Distracted Holiday Shoppers Can Cause Car Accidents

December 20, 2021

The holiday season means many more people out on the road. In particular, commercial districts in every town are clogged with holiday shoppers gathering supplies for holiday parties and dinners or looking to buy the perfect gifts for their loved ones. Unfortunately, holiday shoppers may be more focused on their errands than on safely driving their vehicles. This puts other drivers and pedestrians at risk of accidents and injuries. 

Why Distractions Cause Car Crashes

Drivers can be distracted in one of three ways:

• Manual distractions, which take a driver’s hand or hands off the wheel
• Visual distractions, which take a driver’s eyes off the road
• Cognitive distractions, which involve the driver thinking about things other than the task of driving

Many distracted driving behaviors involve all three kinds of distractions. For example, texting while driving requires a driver to take a hand off the wheel to type on their phone, to take their eyes off the road to look at the phone screen, and to devote their concentration to thinking about what to say in a text. With this distraction, a driver likely will not notice things going on around their vehicle and may drive their vehicle into an unsafe situation. Distracted drivers may not see traffic ahead slowing down and coming to a stop, or they may not see pedestrians crossing in front of or behind their vehicle (especially when pedestrians are smaller children) or they may not notice their vehicle drifting out of the traffic lane. 

Places Where Distracted Shoppers Cause Car Accidents

Distracted holiday shoppers pose a risk of accidents anytime they are behind the wheel. However, you should be particularly on the lookout for distracted drivers this holiday season in:

• Parking lots, especially at malls and shopping centers
• Downtown areas or commercial districts
• Residential areas, as drivers are most likely to take their attention of driving on familiar roads close to home
• Highways and interstates, where holiday travelers may be distracted with trying to follow navigation directions to their destination. 

What Are Your Rights If You Were Involved in a Car Accident Caused by a Distracted Holiday Shopper?

If you have been injured by a distracted driving accident, you may be entitled to recover compensation for injuries and losses that you have suffered in the accident. A car accident attorney may be able to help you pursue compensation from the distracted driver and their insurance company for expenses and losses you’ve incurred, including for:

• Costs of medical treatment for your injuries, such as emergency room treatment or hospital stays, surgeries and other procedures, physical therapy, pain medication, or medical and mobility equipment purchases.
• Costs of long-term care if you are left with disabilities due to your distracted driving accident injuries.
• Loss of wages or income if you miss time from work during your recovery or if you are indefinitely or permanently disabled from returning to work.
• Physical pain and emotional trauma and distress from the accident, your injuries, and your subsequent medical treatments.
• Lost quality of life due to scarring/disfigurement or permanent disabilities from your injuries.  

Contact a Pittsburgh Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Car Accident Case in Pennsylvania

Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to a car accident in Pennsylvania? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Goodrich & Geist, P.C. represent clients injured because of car accidents in Pittsburgh and the surrounding Western PA counties. Call (412) 766-1455 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 3634 California Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15212. Home visits can be arranged in certain situations. 

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.