Distracted driving accidents are a serious problem in Charles County, Maryland. Despite technological advances in hands-free technology and voice recognition, many people still use their hands and eyes to use their electronic devices while driving, significantly increasing their risk of causing a car accident.
If you were involved in an accident due to distracted driving in Charles County, you may be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering, lost wages, medical bills, and more. Alpert Schreyer Personal Injury Lawyers can help you maximize the value of your claim. Contact our Charles County distracted driving accident lawyers today at (301) 932-9997 to learn more and schedule a free consultation.
How Alpert Schreyer Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Distracted Driving Accident in Charles County, Maryland
Our Maryland car accident attorneys with Alpert Schreyer Personal Injury Lawyers have 125 years of combined experience, and we’ve successfully recovered over $100 million in financial compensation for our injured clients. We assist you in the following ways after you suffer an injury due to someone else’s careless or deliberate conduct:
- Discussing your case and advising you of your options
- Pursuing records and evidence for your case
- Preparing an insurance claim for the at-fault party’s insurer
- Negotiating with the insurer and litigating if negotiations fail
You may need extensive evidence to prove distracted driving by the driver who caused your injuries. Contact our distracted driving accident lawyers in Charles County, MD, today for a free case review.
Distracted Driving Accident Statistics in Charles County
Distracted driving includes any task that takes the driver’s hands, eyes, or attention away from driving. Common examples of these activities include the following:
- Eating
- Drinking
- Reading
- Typing or texting
- Talking
- Using a navigation system
- Reaching for a dropped object
According to the Maryland Department of Transportation’s statistics for 2023, Charles County had 2,905 total crashes. These collisions included 781 injury crashes and 20 fatal crashes. These numbers were consistent with the county’s statistics for the preceding two years.
The state also releases statistics for distracted driving accidents. These numbers are drawn from accident reports that identify distracted driving as a contributing factor to the crash. According to these statistics, Charles County had the following in 2023:
- 1,540 total distracted driving crashes
- 463 non-fatal injury distracted driving crashes
- 7 fatal distracted driving crashes
Comparing these numbers to the county’s totals reveals the shocking impact of distracted drivers on Charles County’s roads:
- 53% of the county’s crashes involved distracted driving
- 59% of its injury crashes resulted from distracted driving
- 35% of deaths involved a distracted driver
Significantly, these numbers might underestimate the effect of distracted driving. This risky driving behavior leaves behind little evidence. As a result, there may have been additional crashes in which distracted driving played a role, but the police found insufficient evidence to identify it as a cause.
For example, in a fatal crash, the deceased victim cannot describe the other driver’s acts before the collision. Without any additional evidence of the distracting activity, the victim’s family might have difficulty proving distracted driving in a wrongful death case.
Liability for Distracted Driving Crashes in Maryland
The liability for car accidents in Maryland is usually determined using negligence law. Negligence occurs when a driver’s failure to exercise reasonable care causes a collision. “Reasonable care” means that the driver must use the level of caution reasonably expected of an ordinary person.
Distracted driving is a risky behavior. More importantly, ordinary drivers know that distracted driving is dangerous. Thus, a reasonably careful driver would avoid distractions, particularly those known for causing crashes.
Crash victims can also rely on a legal doctrine called negligence per se for certain kinds of distracted driving accidents. Negligence per se is a shortcut to proving negligence in which the violation of a traffic law is accepted as a failure to exercise reasonable care. In other words, reasonably cautious drivers follow the law. Thus, a failure to follow the law is unreasonable.
Maryland has some of the nation’s strictest laws against electronic use while driving. These laws prohibit texting while driving. They also ban other forms of handheld cell use, including talking on a handset.
Thus, in a case where cell use served as a distraction, the crash victim may be able to prove the driver acted negligently simply by showing that the driver was talking on a handset or texting while driving. The case would be even stronger if the officers who investigated the crash issued the driver a citation for violating Maryland’s hands-free law.
Contact Our Charles County Distracted Driving Accident Attorneys for a Free Consultation
A distracted driving accident can cause serious injuries that affect your ability to work or care for your family. Contact Alpert Schreyer Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to learn about your legal right to pursue compensation for your injuries. Our experienced Charles County distracted driving accident attorneys in Maryland work on contingency, so we only get paid if we win compensation for you.