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01/28/2021

Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of accidents in the USA. The law, in all of the states, requires drivers to be eternally vigilant, have a clear idea of their surroundings, and not engage in any activity that may cloud their attention on the road.

This also includes texting – which is one of the worst forms of distracted driving. So that brings up the question, 'Why is texting and driving so dangerous?'

If a driver gets involved in an accident, whilst texting and driving, they’ll be considered at-fault without question.. Distracted driving has caused numerous accidents and fatalities... But these accidents can be prevented, and this article will detail why texting and driving is not something to be taken lightly.

What Is Distracted Driving & How Does It Relate To Texting?

Distractions can be sorted into the following types:

Cognitive: Such distractions happen when the driver’s focus is lifted from driving and they’re instead vesting their mental strength elsewhere. Conversing with the passengers is a prominent example of cognitive distractions.

Manual: This happens when the drivers don’t have their hands on the steering wheel. They may be reaching for something in the glove compartment or the back seat, and hence completely disconnected with the wheel.

Visual: If the driver's eyes are not fixed on the road, then that is construed as a visual distraction.

The problem with texting is that it is not one of these forms of distraction – it combines all of them under one umbrella. Thus, texting is one of the worst forms of distraction that drivers can have, even worse than drunk driving (because in this case, the response time is 23 percent slower).

Texting while driving can get people fined up to $500 or even send them behind bars, depending on the seriousness of the environment.

Why Do People Text While Driving?

Why do people keep on doing it?

If texting while driving is so bad then why don’t people stop? It’s not like anyone’s encouraging them to do so. The problem here is that people do know that it’s neither okay nor legal, but they still do it. When asked, most people respond by saying that they are capable of multi-tasking.

The point, however, is that a driver should be focused on driving more than anything else. Thus, the excuse of multi-tasking is not a solid one – even if people genuinely believe that they can do so safely. It is illegal for all drivers to text while driving but implementing this law is not that simple.

There’s no way of knowing whether a person is texting while driving. People can use their GPS while driving, hence to an onlooker, a person touching a phone’s screen while inside a car could as well be typing in a location.

The only solution to this problem is spreading awareness among the teenagers and grownup wealthy people (who do this act the most) – letting them know that it is not okay.

texting and driving

What Are The Consequences Of Texting While Driving?

How bad can something so innocent such as texting be? It all depends on context: in a public place, from your home, in the gym, pretty anywhere where you're not driving, it’s okay, but not when you’re behind the steering wheel.

Distracted driving accidents can be fatal.

But even in the case of non-fatal accidents, the consequences are horrendous. Severe brain trauma, spine injuries, broken bones, damage to the internal organs, injuries to the soft tissues, amputations, and disfigurations are very frequent in such accidents.

Things can turn from bad to worse for head-on collisions, which result mostly due to distractions. Remember that a head-on collision at 43 mph or faster can be fatal.

Even in a minor accident, the victim can suffer from pain in the head, neck, and spine. Bruises and injuries are also a possibility. This is often referred to as pain and suffering.

Thus, to say that distractions are dangerous would be a huge understatement.

Seeking Financial Compensation For A Distracted Driving Accident

If you were wronged by a driver who was distracted, you should sue them for a fair reimbursement. Your sufferings and losses resulted due to their negligence and indifference, you should go to every length to not only get even but also make an example of them and showing the public that it's not okay.

In the event of a distracted driving accident, the driver who had his attention elsewhere would be the one to blame.

The victim can sue for all the economic and non-economic losses incurred by the accident. The former include medical expenses, property damage, loss of income, out of pocket expenses, and so on. These are, however, only one half of the story.

The victim also reserves the right to fair compensation for the pain, agony, psychological stress, or the wrongful death of a loved one.

Usually, the sum averages around $15,000, however, it can be much more than this too.

Calhoun Meredith Can Help You

While you can deal with the whole process on your own as an accident victim, it is never a good idea to do so. Whether the accident was major or minor, you must get in touch with our car accident lawyers to explore your options and rights and to better proceed with getting a fair compensation.

Having a team of professional personal injury lawyers by your side will not only improve your chances of getting maximum compensation but will also make the whole process much simpler.

Insurance companies have a nasty habit of denying appropriate compensation on the slightest technicalities, and the at-fault party may also try to evade the blame.

To combat such cheap tactics, you need a lawyer by your side. Calhoun Meredith has been in the legal business for years now and we have helped tons of clients with their cases. We commit to the cause of our clients and see to it that they are never mistreated by the insurers or the reps of the at-fault party.

Just give us a call, and we’ll explain everything to you, don’t worry, consultation is free!

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