Texting & Driving Accident Lawyer
Relentlessly Seeking Full Recoveries & Justice for Texting & Driving Crash Victims
Texting while driving increases the crash risk by more than 23 times (source: VT). Even though many motorists know texting and driving is risky — and even though it’s against the law — many still pick up their phones and text behind the wheel. When they do and motor vehicle accidents happen, those drivers can be liable for their recklessness and the harm it’s caused.
At Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers, we do everything it takes to get justice for those hurt by texting and driving accidents. We know how to secure optimal resolutions and recoveries when it matters most, and we’re proud to offer the same fierce advocacy we would expect if we were in your shoes.
Backed by more than 20 years’ experience, our 5-star texting and driving accident lawyers have the knowledge, resources, and dedication to go up against any opponent in or outside the courtroom and win. That’s why we’re recognized as some of the top texting and driving accident lawyers in Louisiana and Texas — and it’s why you can count on us when it’s time to fight, win, and recover.
For answers about your legal options after a texting and driving crash, just contact Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers. We are here for you, ready to help 24/7.
Call 888-492-5532 or Email Us for a Free, Confidential Consultation 24/7
Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers has an exceptional record of success in texting and driving accident cases. Let us make your claim and recovery our next victory.
Click on a link below to jump directly to any section and get more answers about texting while driving accidents and what victims need to know in the aftermath of these car crashes.
- Why Is Texting & Driving Dangerous?
- Texas & Louisiana Texting & Driving Laws & Bans
- Who Can I Sue After a Texting and Driving Accident in Louisiana or Texas?
- How Do I Prove Texting and Driving Caused My Crash?
Why Is Texting & Driving Dangerous?
Texting while driving is so risky because it combines all three forms of motorist distractions, including:
- Manual distractions that take drivers hands off the steering wheel and occupying them with a cellphone
- Visual distractions that divert drivers’ eyes to cellphone screens and keyboards
- Cognitive distractions that take motorists’ attention off the roads and their surroundings and, instead, focus their attention on texting
When any or all of those distractions occur, texting drivers can be as impaired as some drunk drivers, experiencing issues like:
- Perception and recognition impairments: Texting drivers often don’t see changing traffic signals, brake lights, and other key cues in their driving environment. In some cases, texting motorists may see but misinterpret those events, which could lead to accident-causing maneuvers (or the failure to perform accident-avoiding maneuvers).
- Reaction time delays: Texting drivers are not as responsive behind the wheel. If they’re traveling at speeds of 55 mph, they can move the span of a football field within just 5 seconds of looking at a cellphone screen (source: NHTSA).
Those impairments can be incredibly dangerous under ideal driving conditions, meaning other motorists are attentive, there’s no traffic, the roads are in good condition, and the weather’s good. Of course, when driving conditions are not ideal and drivers choose to text, the risk of a crash can skyrocket.
Texas & Louisiana Texting & Driving Laws & Bans
Acknowledging the dangers of texting behind the wheel, both Texas and Louisiana laws ban ALL motorists from texting while driving (source: GHSA). These are primary laws in both states, meaning that texting while driving can be the basis for traffic stops and citations.
Here, it’s important to note that:
- While Texas and Louisiana may allow hands-free use of cellphones, some cities have their own stricter laws prohibiting drivers from using cellphones at all.
- Special cellphone restrictions apply to school bus drivers, newly licensed motorists, and others.
When drivers break these laws, they can be ticketed — and they can unnecessarily raise the risks of car accidents, injury, and death.
Who Can I Sue After a Texting and Driving Accident in Louisiana & Texas?
Texting drivers may be sued for the wrecks they cause. However, it’s also important to know that:
- There are firm deadlines for filing these cases: You have one year to pursue texting and driving claims in Louisiana, and two years to file these cases in Texas. That’s not a lot of time, and the longer you wait to take action, the more challenges you may face when it’s time to recover.
- Texting drivers may not be the only ones at fault: Liability can be split among two or more parties, depending on the factors involved in causing the wreck (aside from texting). For example, another driver who ran a red light could also be at fault. The point here is that victims need to investigate their wrecks and review the evidence to figure out all liable parties and hold them accountable.
- Victims who share partial fault may still be eligible to seek compensation: In these cases, recoveries would be reduced by the same amount (or percentage) of victims’ fault. Keep in mind, however, that at-fault parties may wrongly point the finger at victims to avoid paying them. So, again, it’s important to investigate a wreck and verify liability.
How Do I Prove Texting and Driving Caused My Crash?
The facts of your potential claim will speak to the evidence you may need to prove fault in the form of texting and driving. That said, some items that tend to be helpful in these cases include (and are not limited to):
- Police reports: If police respond to the crash scene and ticket drivers who were texting, that citation will be documented in the police report for the accident. To get a copy of a police report for a Texas car accident, click here. To get a copy of a police report for a Louisiana car accident, click here.
- Cellphone records: These documents can verify when text messages were read and sent. If that timing aligns with the time of a crash, cellphone records can be key evidence for a car accident claim.
- Witness statements: Eyewitnesses may have seen a driver holding a cellphone and/or driving erratically before a crash. Similarly, expert witnesses can weigh in on how the distraction of texting delayed response times or inhibited motorists’ reactions, thereby causing the crash.
The most effective way to identify the essential evidence for a texting and driving case is to contact an experienced attorney at Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers. We can thoroughly investigate your claim, gather the important evidence, and work diligently to set your case up for the best outcome possible.
A 5-Star Texting & Driving Accident Lawyer Is Ready to Help You 24/7
Time is not on your side after a car wreck, but Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers can be. Our texting and driving accident attorneys know what challenges you may face with a claim, and we’re exceptionally effective at anticipating and overcoming those obstacles to help survivors just like you recover compensation and secure justice.
No matter what you know or don’t know about your potential claim now, you can benefit greatly from speaking to an experienced lawyer and retaining one to represent you as you fight for the recovery you may deserve. Discover the difference Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers can make in your case and recovery by contacting us today.
Call 888-492-5532 or Email Us for a Free, Confidential Consultation.
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