These days, texting and driving gets a lot of backlash. And for good reason. In 2011, texting and driving was responsible for over 1.3 million car crashes, including many serious accidents in Woodland Hills. Statistically speaking, texting while driving makes a crash 23 times more likely than even talking on the phone and driving. If you or a loved one is injured by a driver who was texting instead of paying attention to the road, you may be able to bring a legal claim against them for damages.
However, texting while behind the wheel is not the only culprit of unsafe driving. In fact, many car accidents, especially among teens, are caused by other passengers in the car. Teens have the highest crash rate of any age group in the US and distraction is a factor in 58% of the accidents. And the top cause of these accidents? Not cellphone use (although that was #2): The top cause of distraction for teen drivers was interacting with one or more passengers. Researchers found that to be the cause of 15% of distracted-driving accidents among the teen drivers.
But teens are not the only drivers open to distraction from friends, children, and other passengers in the car. In 2013, over 3,000 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. What’s more, approximately 424,000 people were inju
red, and sadly, this number goes up each year.
Common causes of passenger distraction come from friends, children, and pets. A carload of friends can be very distracting with loud talking, quarreling over music selections, or horseplay. Upset children in the backseat can also cause a parent to take their eyes of the wheel for a few seconds to look away from the road. Lastly, a loose pet in a moving vehicle can be very dangerous. Pets should be properly secured in a pet carrier, portable kennel, or specially designed pet harness, not on a driver’s lap.
A driver may think that he/she is only taking his eyes off the road for a second, but it is generally longer than that, especially when it comes to texting. In those few seconds, serious car accidents, ranging from rear-enders to multi-car collisions, can happen.
All California drivers have the legal responsibility to exercise reasonable care when operating a motor vehicle. Should a driver breach this duty, you will be entitled to compensation if it can be proven that this breach was the cause of your injuries. An experienced auto accident attorney will help you prove this so that you can recover your medical expenses, lost wages, emotional pain and suffering, and more.
For more information on how to file a lawsuit against a distracted driver, contact knowledgeable Woodland Hills auto accident attorney Barry P. Goldberg today.
