Distracted Driving Accidents
TEXTING WHILE DRIVING and CELL PHONE ACCIDENTS
Distracted driving needlessly endangers the public. The State of Texas has passed distracted driving laws, and ten bills are before the legislature addressing texting and driving for the current 2011 session. About 80 % of the public now considers texting while driving to be a significant problem according to numerous surveys. Cell phone and texting distracts the eyes, and the mind. Scientists tell us that different parts of the brain are required when we talk or text, and therefore, we are unable to focus, even if our eyes are on the road.
Current law prohibits any drivers from using cell phones and texting while driving; other current law prohibits drivers from using handheld cell phones at a school crossing. Some cities such as San Antonio outlaw the activity in the city limits.
Even without the stricter Texas laws, a motorist has always been subject to liability if he fails to use ordinary care while driving a vehicle. Thus, if a driver has a wreck while texting and driving, the “law of negligence” will impose liability upon him.
Attorney Joe Stephens frequently handles motor vehicle accidents and car wrecks that were caused by a distracted driver. If someone has caused you or a loved one to become injured because they were talking on a cell phone, or texting and driving at the time of the incident, please get in touch with me at 713 224 0000 so that I can answer your questions and assist you with possible legal options.
Statistics for Accidents and Injuries Caused by Distracted Driving and Texting
Even before the current use of texting, the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis estimated almost a decade ago that approximately 330,000 people are injured each year as a result of using cell phones while driving. It is now estimated that closer to 1 million people are injured each year or more, and 10,000 people die each year on highways as a direct result of texting and driving.
It is estimated that talking on a cell phone causes about ¼ of all the car accidents in America. About one in five adults admit that they send text messages while driving. About nine in ten Americans talk on cell phones while driving.
The threat from teenage drivers is even more astounding. About 50 percent of teenagers send text messages when they drive. Teens admit that texting is the No. 1 driver distraction.
The Concord Monitor Newspaper estimated in 2009 that distracted driving accidents cost an estimated $43 billion each year due to medical bills, loss wages, loss of life, and property damage.
As a result, Triple A is moving for new legislation in all 50 states to ban texting and driving.
Rear End Collisions Caused by Distracted Driving
Statistics show that a very large percentage of rear end accidents are caused because somebody is looking down at a text message, and looks up too late to stop his vehicle in order to stop.
Distracted Driving Accident Law Firm
If you have been seriously injured in a car accident, or have lost a loved one due to distracted driving, please call us. Need to know your rights? Need to know whether you have a good case? Need to know whether you have the right to be compensated for your losses? Need to make sure nobody else gets injured from the same thing? Call the Stephens law firm. The call is free.
Call 713 224 0000 now for a free legal consultation regarding your distracted driving accident case. I can meet with you at my office, or can arrange to have somebody come to visit you.
Legal Help for Distracted Driving Victims in Houston and Across Texas
I can help whether you live Houston, Beaumont, Dayton, Liberty, Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Wharton, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Brownsville, McAllen, Waco, El Campo, San Antonio, or anywhere else in Texas. I have the experience and skill to help you.
