Texting While Driving

Sending and receiving text messages while driving increases the risk of causing a car accident by a factor of 23, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). To understand what makes texting while driving so outrageously dangerous, consider the fact that the VTTI researchers found that in the 4.6 seconds it takes to send or receive an average text message, a driver traveling at 55 MPH will cross the length of an entire football field. Further, a Carnegie Mellon study discovered that cell phone use decreases the level of brain activity available for driving by a staggering 37 percent. Anyone who causes a traffic collision as a result of texting behind the wheel can—and should—be held fully accountable to the victims.

This frightening traffic behavior is widely recognized as being a major public safety hazard, yet, increasing numbers of people allow themselves to become distracted by text messages, calls, emails and even social media and web surfing on their smart phones when their attention should be on one thing only: the road. AT&T reports that 2010 saw a 50 percent increase in the number of drivers who text while driving, while 43 percent of teen drivers admit to doing so and 77 percent of them claim that they see adults doing it “all the time.” These figures can be backed up by conducting your own informal study: Next time you are on the road, take a moment to look at the vehicles around you and see how many of them have drivers whose eyes are not looking ahead but are instead turned down to stare at the tiny screens on their phones.

Let a New York City Car Accident Lawyer Fight for You

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that the fact that the driver who caused your accident was cited for texting while driving means that you are guaranteed to receive the financial compensation you deserve for your personal injuries or the wrongful death of a family member. Your accident claim is a civil matter between you and the other driver’s insurance company, and while evidence that the driver was legally found to be at fault may serve as evidence in proving your claim, it does not assure success in recovering monetary damages. In fact, you can expect the insurance company to do everything it can to avoid paying you the full amount you deserve, or even anything at all.

You deserve to have a dedicated New York City personal injury lawyer on your side to level the playing field between you and the insurance company and to fight for your right to fair compensation. At Greenberg & Stein, P.C., we are committed to helping our clients obtain justice and to working to make the streets safer for everyone by holding negligent drivers accountable for their actions. Contact us for a free case evaluation to discuss the impact that the accident had on your life and to learn how much your claim could be worth.