Distracted driving causes thousands of California car accidents

There are over 24,000 licensed drivers in California. Every driver has something on their mind, whether it is a fight with their spouse, an important presentation at work or an upcoming Caribbean vacation. Unfortunately, a large number of drivers are even further distracted by other things, such as food or their cell phones, resulting in many car accidents per year that result in serious injury and even death.

A distracted driver is someone is not primarily focused on the most important task at hand, which is clearly maneuvering and operating their vehicle in a safe and proper manner. Distractions, such as texting or talking on the phone, grooming, engaging in conversation with other passengers in the vehicle, changing the song on the radio or eating are all dangerous to the driver, passengers, other drivers on the road and innocent bystanders. Roughly 660,000 drivers at any given minute in the daylight are using cell phones or other electronic devices, while they are driving. In 2012, 3,328 people in the United States died and around 421,000 people were injured in an accident as the result of a distracted driver.

When someone is texting and driving or is otherwise distracted and causes a car accident that injures another person, they should be held responsible. Traumatic brain injuries, broken bones and death, in addition to a whole host of other injuries, can result from a distracted driver, causing the victim or its family medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and other negative financial impacts, such as the cost of a funeral if the victim is killed. People who have been injured in an accident because of a distracted driver may want to contact an experienced personal injury attorney. Families of those injured in similar accidents may also benefit from contacting a knowledgeable attorney, as the attorney may be able to help recover damages for their emotional and financial losses.

Distracted drivers are extremely hazardous to encounter. Accidents that result from the distracted driver’s negligence can result in serious injury and expensive medical bills for the victim or its family.

Source: Distraction.gov, “What is Distracted Driving?,” accessed on Oct. 29, 2014