Texting While Driving

• Alarming Fatality Rates: Distracted driving, especially involving cell phone use, has led to a significant number of fatal crashes in the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), around 3000 people lost their lives in 2017 due to distracted driving incidents.
• Prevalence of Texting While Driving: Texting while driving remains a pervasive issue, contributing to the rising dangers on roads. The ease of access to smartphones and continuous text messaging throughout the day has led to an increase in car accidents caused by this form of distracted driving.
• Legal Consequences: Texting while driving is against the law in Massachusetts, reflecting the recognition of its dangers. Violators may face fines and penalties. If a driver causes an accident due to texting and injures others, they can be held liable for damages, potentially leading to legal action against them.
• Multifaceted Distraction: Texting while driving combines manual distraction, visual distraction, and cognitive distraction. The act diverts attention from the road, involving hands off the steering wheel, eyes off the road, and thoughts not focused on driving. Even a momentary distraction can result in severe accidents, highlighting the critical need to address this issue.

Distracted driving is a major problem in our country. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), roughly 3000 people were killed in 2017 due to distracted driving. Texting while driving is a form of distracted driving. This is a serious and prevalent fact. Sadly, when I drive I constantly see people staring at their phone, even while driving on highways. This behavior is illegal and unnecessary.

This is a problem plaguing our communities and making roads more and more dangerous for innocent people. Since nearly everyone has a smart phone, and sends and receives text messages throughout the day and night, car accidents due to this type of distracted driving are only rising. In fact, there is seemingly nothing preventing it from becoming more of a problem.

Texting while driving is against the law in Massachusetts. This means one may not compose, read, or send any text message while driving. This applies even for a driver that is stopped at a red light or stop sign.

Those who break this law may be subjected to fines and other penalties. If a driver causes a car accident stemming from texting while driving, and injures other people, he can be held liable for all damages he causes. This means he can be sued for all losses his distracted driving negligently caused.

Text messaging is distracted driving that combines three areas of distraction. They are manual distraction (hands off the steering wheel), visual distraction (eyes off the road) and cognitive distraction (thoughts not on driving).

Even the slightest glance away from the road and to a text can be enough to cause a very serious car accident.

Injuries from these accidents can range from mild to moderate soft tissue back and neck strains and sprains, broken bones, damaged spinal cords, and other injuries. Even wrongful death is possible with this type of careless, reckless conduct.

Texting while driving accidents are as avoidable as they are physically harmful to innocent people. This behavior puts everyone in society at unnecessary risk and should not be tolerated.

Do you have a case?

That depends on the facts on how the accident happened. If you were either a driver or passenger involved in a motor vehicle accident caused by distracted driving, you may have the right to collect compensation for your injuries. These claims have strict time limits (statute of limitations) that must be strictly followed, or else a claim can be rendered moot and time barred forever.

If you or someone you know has been injured due to someone negligently texting and driving, contact us today for a free consultation. We would be happy to help you with your case. Our Boston car accident lawyers are experienced, and we even have a free book we wrote that is designed to help you with your accident case. It is called The Truth About Massachusetts Auto Accidents. Be sure to download your free book today! We look forward to making this situation easier for you.