Mississippi Distracted Driving Attorneys Fight for the Compensation You Deserve

Holding negligent drivers responsible for the injuries they cause

Texting. Making phone calls. Eating, drinking, or brushing your hair. On their own, these activities are far from harmful but when you couple them with driving a car, they could be deadly. Thousands of people are injured every year by distracted driving and tragic accidents.

The lawyers of Merkel & Cocke, P.A. fight for the rights of car crash injury victims. For more than 35 years, our experienced Mississippi distracted driving injury attorneys have aggressively worked to obtain fair compensation for people injured in accidents caused by distracted drivers. Our proven track record of success makes us the law firm that other lawyers turn to for their most complex auto accident injury referrals.

Common causes of distracted driving

When a driver is operating a vehicle, his or her focus should be on safe navigation of the roadway. But sometimes, when stuck in traffic on I-55, or cruising along a relatively empty stretch of US 90 – or even stuck at the lights on Delta – drivers will pick up their phones, or start fiddling with the radio dials.  At Merkel & Cocke, our skilled lawyers believe that drivers should be held accountable when they fail to exercise a reasonable standard of care on the roadways. Unfortunately, far too many people find it acceptable to multitask while driving, engaging in such distracting activities as:

• Talking on the phone. There is no denying that cell phones add convenience to our lives, but they are also a risky distraction when used while operating a vehicle. Studies show that even hands-free phones can take a driver’s attention away from the road. According to the National Safety Council, cellphone use while driving results in more than one million collisions annually.
• Texting. The average text takes your eye off the road for approximately five seconds. As reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this is enough time to travel the length of an entire football field at a speed of 55 mph.
• Eating. People eat in their cars every day, grabbing breakfast on the way to work or quickly eating a sandwich between meetings. Though this may seem like a harmless activity, it creates an increased for serious car crashes and related injuries.
• Using a GPS or navigation system. GPS systems are designed to assist with your roadway navigation, but checking them or inputting information into them while driving increases the risk of a vehicle crash.
• Day dreaming. A wandering mind is not focused on the roadway or proper operation of the vehicle. Even a moment of daydreaming can end with a serious rear-end accident, collision or a crash into pedestrian.

If you or a loved one has suffered from injuries in an accident caused by a distracted driver, we can help. We also represent families in cases of wrongful death.

Fighting for car wreck victims injured by distracted drivers

If a distracted driver left you or a loved one injured, contact the lawyers with more than 200 years of collective experience. At Merkel & Cocke, we serve clients from our home office in Clarksdale, assisting injured parties throughout Mississippi, including Tupelo, Jackson, Cleveland, Indianola, and across the Gulf Coast region. We also handle distracted driving cases in Tennessee and Arkansas. Call us today at 662-627-9641 or complete our contact form to schedule your free consultation.