Auto Accident Attorneys
Orlando, Florida
Cell Phone Related Accident Injuries
If you have a cell phone, then you’ve probably done it. And you’re not alone. You’re one of over 250 million people who own a cell phone and odds are you use it while driving. Even though you know it’s distracting and dangerous, you take the risk, sometimes on a regular basis, to talk and drive.
The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society reports 2,600 deaths by auto accidents are caused by cell phone related accidents distraction. Over 330,000 people in the United States sustain injury from mobile phone distracted drivers.
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Cell Phones in the Workplace
As phone usage increases in the work environment, so do auto accidents followed by litigation. Most states allow lawsuits against employers whose employees cause cell phone related accidents.
Hands-Free Cell Phones
More and more states are banning cell phone use while driving while others are enacting new laws requiring hands-free cell phone use on our highways. Hands-free cell phones allow both hands to be on the wheel allowing the driver to react more effectively in an emergency situation. Those states include:
- New York
- New Jersey
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- California and Washington will enforce the new law this year
According to the Public Policy Institute of California, fatalities dropped significantly in all states that have enforced the hands-free mobile phone law. California predicts 300 lives will be saved annually once the hands-free law goes into effect. However, The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports the risk of having an auto accident is about four times higher for drivers using cell phone, whether it’s handheld or hands-free. Many critics say it’s the conversation that makes cell phone use while driving dangerous.
Dangerous Distractions
In a study conducted by the University of Utah, sophisticated eye-tracking devices were used on a test driver who was talking on a cell phone. The results of the study showed that phone users were experiencing “inattention blindness”. The driver only sees about half of what they’d normally see missing stop signs, traffic signals, pedestrians and other vehicles.
You may ask what’s the difference between talking on a cell phone and talking to a passenger while driving? Safety experts say a conversation with a passenger is less distracting. The passenger also acts as an extra pair of eyes and can alert the driver about a potentially dangerous situation. Other distractions such as changing the radio, reaching for a CD or beverage are only momentary distractions.
All drivers are expected to pay full attention to the road. If an accident does happen due to another driver’s lack of attention to the road, an experienced personal injury attorney can advise you on all your rights
In Orlando, Florida, if you’ve sustained injuries from an auto accident, please contact the personal injury specialists at Colling, Gilbert, Wright and Carter. We’ll aggressively work to get the compensation you deserve for your injury or loss.
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