Too many New York residents have suffered injuries or lost loved ones in auto collisions with distracted drivers. In fact, this is a nationwide problem, affecting thousands upon thousands of people and families a year. Here are a few facts about distracted drivers and car accidents.
According to End Distracted Driving, in 2015 in the United States, just over 35,000 people lost their lives in car accidents. Distracted driving is thought responsible for 10 percent of those fatalities. Roughly 391,000 individuals suffered injuries in collisions with distracted drivers. While distracted driving is an action that a person of any age may be guilty of, teenagers are thought most likely to get distracted while behind the wheel of a car. In fact, 58 percent of accidents involving teens are said to be the result of distracted driving.
There are three types of distracted driving: cognitive, manual and visual. Cognitive distraction occurs when one’s mind is elsewhere — such as thinking about work, school or any other number of stresses in one’s life. Manual distractions occur when a driver takes his or her hands off the wheel — such as to text, make a call, eat, apply make up or change the radio station. Finally, visual distractions are those that take a person’s eyes off the road — again this could be texting or making a phone call, looking at scenery or interacting with passengers.
New York residents who believe that they have been hurt or lost loved ones in car accidents caused by distracted drivers may have legal recourse. Legal claims applicable to one’s case may be filed in civil court. From there, the case may be settled through out-of-court negotiations or it may proceed to trial. Either way, with an experienced attorney at one’s side, fair and full compensation can be sought.
Source: enddd.org, “Distracted Driving Facts“, Accessed on March 3, 2018
