Any time drivers take their hands off the wheel or their eyes off the road, they increase the risk of an accident. Because of the vehicle size and weight, a moment’s distraction can be deadly for truckers. Even sideswiping another vehicle can lead to severe injuries and substantial property damage.
If you are injured in a distracted driving truck accident in Mankato, proving a distracted driver distraction caused the accident can be difficult. Even though texting while driving can be easy to prove through phone records, truckers may engage in other types of distracted driving that do not leave a trail. A seasoned truck accident attorney can help an injured person prove the trucker was at fault.
The three types of distracted driving are visual, manual, and cognitive. Visual distractions involve taking your eyes off of the road. Looking at anything other than the road, even a passenger, is a visual distraction. Truckers might look away from the road to look at their GPS, read a map, look for something in their cab, or glance in a mirror.
Manual distractions involve the driver removing their hands from the wheel. Sometimes, truckers remove their hands from the wheel to shift gears on the truck. However, these moments are limited. Other common behaviors that involve taking hands off the wheel include drinking, eating, personal grooming, texting, and dialing numbers on the phone. The longer a trucker has one or both hands off of the wheel, the more likely they are to lose control of the vehicle, swerve out of a lane, or be unable to respond to changing traffic conditions.
Cognitive distractions involve anything that takes the trucker’s mind off the road. These can be the most difficult distractions to avoid. A good conversation, thrilling audiobooks, or simple daydreaming can cause a trucker’s mind to wander. They are particularly vulnerable if they are sleepy. Frequent stops can help truckers keep their mind on the road.
Texting while trucking is a leading cause of distracted driving accidents in Mankato because it involves all three types of distraction. When texting, a trucker looks away from the road, concentrates on something other than the road, and uses their hands to send a message. An attorney can help determine the type of distracted driving that contributed to the accident.
Trucks weigh approximately 10 times as much as passenger vehicles (on average), so truck accidents are much more likely to result in severe injuries or death than accidents between two passenger vehicles. Few people walk away from truck accidents without injuries. They may experience scrapes, bumps, bruises, and pain.
More severe accidents can lead to catastrophic injuries, lengthy recoveries, and economic hardship. Some examples of those injuries include:
The amount of compensation potentially available for an injured person depends on the injury’s circumstances, type, and severity and how it affects the injured person’s quality of life. Potential damages in Mankato distracted trucking accidents include economic, noneconomic, and punitive damages.
When trucker distraction contributes to an accident, it may be easier to establish fault. Depending on the distraction and the trucker’s behavior, it might be sufficient to establish reckless behavior.
Our attorneys are not afraid to fight for you and to pursue your claims. Schedule a consultation to learn more about distracted driving truck accidents in Mankato.
