Distracted Driving Kills – Especially In Commercial Vehicles

Distracted driving is a problem of which Florida law enforcement is well aware. However, the focus on warning drivers is aimed almost totally at private individuals in small cars. If a commercial driver is operating their vehicle while distracted, though, the potential for injury or death is far greater. If you have been through an accident with a distracted commercial driver, know that you have the right to seek damages for what you have suffered.

Potential For Injury Or Death Is High

Accidents involving commercial vehicles are disproportionately likely to be deadly. Commercial vehicles, as a general rule, are orders of magnitude heavier than an average passenger car, particularly if they are hauling cargo. Because of this weight, these vehicles do not stop as quickly as a private car or truck, and strike harder in the event of an impact. If distracted driving is also a factor in this type of accident, the damage can be even more severe than it would be otherwise.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) reported in 2024 that in the past year, approximately one in every seven crashes in Florida was due to distracted driving, though it is unclear how many commercial vehicles were involved. While there are many different types of distracted driving – anything that removes a person’s focus from the road may qualify. By far the most discussed is texting and driving, which takes a person’s eyes, hands, and brain totally away from the road, and is consequently one of the most deadly types of this behavior.

Negligence Per Se Can Help

If you have been in an accident involving a commercial vehicle, know that establishing their distracted driving is one of the easier ways to prevail in court or obtain a settlement. When a person or entity in Florida breaks a law designed to protect a certain class of people, and they break it by committing one of the acts the law proscribes, this is evidence of negligence per se – that is, negligence as a matter of law, which does not have to be argued or proven in court beyond presenting this evidence.

Florida has a law banning texting and driving, for example; if a driver strikes another road user while texting, they will be found negligent as a matter of law. In this event, the driver may face license suspension or other discipline, given that commercial drivers are required to conform to higher standards while on the clock. In addition, there are situations in which the driver’s employer may be held liable for the driver’s actions, even if distracted driving is a choice made by the driver alone.

Contact A Tampa Commercial Vehicle Accident Attorney

If you have been involved in an accident with a commercial vehicle, and you suspect the driver was distracted, a Tampa commercial vehicle accident attorney from the Rinaldo Law Group may be able to help you recover damages for your pain. Call our office today to schedule a consultation.

Source:

flhsmv.gov/2024/04/02/life-takes-a-turn-every-44-seconds-on-floridas-roadways/