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Dedicated To Helping Injured
People

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Louisiana man involved in car accident with police officer

On Behalf of | Oct 17, 2013 | Car Accidents

With the wave of new technology, there has been a new wave of distractions for drivers. Louisiana drivers, like drivers throughout the country, are constantly checking their cell phones and other technological devices. These distractions cause them to take their eyes off the roads and leads to more car accidents.

While the media and lawmakers place a great deal of their attention on reducing drivers’ use of their different electronic devices, it is important to not lose site of the fact that are other reasons that there are distracted drivers on the road. Other possible distractions actually appear to be the cause of one recent accident involving a Louisiana man and the police.

The 32-year-old man was driving about 40 miles per hour in the late afternoon, when he suddenly smashed into the back of a police car. The officer in the car noticed the man veer off the road, and head straight for him. Unfortunately, there was no time to react. The man hit the police officer’s car, pushing it severally feet. Luckily, the officer sustained only minor injuries.

The accident investigation suggests that the cause of the accident is the fact that the Louisiana man may have been shooting up right before the crash. The driver did not explain the incident. However, the police discovered a syringe in the vehicle, and noticed fresh injection marks on the man.

Under Louisiana law, if a person is injured in a car collision, he may be able to file a lawsuit to recover for his damages. Being able to show that the driver who caused the accident may have been distracted can help such a plaintiff recover under a negligence theory.

Negligence looks at a driver’s duty to others while on the road. The driver is supposed to focus on the task at hand — driving — to ensure that he safely operates his vehicle. If there is evidence that the driver was distracted by something else, this may be sufficient evidence for a plaintiff to successfully make out his claim.

In this case, such a showing means that the officer who sustained injuries may be able to recover from driver for his damages.

Source: The Daily Mail, “Louisiana man, 32, crashed into police car after injecting heroin while driving,” Oct. 9, 2013