The Legal Examiner Affiliate Network The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner search instagram avvo phone envelope checkmark mail-reply spinner error close The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner
Skip to main content

In April, Governor Tim Walz signed into law a bill that places sweeping restrictions on the use of handheld devices while driving. Effective August 1, 2019, motorists will be prohibited from most hands-on cellphone interactions, with very few exceptions.

When a driver violates a traffic law, this almost always constitutes a breach of the duty of care owed to other people on the road. This breach of duty is called “negligence,” which is the basis of most personal injury and wrongful death claims.

To prevail in a negligence claim, you must be able to prove how the driver breached the duty of care owed to you (or to your deceased loved one in the case of wrongful death). If the tort involved using a cellphone behind the wheel, proving negligence might be more challenging than, for example, demonstrating a driver was intoxicated or made an illegal turn.

Read on to learn a few kinds of evidence your attorney might use to prove the other driver was using a cellphone:

  1. Cellphone Records 

Cellphone records could serve as the strongest evidence of liability. Since carriers are not inclined to hand over such records without legal pressure, though, your lawyer might need to file a subpoena to access them. 

  1. Eyewitness Testimony 

If the accident occurred in a fairly congested area, there’s a chance that someone witnessed the at-fault driver using his or her phone prior to the wreck. This might also be the case if the driver was transporting a passenger. Eyewitness testimony can corroborate other evidence such as cellphone records, surveillance footage, and the police report. 

  1. Dash Cam Footage 

More drivers than ever before are using dash cams to protect themselves from liability if they’re involved in a crash that someone else caused, and to strengthen their case if they ever have to file an accident claim. As such, it’s possible that a dash cam recorded your crash and perhaps caught the at-fault driver using his or her phone just before the collision. If you gathered the names and phone numbers of other motorists, your attorney can reach out to them to find out if such footage exists.

  1. Surveillance Footage 

Many business establishments, schools, and residential housing complexes have surveillance systems. If the crash was filmed by a surveillance camera, that footage might help your lawyer prove the other driver was using his or her cellphone. 

  1. The Police Report 

If the driver admitted to officers that he or she was using a cellphone, this should be in the accident report. Even if there was no admission of fault, evidence at the scene such as statements from eyewitnesses might have caused an officer to suspect distracted driving and record this suspicion in the report.

Call 320-259-5414 to Speak with a Distracted Driving Accident Attorney in St. Cloud

If you were hurt in a collision with a distracted driver, contact Bradshaw & Bryant to discuss your case. We will use all the resources at our disposal to help you fight for the settlement you deserve and to avoid unnecessary complications that might delay the proceedings. Call 320-259-5414 or fill out our Contact Form to schedule a free consultation with a distracted driving accident lawyer in St. Cloud

Comments for this article are closed.