Another Distracted Driver Accident Involving a 15 Passenger Bus

Posted On April 19, 2017 In Truck Accidents

A few weeks ago, a terrible bus crash happened in Uvalde County, TX, where 13 people were killed and two were injured when a church bus and pickup truck crashed into each other. News has surfaced that the truck driver was allegedly on prescription medication, and was texting in the moments before the crash. A witness at the scene reported him for driving erratically. Distracted drivers are becoming a greater threat to our safety each day, and accidents like these are proof that more legislation may need to be passed to protect motorists.

While distracted driving laws in Texas prohibit drivers under the age of 18 from texting, all drivers in school zones from using their phones, and bus drivers from using cell phones, many cities in Texas still do not have a texting and driving ban. Distracted driving encompasses more than just texting; eating, talking to passengers, adjusting the radio, personal grooming, and looking at a GPS or map, are all included under that umbrella. Below are some tips for finding out if your accident involved a distracted driver.

How Can You Prove the Driver Was Distracted?

• Ask Witnesses: Witnesses can be a great resource for finding out if the driver was on their phone or distracted, more people may have noticed the driver in the accident than you think.
• Gain access to phone records: The help of an attorney is necessary for this. Tracking another driver’s sent text messages and internet and GPS history can help prove that the driver was distracted.
• Traffic cameras: The driver could be caught at a nearby intersection using their phone or being otherwise distracted. Proving that they were on their phone in a relatively close location may not be enough to prove they were distracted, but a personal injury attorney can gain access to this footage and know if it is probable cause.

Dangerous and distracted drivers are on our roadways every day. In the event of a serious accident, receiving legal assistance from a personal injury lawyer can greatly help your chances of retrieving the evidence needed to prove that the driver was distracted. Contact the Lufkin auto accident attorneys Mike Love & Associates, LLC for answers for distracted driving accidents.