Case Settled Successfully by Morris Law
A Surfside Beach resident was heading down Poplar Drive when he ended up in a T-bone accident with another driver. According to reports, the at-fault driver ran a stop sign. The driver told police who arrived at the scene of the car accident that he was adjusting his radio and due to this distraction did not see the stop sign.
Morris Law Obtains Video of the T-Bone Accident
A surveillance video from a home near the accident site was obtained by Morris Law. The video captured the accident and was successfully used to prove fault.
Injuries in Distracted Driving Accidents
The driver of the T-boned vehicle was taken to the hospital with the chief complaint of back pain. He was subsequently released from the hospital and told to see an orthopod for follow-up. He was then removed from care without the need for surgery or other invasive procedures.
Distracted Driving in a T-Boned Accident
The majority of T-bone accidents occur at intersections. This is partially due to the complexity of an intersection where drivers, pedestrians, and others converge. It is also due to driver error as in this case.
Distracted driving has become the number one cause of traffic accidents as drivers try to multitask on the road. While this may be preferable in the office, taking your eyes off the road for any reason leads to tragic accidents.
What Is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving is focusing on something other than the road ahead. There are three components of distraction. The first is cognitive where the driver is thinking of something other than driving. The second is visual where the driver looks away from the road. This may take the form of looking at a traffic stop or a text message on one’s cell phone. The third is physical where the driver takes their hands from the wheel. This is common in texting and in adjusting the climate control or a radio.
Settlement of Surfside Accident Case
The injured party turned to attorney Jeff Morris to handle his case. Jeff Morris demanded the full limits of the liability insurance and his client's underinsured motorist coverage. The latter is a policy purchased along with auto insurance in South Carolina. It is mandatory for insurers to offer this add-on to all motorists, but drivers are not required to opt-in.
The underinsured insurance carrier offered $25,000. This was unacceptable and Morris Law filed a lawsuit in response. However, before discovery began in the case, the underinsured insurance carrier came back with a higher offer of $90,000. Along with the liability limits and the underinsured driver insurance payout of $90,000, the case was successfully resolved for $115,000.
Morris Law in South Carolina
If you are injured due to another’s negligence, call Morris Law at (843) 232-0944 for help. You can also reach out to us online. We are always there for you and will fight for your right to recover damages.
