A study conducted by the National Safety Council reports that cell phone use caused 26% of the country's car accidents. Surprisingly, only 5% of cell phone-related car accidents occurred due to texting while driving. Most of the accidents involving cell phone use included talking on a hand-held device or using hands-free cell phones. This report, along with a “Voice-to-Text Driver Distraction Study” conducted by Texas A&M, warns drivers that while texting and driving are dangerous, talking while driving is also dangerous.
Talking and Driving Causes a Significant Number of Car AccidentsMany drivers are aware that texting while driving is extremely dangerous. After all, a driver only needs to look down for five seconds to drive the entire length of a football field. These types of distractions can lead to devastating accidents, and many Americans have died as a result of reading or sending a text message.
Some drivers have determined that since texting and driving are dangerous, they should use voice-to-text to send text messages. This means that drivers will speak into their cell phones, and the cell phone sends the text message. When sending voice-to-text messages, the driver does not need to use his or her hands. Sending voice-to-text messages may seem safer. However, as the research mentioned above notes, voice-to-text causes more accidents every year than texting while driving. The performance of drivers and their ability to focus is almost equally affected during manual texting and voice texting.
According to the research, driving and talking on a hand-held sound has a 2.45 workload rating. On the other hand, talking on a hands-free cell phone has a 2.27 workload rating. Using a talk-to-text application while driving has a 3.06 workload rating. Every year, there are over 240,000 car accidents involving cell phone use. Hundreds of people die every year as a result of some type of cell phone use while driving. Also, it is possible that these numbers are lower than in reality because many drivers may not admit to texting or cell phone use while driving.
Proving Liability in a Cell Phone-Related Car AccidentTexting while driving is illegal in North Carolina, but many people continue to manually text and drive or use voice applications to text and drive. If you have been injured by a driver who was using a cell phone, you need to work with an experienced personal injury lawyer. It often takes a police investigation or an independent legal investigation to prove that the at-fault driver was using a cell phone when the accident occurred.
Most drivers will not admit that they are using a cell phone during the accident because they are afraid of liability and criminal charges. However, your lawyer can help you investigate the at-fault driver’s phone records to prove that they were texting and driving or using their cell phone when the car accident happened. Car accident lawyers in the Charlotte region regularly request the court to issue subpoenas of driver’s cell phone records so they can prove civil liability and motor vehicle crashes.
Damages Available in North Carolina Car AccidentsPlaintiffs who win personal injury lawsuits may be entitled to damages for their injuries. Similarly, car accident victims can file an insurance claim for repayment for the expenses associated with the car accident. When you file a lawsuit after your car accident, you are asking the court to make the at-fault driver pay for your economic and non-economic damages, which may include the following:
Have you or your loved one become injured in a cell phone-related car accident? If so, time is of the essence. Speaking with an experienced car accident lawyer as soon as possible can help you significantly with your legal claim. Whether you are pursuing compensation through an insurance policy or a personal injury lawsuit, you need an experienced lawyer advocating for you in your corner. Contact Arnold & Smith, PLLC today to schedule your initial consultation to learn how we can fight for your right to compensation for your injuries.