Baltimore Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer
Distracted driving has become one of the most common causes of motor vehicle accidents in the Baltimore area. Some drivers take their hands off the steering wheel or their eyes and attention off the road to check their cell phone or do another task. But even a distraction lasting only a few seconds can increase the risk of a devastating crash.
If you were injured in an accident caused by distracted driving, a Baltimore distracted driving accident lawyer from Cohen & Dwin, P.A., can help you pursue recovery.
Since 1977, our attorneys have been dedicated to providing attentive service and legal representation to clients in Owings Mills, Baltimore, and throughout Maryland. We represent clients in personal injury claims and other legal matters. We understand how stressful a legal case can become. Let us take the burden of pursuing a legal claim off your shoulders. Our goal is to make you confident you have put your case in the right hands.
When you have been injured in a car crash caused by another distracted motorist, contact Cohen & Dwin, P.A., for a free case review with a Baltimore distracted driving accident lawyer. We are ready to discuss your legal options for seeking financial compensation and justice from the driver at fault for the accident.
What Is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving occurs whenever a motorist is not focused on driving. Distracted driving may involve:
- Manual distractions, or a driver taking one or both hands off the steering wheel
- Visual distractions, or a driver taking their eyes off the road
- Mental distractions, or a driver taking their attention off the act of driving
How a Lawyer Can Help After a Distracted Driving Accident
When you have been in a distracted driving accident in Baltimore, let a lawyer from Cohen & Dwin, P.A., help you pursue financial recovery for your injuries, missed wages, and other losses by:
- Investigating the accident and securing all available evidence to help prove that the other driver’s distraction caused the crash
- Calculating your past, ongoing, and future expenses and losses
- Identifying the driver at fault for the accident, other potentially liable parties, and applicable insurance coverage that might provide you with compensation
- Filing insurance claims on your behalf
- Handling communications with the insurer and adjusters
- Aggressively negotiating for a fair and full settlement of your case
- Fighting on your behalf in court or at trial, if necessary, when litigation represents the best path for obtaining the best possible outcome
Causes of Baltimore Distracted Driving Accidents
Drivers today face no shortage of potential distractions behind the wheel, including from the proliferation of cell phones and tablet-computer-like infotainment systems in recent years.
Some of the most common causes of distracted driving accidents include:
- Texting or other handheld cell phone use
- Eating or drinking
- Talking to passengers or interacting with other vehicle occupants, such as pets
- Grooming or applying makeup
- Reaching around the interior for an item
- Adjusting the radio, climate control, or navigation and infotainment screen
- Reading a map, magazine, newspaper, or book
- Watching video on a smartphone, tablet, or laptop
- Looking at road signs or other sights outside the vehicle
- Listening intently to a radio show, podcast, or narrated book
- Daydreaming
Common Distracted Driving Accident Injuries
Injuries that victims of distracted driving accidents may suffer include:
- Lacerations and contusions
- Fractured bones
- Ligament, tendon, and muscle sprains or strains
- Dislocated joints
- Herniated spinal discs
- Whiplash injury
- Nerve damage
- Spinal cord injury and paralysis
- Facial injuries, including mouth and eye injuries
- Head injuries and traumatic brain injuries
- Internal injuries and bleeding
- Traumatic amputation
Distracted Driving FAQs
What damages are available for a distracted driving accident in Maryland?
Following a distracted driving accident, you may be entitled to recover compensation for losses you incur due to the crash, such as:
- Cost of medical treatment, including ER visits, doctors’ appointments, surgeries, prescription pain medications, and physical rehabilitation
- Costs of long-term care for permanent disabilities that result from your injuries
- Loss of wages and income after taking time off work to treat and recover from injuries
- Loss of future earnings and employment benefits if you are permanently disabled from returning to your pre-accident work
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment and quality of life due to physical disabilities or permanent scarring and disfigurement
What happens if I am partially to blame for a distracted driving accident?
Unfortunately, distracted drivers and insurance companies may try to pin some of the blame for an accident on you to avoid having to pay you money for your injuries and losses. Maryland still follows the contributory negligence rule, which states that an injured party is barred from seeking compensation if they bear any share of fault for the accident. Even if you share only a small fraction of fault for a distracted driving accident, Maryland law precludes you from recovering compensation from the distracted driver primarily at fault for causing the crash.
Is there a deadline for distracted driving accident lawsuits in Maryland?
Yes. According to Maryland’s statute of limitations for motor vehicle accidents, you typically have three years from the date of a car crash to file a lawsuit against the distracted driver responsible for the collision. However, preparing a distracted driving accident case takes time, so you should not wait to seek out the help of a Baltimore distracted driving attorney for your case.
If you file your lawsuit after the statute of limitations has expired on your claim, the trial court will likely dismiss your lawsuit, and you will lose the opportunity to hold the distracted driver accountable for their actions.
Contact Our Experienced Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer Today
Don’t put off talking to a Baltimore distracted driving accident lawyer after you have been involved in a crash due to another motorist’s negligence. Contact us online or call Cohen & Dwin, P.A., today for a free, no-obligation consultation about your best options for seeking financial recovery.