Distracted driving in Kentucky

Kentucky Distracted Driving Accident Attorneys

Representation in Lexington and Louisville for those injured by distracted drivers

A common sight in Kentucky – and to be fair, the rest of the United States – is motorists glancing at their phones or in-dash systems. As our phones and vehicles become more and more technologically advanced, so does the risk for distraction behind the wheel. It’s understandable the temptation can be great, but taking one’s eyes off the road for even a second can cause a serious and tragic car accident.

If you or a loved one suffer severe injury because someone made the decision to drive while distracted, the attorneys at Wilt Injury Lawyers want to help. Our dedicated car accident lawyers have decades of experience helping the people of Kentucky secure financial compensation after they are injured due to another’s negligent actions. You should not have to deal with medical expenses and lost paychecks after someone else causes you harm. Contact our attorneys in Lexington or Louisville today.

What is distracted driving?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discusses distracted driving as part of its Transportation Safety awareness campaign. They list some startling statistics regarding car accidents caused by distracted driving:

  • Every day, 9 people are killed in a distracted driving accident in the US
  • 424,000 people were injured in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2019
  • From these crashes, over 3100 people were killed
  • One of every 5 people killed were pedestrians or bicyclists

A driver can engage in three types of distractions while operating a vehicle:

  • Visual distractions, which is any type of distraction that takes a person’s eyes off the road
  • Manual distractions, which is anything that takes a person’s hands off the wheel
  • Cognitive distractions, which is anything that takes a person’s mind and thoughts off driving

Distracted driving can involve one or all of these. Consider a driver receiving a text, for example. To read it, they take their eyes off the road (visual distraction). Then they must decide upon a response (cognitive distraction). Finally, they send a response (manual distraction). All of this can cause a serious accident.

Per the CDC, “At 55 miles per hour, sending or reading a text is like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.”

What are some examples of distracted driving?

Sending a text is not the only way a driver can lose their attention behind the wheel. Other common examples of distracted driving include:

  • Using a GPS
  • Talking to passengers
  • Dealing with children or pets
  • Adjust climate or audio controls
  • Eating, drinking, or smoking
  • Grooming or applying makeup
  • Daydreaming or “zoning out”

What are Kentucky’s distracted driving laws?

Here in Kentucky, House Bill 415 (signed into law in 2010) banned texting and driving for teens and adults at all times while their vehicle is in motion. Per the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Office of Highway Safety:

  • “For drivers 18 and over, it allows the use of global positioning devices and reading, selecting or entering a telephone number or name for the purpose of making a call.
  • For drivers under 18, no use of personal communication devices is allowed while the vehicle is in motion. The use of a global positioning system is allowed, but manually entering information must be completed while the vehicle is stopped.”

They also note that “driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent.”

How common is distracted driving in Kentucky?

Even with texting and driving laws in place, driving while distracted still causes a great deal of accidents here in Kentucky. The Kentucky Transportation Center’s Traffic Collision Facts 2020 Report shows 35,345 collisions caused all or in part by “driver inattention,” with 125 of them fatal. This makes up a full 35% of all traffic accidents in the state.

Distracted driving also factored into:

  • 2,749 truck accidents
  • 407 motorcycle crashes
  • 241 pedestrian accidents
  • 93 bicycle accidents
  • 16 ATV collisions
  • 12 multi-vehicle accidents
  • 6 train accidents

No matter what type of accident in which you were involved, the attorneys at Wilt Injury Lawyers can protect your right to compensation.

What are common injuries from distracted driving accidents?

Like any car accident, crashes from distracted driving can lead to severe or even catastrophic injuries for both passengers and drivers. These can include:

The attorneys at Wilt Injury Lawyers work with your doctors to understand just how your injuries are affecting your life – physically, emotionally, and financially. We want to ensure you secure the financial compensation to which you are entitled.

What is the value of my Kentucky distracted driving accident claim?

After suffering injuries in a distracted driving accident, it is crucial you detail every physical and financial loss you experienced, including those you expect to suffer in the future.

We work to secure compensation for your medical expenses (now and in the future), lost wages and future loss of income, and property damage. More importantly, we also work for compensation for those losses that have nothing to do with money. This includes pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life, to name just a few.

Our Kentucky attorneys can explain more about the specific damages to which you may be entitled in a personal consultation.

Do you have a distracted driving accident attorney near me?

Wilt Injury Lawyers has offices in Louisville and Lexington:

Louisville Office

13113 Eastpoint Park Blvd. Suite A
Louisville, KY 40223
Phone: 502-253-9110

Lexington Office

196 W. Lowry Lane, Suite 1
Lexington, KY 40503
Phone: 502-461-1481

If you or your loved one are too injured or ill to travel to us, we can arrange a phone or video conference. We also make hospital visits.

Contact our reputable distracted driving lawyers serving Lexington & Louisville

If you or a loved one were injured because a driver was inattentive behind the wheel, talk to the distracted driving attorneys at Wilt Injury Lawyers. Our legal team can help you file a claim against the negligent party to secure financial compensation for your injuries and losses. You do not have to go through this alone. Please call 502-253-9110 or fill out our contact form to schedule a no-fee consultation. We maintain offices in Lexington and Louisville, and proudly serve clients throughout Kentucky.