Boynton Beach Texting & Driving Lawyer
Texting and driving is more dangerous than drunk driving. Both can injure and kill victims, but research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that approximately one quarter of traffic fatalities result from texting while driving. When a driver text messages behind the wheel, he or she is 23 percent more likely to cause an accident than he or she otherwise would be. This is the equivalent of the average person driving after drinking four beers. Texting is dangerous because it is a distraction. It is not the only distraction drivers face, but it is one of the most prevalent, contact our Boynton Beach texting & driving lawyers today.
Why Texting and Driving is So Dangerous
When you text message while you drive, your eyes are off the roadway for approximately 4.6 seconds. It might not sound like long, but driving at 55 miles per hour, you travel about the length of a football field in that time.
Texting does more than take your eyes off the road. It takes at least one hand off your steering wheel and your mind off the process of driving. With these three key functions derailed by your text message conversation, you are a hazard to yourself and others on the roadway.
Texting and Driving Injuries
A distracted driver can cause any type of accident, like a rear end accident, a side impact accident, a single car accident, or even a head-on collision. In any type of car accident, a victim can suffer the following injuries:
- Broken bones;
- Soft tissue injuries;
- Cuts;
- Burns;
- Traumatic brain injury;
- Spinal cord injuries; and
- Loss of an extremity or a limb.
Pursuing Compensation for your Car Accident Damages
As a Florida driver, you are required to carry personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. With this coverage, you file a claim with your own insurance provider, rather than the negligent party’s insurance provider, to recover compensation for your accident-related damages. In certain cases, though, you can file a personal injury claim after being injured in a car accident.
The key difference between a PIP claim and a personal injury claim is that with the latter, you must prove that the other party’s negligence caused you to suffer an injury and face the damages for which you are seeking compensation. In a texting and driving case, records from the negligent driver’s phone service provider showing that the phone was in use when your accident occurred can be an important piece of evidence to support your claim. Other evidence can include eyewitness testimonies and photographs of the accident scene.
Work with an Experienced Boynton Beach Personal Injury Lawyer
Another driver’s choice to text and drive should not leave you shouldering a steep financial burden. If you are facing significant financial damages after being injured in a car accident, work with an experienced personal injury lawyer to file and pursue a personal injury claim to seek monetary compensation for your damages. Contact Leifer & Ramirez today to set up your free legal consultation with us.
