Distracted Driving Truck Accidents in Pennsauken

No matter what type of vehicle you’re operating, you have a legal duty of care to keep your focus entirely on driving safely at all times while you’re behind the wheel. Unfortunately, not everyone licensed to drive is as diligent about this duty as they should be—and even worse, some of the people who drive distracted are long-haul truckers in control of tractor-trailers weighing tens of thousands of pounds.

Just like anyone else driving any other kind of car, a trucker who causes a crash by driving distracted can be held civilly liable for injuries stemming from that wreck. If you want to get the best possible result from a claim based on a distracted driving truck accident in Pennsauken, you need support from an experienced truck accident lawyer who’s handled cases like yours successfully in the past.

Common Causes of Distraction for Truck Drivers

The average commercial truck driver is on the road for dozens of hours each week, and it’s not hard to imagine how all that time driving down highway after highway might wear on a trucker’s mind. Nevertheless, truck drivers are expected to keep their full attention on the road ahead of them and on obstacles around them in order to prevent crashes from occurring. They should not distract themselves behind the wheel with things like:

  • Texting or doing anything else with a smartphone, tablet, or laptop computer
  • Changing songs on a playlist
  • Reading a book
  • Watching a video
  • Reaching for something inside their truck’s cab

Even seemingly everyday behaviors like eating, drinking, and talking to someone in the passenger seat could be sources of distraction for someone operating a big rig. Whatever form it takes, distracted driving often qualifies as legally actionable negligence if it directly leads to a truck crash happening in Pennsauken.

Getting Paid Fairly for All Available Damages

A truck driver who causes injury to someone else through their own negligent behavior can be made to pay financially for every negative impact that injury has on the person’s life. This can include but isn’t strictly limited to things like:

  • Physical pain and suffering
  • Emotional trauma and anguish
  • Loss of life’s pleasures
  • Medical bills
  • Wage or salary loss
  • Expenses stemming from personal property damage, including car repair or replacement costs

It’s often possible to hold trucking companies vicariously liable for distracted driving truck wrecks in Pennsauken, which can allow for more recovery than a lawsuit filed solely against a single truck driver. However, doing this can be tricky without support from skilled legal counsel, and so can navigating around the restrictions that New Jersey law might place on your right to file suit in certain situations.

Talk to a Pennsauken Attorney About Suing Over a Distracted Driving Truck Accident

Commercial truck drivers have hard jobs and work long hours, but that doesn’t mean they’re allowed to act irresponsibly behind the wheel in any way. Since driving while distracted is always an irresponsible thing to do, any trucker who causes a crash by doing it is almost certainly at fault under New Jersey law for injuries caused by that crash.

Getting paid fairly for your losses after a distracted driving truck accident in Pennsauken will be much easier with guidance from a respected truck injury lawyer. Call today to discuss your options.