Houston Distracted Driver Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

Did you suffer injuries in a motorcycle accident because of a distracted driver? Are you facing medical bills and other expenses as a result? If so, contact Gibson Hill Personal Injury, and we might be able to help you pursue the compensation you need to pay for your treatment. Getting hurt in a motorcycle crash causes not only physical harm but also emotional and financial strain. You shouldn’t be forced to pay for your current and future costs when another person was at fault for your injuries.

The dedicated team of Houston motorcycle accident lawyers from Gibson Hill Personal Injury will tirelessly pursue the maximum financial award available to you. We will fight to hold the other driver liable for their actions and seek justice for the suffering you endured.

Our Houston personal injury lawyers understand how overwhelming it can be to balance work, family, medical treatment, and a legal case. It might seem like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, but we will help you get through this and reach a favorable outcome.

For a free consultation or to learn more about the services we provide, call Gibson Hill Personal Injury at (713) 659-4000 today. Our representatives are available 24/7 to discuss your case with you.

What Is Distracted Driving?

Distracted driving is any activity that takes someone’s attention away from driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving killed 3,142 people in motor vehicle accidents in 2019.

Many people are unaware of the various forms of distractions that could lead to an accident. Texting while driving is a common distraction that prevents a person from noticing what’s going on in the road ahead. When drivers aren’t focusing on the task at hand, they are more likely to lose control of their vehicle and crash.

The three main types of distractions are below.

Manual Distractions

This occurs when a motorist takes their hands off the steering wheel to perform another task. Common types of manual distractions are:

• Changing the radio
• Eating
• Drinking
• Manually dialing on a cell phone
• Reaching for an item inside the vehicle
• Grooming

Visual Distractions

This is the result of a driver taking their eyes off the road. When someone can’t see what’s happening in front of them, they’re unable to react appropriately to stopped traffic or a road hazard. The most common examples of visual distractions are:

• Reading an email or text message
• Looking in the mirror
• Turning towards a passenger in the vehicle
• Looking at a map or GPS
• Grooming or putting on makeup

Cognitive Distractions

This involves redirecting attention and focus from driving to another activity. The driver might worry about an important meeting they’re about to attend or feel upset about an argument they recently had. Thinking about anything besides safely navigating through traffic can lead to an accident. Common cognitive distractions can include:

• Daydreaming
• Road rage
• Singing along to the radio
• Listening to an audiobook

According to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25% of fatal accidents involved distracted drivers between 20 and 29 years old. Teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 were more likely to become distracted while driving than motorists over 19 years old. Texting while driving is by far one of the most common forms of distraction. It’s become such a widespread problem that by 2019, 48 states made it illegal for drivers to text while operating a motor vehicle.

What You Should And Shouldn’t Do After A Motorcycle Accident In Houston

The shock of another driver colliding with your bike may cloud your judgment. You might feel disoriented and unsure of how to handle the situation. If you’re injured and in pain, the only thing you want to do at the moment is go to the emergency room. It’s critical that you seek immediate treatment of your injuries, but you should also hire a Houston distracted driver motorcycle accident lawyer right away.

Gibson Hill Personal Injury can handle each step of the legal process on your behalf so you can solely focus on your recovery. You should attend regularly scheduled doctor’s appointments and don’t stop treatment until your physicians release you from their care. Medical records are excellent evidence in a legal case that can prove the injuries you sustained and the expenses you incurred stemmed from the accident.

Sometimes, what you don’t do is just as important as the actions you do take. Following a motorcycle accident caused by a distracted driver, avoid the following:

• Don’t admit fault. During a lawsuit, a jury could assign a percentage of blame to each party involved in the crash. If you admit any responsibility for the accident, you could end up with less compensation than you would receive if the other driver were 100% at fault.
• Don’t sign documents from the at-fault motorist’s auto insurance company. Your Houston distracted driver motorcycle accident lawyer from Gibson Hill Personal Injury can review everything you receive from the insurance company. If it’s something you’re required to complete, we can assist you in filling it out.
• Don’t ignore the treatment plan your doctors recommend. Continue attending your appointments until the medical staff informs you that further medical intervention likely won’t improve your condition. That means you have reached maximum medical improvement. Skipping doctor’s appointments or choosing to stop early could result in less compensation than you need.
• Don’t post anything on social media that could negatively affect your case. Believe it or not, insurance companies and defense attorneys might review your social media accounts for evidence that your injury isn’t real or as severe as you portrayed. If you post a video of yourself engaging in physical activity after claiming to have suffered a broken leg, you might lose your case.
• Don’t give a recorded statement to the negligent driver’s insurance carrier. An insurance company representative might reach out to you to discuss the details of the accident. They could record the conversation to use as evidence in the claim. However, if you say the wrong thing, they could use it against you. If you receive this kind of request, discuss it with your lawyer first.

State Laws Associated With Insurance Claims

The fault system in Texas governs liability after a motor vehicle crash. Whoever is to blame for causing the accident becomes financially responsible for the injured party’s medical bills, suffering, and other expenses. If the other driver was distracted, and that’s what led to your injuries, you could file a claim with their auto insurance company.

State law requires all drivers to hold auto insurance. The minimum liability limits they must carry on their policy are:

• Bodily injury – $30,000
• Property damage – $25,000

These limits could potentially compensate you for the losses you suffered in the motorcycle accident, such as:

• Medical bills
• Property damage
• Disability
• Mental anguish
• Lost wages
• Lost earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Physical impairment or disfigurement
• Loss of household services

Optional insurance coverage might be available if the at-fault driver doesn’t have liability insurance or if their limits aren’t high enough to compensate you for your losses. Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM) insurance isn’t a legal requirement in Texas, but insurers must offer it. If you chose to add it to your policy, you could file a claim for:

• Medical bills
• Property damage
• Pain and suffering
• Lost wages
• Lost earning capacity

Unfortunately, UM insurance doesn’t cover all losses that you can pursue in a liability claim. Every insurance company is different, so it’s vital that you review your policy to determine the available coverage and whether it will be sufficient in compensating for the losses you suffered.

How To Determine the Value Of Your Case

At Gibson Hill Personal Injury, our goal is to secure the maximum compensation possible for you in an insurance claim or lawsuit. We will review the facts of your case and use specific circumstances surrounding the accident to determine an appropriate monetary value.

Some of the factors we might use to come up with a full and fair amount of money to pursue are:

• Type of injury and how serious it is
• Type of medically necessary treatment and the duration
• Length of the recovery
• Total expenses resulting from the accident
• Diminished quality of life
• Effect of the injury on performing routine tasks
• Psychological trauma experienced
• Time spent away from work for doctor’s appointments, pain, and other issues related to the crash
• Insurance policy limits
• Amount of evidence proving a distracted driver was at fault

Generally, the worse the injury, the higher the compensation you deserve. Unfortunately, insurance companies often place their own interests over a claimant’s interests. They might try to avoid providing a large settlement offer to save money. Gibson Hill Personal Injury is familiar with the tactics they use to get out of awarding an accident victim the compensation they deserve. You can depend on us to go to battle for you.

Contact Us

At Gibson Hill Personal Injury, our Houston motorcycle accident lawyers will be your advocates and provide the support and guidance you need. You have been through a devastating experience and deserve a monetary award that pays for your treatment. You can depend on the Houston personal injury attorneys of Gibson Hill Personal Injury to seek justice and hold the at-fault driver liable for their wrongdoings.

Call Gibson Hill Personal Injury at (713) 659-4000 for a free consultation if you suffered injuries in a motorcycle accident caused by a distracted driver.