Distracted Driving Accident Attorneys
The Distracted Driving Accident Attorneys of MartinWren, P.C. are experienced with the dangers and catastrophic results of distracted driving cases, including cell-phone related accidents. Driving while distracted occurs when a driver is doing some secondary activity – applying makeup, reading, watching videos, talking by telephone, text messaging, sending emails – in addition to driving a moving automobile.
Accidents caused by distracted drivers have increased in the past few years with the increased use of cell phones, particularly when drivers send and receive text messages and emails while driving. Text messaging and emailing with cell phones while driving is particularly dangerous because it involves each of the three main types of distractions:
- visual distraction, where the driver averts his or her eyes to focus on something other than driving and potential hazards on the road;
- manual distraction, where the driver removes his or her hands from the steering wheel in order to use or manipulate an object; and
- cognitive distraction, where the focus of the driver’s mind shifts from driving to a focus on some other thing or event.
Research has indicated that distracted driving may actually be more dangerous and unsafe than drunk driving, as tests show that drivers using mobile phones are more impaired than individuals with a 0.8 blood alcohol content (BAC). The incredibly dangerous nature of distracted driving has led numerous states, including Virginia, to outlaw texting while driving. So dangerous is distracted driving, in fact, that distracted driving may be considered grossly negligent, reckless, and may justify an award of punitive damages from a jury for willful and wanton conduct.
Statistics regarding distracted driving are nothing short of alarming:
- 9% of drivers at any given time are using cell phones, and those drivers are four times more likely to be involved in an accident;
- Distracted driving is the number one cause of death of teenagers;
- It is estimated that approximately 1,000,000 texts are sent every day by drivers while operating an automobile;
- 18% of fatalities in distraction-related crashes involved the use of a cell phone;
- 16% of fatal accidents involving drivers under the age of 20 involved distracted driving due to cell phone use.
Oftentimes the driver of the vehicle that causes an accident is not the automobile’s owner. It may be the case that an employee was driving while texting, or a teenager may be driving an automobile owned by their parents. For these and other difficult legal questions, it is important to have a lawyer knowledgeable about the intricacies of these types of cases when conducting an investigation of the accident.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a distracted driver, please call MartinWren, P.C.’s Distracted Driving Accident Attorneys, Jonathan T. Wren or Robert E. Byrne, Jr., at 855-812-9220 to schedule a free consultation. We would be happy to meet with you at your convenience, at your home, our office, or the hospital, including on evenings and weekends.