El Paso Texting While Driving Accident Attorney

Lawyer in El Paso, TX Helping Victims Injured by Distracted Drivers

Would you drive with your eyes closed? Most people would not, but many think that hands-on cell phone use while driving is not nearly as dangerous. At 55 mph, reading an average text while driving is like traveling the length of a football field with your eyes closed. Texting when driving is negligent behavior that leads to countless motor vehicle collisions, causing injuries, property damage, and fatalities.

Although Texas laws address the hands-on use of cell phones while driving, some drivers do not comply. If you sustained injuries in a car accident caused by someone who was texting and driving, Cal Mundell Law Firm, PLLC can help you pursue compensation from the liable party and hold them accountable for their negligent actions. We understand that your texting and driving accident may have caused financial strain, so we will not charge any fees unless we win.

Texting and Driving Is Dangerous

To drive safely, drivers need to keep their eyes on the road, their hands on the steering wheel, and their attention on traffic conditions. Texting prevents them from meeting all three of these requirements. An average text takes five seconds to read or send, and during that time, many changes needing attention can happen. In addition, driving often becomes erratic when a person is distracted. Drivers may:

• Gradually speed up or slow down
• Drift into other traffic lanes or off the road
• Miss traffic signals or signs
• Brake suddenly

Not only can distracted drivers cause car accidents themselves, but other drivers might also take evasive actions that lead to collisions.

Distractions and Delayed Reaction Time

When drivers are distracted, they may not react quickly enough to evolving traffic conditions to avoid causing a collision. Although the total time may take only a few seconds, there are several steps to driving reaction times. The driver must:

• Notice something, such as brake lights ahead or a red light
• Realize that he or she needs to react
• Decide what action to take
• Initiate the action, such as pressing the brakes or turning the steering wheel

Cars do not stop immediately when a driver depresses the brakes. Vehicles still need time and distance to come to a stop after that driver's action; the faster the speed, the longer the stopping distance needed. Course corrections cannot begin until initiated by a driver turning the steering wheel. Meanwhile, the car continues traveling, with a high chance of causing an otherwise avoidable collision.

Proving Fault in a Texting While Driving Collision

To recover compensation in a texting and driving accident, you need evidence showing that the driver was negligent. If you can prove negligence on their part, they may be held liable to compensate you for your damages. Gathering this evidence often requires an accident investigation. Eyewitnesses and video surveillance footage might have seen or captured the driver texting. Cell phone records can also serve as proof.

In many car accidents, more than one party is at fault. In Texas, you are eligible to seek compensation as long as your assigned degree of fault is less than 51 percent. However, your payout will be reduced by your fault percentage. Fault is a vital component of car accident claims, because it determines your eligibility to seek damages and the amount you might receive.

Insurance companies may attempt to assign fault unfairly to you, hoping to minimize what they must pay. When you work with our personal injury firm, we will fight to ensure that fault is assigned correctly. Cal Mundell, our founder, used to represent insurance companies, so he knows their tricks and how to beat their strategies.

Available Compensation in El Paso Texting and Driving Collisions

If you qualify, you may obtain various types of compensation for your damages, such as:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Property damage
• Pain and suffering
• Ongoing care

It is unlikely that liable insurance companies will offer to pay you fairly unless you have legal representation to protect your best interests.

Contact Our El Paso County Texting While Driving Accident Lawyer

At Cal Mundell Law Firm, PLLC, our focus is helping injured accident victims recover maximum compensation and achieve favorable case outcomes. Whether you are in El Paso or the surrounding areas, contact us 24/7 at 915-250-0700 to request your free consultation.