truck driver neglect - injured in an accident

Inattentive driving accidents used to be limited to falling asleep at the wheel when cars first became common property. Now, there are so many more things counted on that same list, and all of them are illegal. You, as the driver who is inattentive and hence caused an accident, can be punished severely. As the victim, you can hire an auto accident lawyer to sue the other driver. If you are not sure if the thing you or the other driver were doing was considered "inattentive" or "illegal," here is a short list of what currently counts.

Cellphones

Cellphone use and car accidents became a hot topic just a few years ago. Too many adolescent drivers and some adult drivers would take calls or check email and social media while driving. Then they would cause accidents because they were not paying attention to the road. Hence, many state governments made it illegal to text, answer calls, and/or view the phones' screens while driving.

Putting on Makeup

Putting on makeup in a car is something that emerged in the 1950's. Too many women would attempt to "put on their faces" while driving to work or running errands. Too many of those same women ended up in car accidents with their telltale lipstick streaked across their cheeks, or their mascara wands jammed into their eye sockets. That, too, quickly became illegal.

Reaching for the Floor

Your head is above your shoulders for a reason; so you can see which direction you are going. When your shoulders and chest dip below the dash, they take your head with them. Now you cannot see any part of the road. While it may not be illegal, per se, it is still counted as inattentive driving.

Driving "out of Body"

It happens to everyone. You are so familiar with a route you drive every day that you allow your mind to drift out. While you are daydreaming about what you will do or say later, your body is just going through the motions of driving, until BAM! you have hit someone. What do you say to the police? What can you say besides the fact that you were not paying attention? If your regular route causes you to drive "out of body," it may be time to shake up the experience and drive another way.

Falling Asleep

Falling asleep at the wheel and causing an accident is still illegal. In fact, many truck drivers that do not take rest breaks and drive on no sleep are heavily fined for causing accidents. If you are that tired, pull over to a safe place to rest. Otherwise, stay home and rest until you can drive safely.

For more information, contact a law office like Zavodnick, Perlmutter & Boccia LLC.