Distracted Driving Law Attorneys
Serving Kansas City, Independence, Blue Springs & Lee’s Summit
Distracted Driver Law in Missouri
Attorney Douglas R. Horn, Lead Attorney of Horn Law, concentrates his personal injury practice in representing victims of distracted driving. Over the last five years, distracted driving law has become important due to the substantial increase in the number of distracted drivers using cell phones to talk, text, navigate, browse, and other smart phone functions.
Private Investigations
Given the rising tide of distracted drivers, it is important that instances of distracted driving that cause injury and roadway fatalities be independently investigated. This is important because the official investigations are very limited in terms of providing necessary information. For instance, I am able to obtain the distracted driver’s cell phone records from his or her carrier, which is extremely helpful in proving distracted driving.
State Action
Although Missouri does have a law on the books that prohibits drivers who are 21 and younger from texting while driving, most adult drivers in Missouri are able to text without traffic law consequences. It is difficult to tell with certainty if this is part of the reason for the spike in distracted driving in Missouri, but it certainly cannot help in efforts to stop people from using their cell phones behind the wheel. In addition, because Missouri’s anti-texting law is seen as hypocritical, drivers in Missouri do not fully appreciate the risk of driving distracted.
Missouri has taken some steps in order to deal with the distracted driving crisis. Recently, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has installed a number of electronic message boards on interstates and state highways. Frequently, these boards contain some sort of driving safety message, including anti-texting messages.
Additionally, the Missouri Uniform Crash Reports have been revised to allow officers to document suspicion of distracted driving when investigating accidents. When the officer believes that distracted driving is a “probable contributing factor†in a crash, the officer can choose from 15 separate distracted/inattentive codes in order to more fully document the reason for the crash. This is helpful data because it will allow transportation authorities and law enforcement to collect information that is important in finding strategies toward reducing distracted driving.
Contact Horn Law
Horn Law offers you a free investigation. Legal consultation, case assessments, and examinations from an experienced personal injury attorney are important when you are working with insurance claim agents or other insurance company representative. Contact Horn Law at 816-795-7500 free of charge for legal consultation or fill out our contact form and we will get in touch with you within 24 hours.
