Texas Distracted Driving Truck Accident Lawyer

Texas Distracted Driving Truck Accident Attorney

Have You Been In a Texas Truck Accident Caused By Distracted Driving or Speeding?

Accidents involving large trucks typically involve many factors, including distracted driving and speeding. This is especially dangerous as large trucks are heavy and capable of causing catastrophic injuries. When you have been injured in an accident with a truck, or you have lost a loved one in a truck accident, you need a Texas distracted driving truck accident attorney you can depend on. Contact the experienced counsel at the Merritt & Merritt Law Firm call (713) 535-7051 to learn more about your rights and what you can expect to recover.

3 Types of Distracted Driving

Distracted driving occurs when a driver focuses on and engages in anything other than safely operating the vehicle they are driving. There are three different types of distracted driving that a truck driver can engage in. They are visual, manual, and cognitive, and our Texas distracted driving accident attorney explains them in detail below.

Visual Distracted Driving

When driving, it is best to look at the road in front of you, while occasionally scanning your rear view mirror, side mirrors, and instrument panel. Visual distracted driving occurs when a truck driver takes their eyes from the road. Their vision does not have to be diverted for a long period of time; looking somewhere else, even for a second or two, can lead to an accident. A driver needs to be aware of their surroundings, but a driver does not need to focus on the progress being made on a new building, or looking for a friend’s car in a parking lot as they drive by.

Truck drivers often have to drive new routes to make deliveries. When this happens, they should become familiar with the path they have to take, and not rely on looking at their GPS system while driving. Again, staring at anything besides the road can easily lead to a collision.

Manual Distracted Driving

Driving a large truck requires that the driver keep their hands on the wheel so they can react quickly if and when the need arises. Taking their hands off the wheel so they can engage in another activity is manual distracted driving.

Technology has many wonderful uses and helps us in many ways, but it can also be a huge distraction. Truck drivers are required to be on the road for long periods of time, and to alleviate boredom, they may engage with their smartphones. Playing on the internet or texting friends and family is a distraction that can easily lead to an accident, according to our Texas distracted driving accident attorney.

Truck drivers are also under a lot of pressure to deliver their cargo by a certain time. Failure to do so can lead to them being penalized by their employer. Because of this, truckers are often tempted to engage in activities, such as eating and drinking, while driving instead of when they are at a standstill. Another activity they should only perform when stopped is personal grooming. While it may save them time and help them get to their destination more quickly, it is also a form of manual distracted driving that leads to crashes.

Cognitive Distracted Driving

Cognitive distracted driving occurs when a driver is not focused on driving. There are several different forms of cognitive distracted driving that our Texas distracted driving accident attorney has encountered, including:

• Being Lost In Thought: Have you ever arrived at your destination and cannot remember how you got there? Your mind was somewhere else, and you were not focusing on driving. That is being cognitively distracted, and it is dangerous.
• Fatigued Driving: Fatigued driving is more common than it should be for truck drivers. Being under a timeline to make a delivery causes some truckers to drive when they should be resting. Driving while overtired can result in a trucker falling asleep or engaging in lane drifting. It also reduces their ability to react quickly in an emergency situation. All of these factors can easily result in an accident.
• Driving While Intoxicated: Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is extremely dangerous. In the trucking industry, many truck drivers are tempted to take stimulants to help them stay awake so they make deliveries on time. What many fail to realize is that using these types of drugs have a negative effect on their ability to drive.
• Engaging in Conversation: It is possible to keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel but be fully engaged in a conversation and not actually focusing on driving. The conversation can be with a passenger in the vehicle or with someone on the telephone.

Speeding In Truck Accidents

A speeding truck driver is capable of causing significant harm to themselves and others on the roadways. Speeding increases the possibility of a collision and the extent of injuries sustained when an accident occurs. Truck drivers should pay attention to their surroundings at all times to ensure they are not driving too fast. They should be aware of:

• Whether the pavement is dry, wet, or has standing water
• Fog, smoke, or anything else that obscures vision
• Posted signs and warnings
• Any hazards, such as road construction and potholes
• Their cargo, and how it affects their ability to maneuver the truck

Consult With a Texas Distracted Driving Truck Accident Attorney

A Texas distracted driving truck accident attorney at the Merritt & Merritt Law Firm is here to provide you with the representation you need when you have been injured in an accident with a large truck. We may be reached by calling (713) 535-7051 or via our contact page.