Although Florida law governs motorists’ behavior on the road, truckers are also subject to federal law under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The administration recognized the devastation truckers cause when they text and drive, so it banned the practice in 2010 and attached steep penalties for truckers who do not follow this rule. Unfortunately, the problem continues.
When you have been injured in a truck wreck, work with an experienced commercial vehicle accident attorney to understand the steps you need to take to pursue compensation. The lawyers at Dannheisser Injury Law know how life-altering it is when you are involved in a texting and driving truck accident in Sarasota and will advocate for you so you can focus on healing.
Some truck drivers may argue that they are not texting behind the wheel but are doing something else, such as reading an email. However, the NHTSA defines texting as manually entering text into an electronic device, like a cell phone, and reading text from it. This includes:
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has studied the effects of texting while driving a truck and found that commercial drivers who text and drive are 23.2 times more likely to become involved in a crash, close call, or drift into another lane than a trucker who is not texting.
Our Sarasota lawyers subpoena cell phone records, logs, onboard camera footage, and black box information to determine whether a truck driver involved in an accident was using a cell phone or texting at the time. We use this as the basis for a negligence claim to fight for the most compensation available to an injured motorist.
When our attorneys build a case for negligence and ask for compensation for a person’s medical treatment, lost wages, property damage, and emotional trauma, we locate evidence proving the truck driver was texting, took their eyes off the road, and their hands off the wheel, and rerouted their thinking to the mobile phone.
All motorists, including truck drivers, are expected to act responsibly. Breaching that duty and causing an accident with injuries amounts to negligence. Even when an injured party is partly to blame for an accident, recovery is still possible if not more than 50 percent of the blame is assigned to the injured person.
The Sarasota team at Dannheisser Injury Law understands that an injured motorist trusts our team when choosing us to prosecute a texting and driving truck accident. A person can count on the tenacious representation that goes along with our decades-long track record of success, and that person will be welcomed and comfortable working with us.
When truckers text and drive, they face penalties of up to $2,750 per driver and trucking companies of up to $11,000 for allowing drivers to text. Multiple convictions have state and federal consequences, including suspension for up to 120 days or permanently if the FMCSA rules for it.
Texting and driving truck accidents in Sarasota are often deadly or catastrophic. When you have been injured in one, work with an experienced attorney at Dannheisser Injury Law. Our knowledgeable lawyers can work to collect an adequate damages award commensurate with your injuries.
We have spent decades winning cases for our clients by negotiating with insurers or convincing juries of what they deserve. Contact our firm today to set up a consultation to discuss your claim.
