Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer in the Bronx
Get Help after a Car Accident Caused by a Distracted Driver
Since the advent of smartphones, distracted driving has become an increasingly pervasive problem in the Bronx and across the U.S. Talking while driving was already dangerous, but now people are relentlessly tied to their phones at all times. Texting, emailing, instant messaging, or browsing on a mobile phone while driving takes a driver’s hands, eyes, and attention off the road. Accidents caused by distracted drivers are rapidly overtaking even drunk driving as one of the leading dangers on New York roads.
If you were injured by a distracted driver, you have the right to be compensated for the harm you suffered. At the Bronx offices of the Kohn Law Firm, we know how to pursue personal injury claims caused by distracted drivers. We will investigate your claim, collect the necessary evidence, negotiate your case with insurance companies and defense attorneys, and take your case all the way through trial where appropriate. Reach out to us today for a free consultation after your New York distracted driving car accident.
Distracted driving poses an increased risk to drivers in New York and across the U.S.
According to reports from safety experts and officials, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving is a major contributing factor to traffic fatalities across the country. Nationwide, there were 37,133 traffic fatalities in 2017, around ten percent of which were connected to distracted driving. In 2018, 4,637 people were killed in distracted driving accidents across the country.
The problem is equally pervasive in New York. Across the state, 160 people were killed, and 33,000 more were injured in distracted driving crashes in 2015. That same year, distracted driving contributed to over 21 percent of all accidents that involved injury or death.
Texting while driving is illegal and unsafe
New York traffic safety laws prohibit texting while driving. According to the New York Vehicle & Traffic Laws (VTL), while operating a motor vehicle, a driver may not use a phone or other mobile device unless:
- The device is hands-free, and
- The device is attached to the vehicle dashboard or other surface
New York law makes an exception for emergency calls to the police, fire department, or other emergency services. That means drivers may not talk on the phone unless the device is hands-free and indeed may not text, email, or perform other functions on the phone that require typing, swiping, or other manual input. Violations of the VTL are presumptive evidence of negligence in a personal injury matter and are strong proof of liability for accident-related injuries.
All types of driver distraction put everyone else at risk
Traffic safety experts identify three different types of distraction that motorists may face. Every kind of distraction is dangerous in its own right, and any combination compounds the danger. The three types of distraction are as follows:
- Visual: Eyes off the road
- Manual: Hands off the wheel
- Cognitive: Attention off of driving
Texting while driving involves all three types of distractions and thus creates very significant dangers for drivers, passengers, pedestrians, bikers, and other motorists. According to safety experts, responding to a text (which takes an average of five seconds) while traveling at 55 mph is the equivalent of driving the length of a football field while wearing a blindfold. It is extremely dangerous.
Texting while driving is not the only form of driver distraction, however. Distracted driving encompasses any activity that involves one or more of the distraction types described above, including the following:
- Texting, emailing, checking social media, or instant messaging on a mobile device
- Talking on the phone
- Eating
- Attending to hair, makeup, shaving, or other personal grooming
- Adjusting the GPS or radio
- Playing games
- Changing clothes
- Emotional distraction
- Reading
- Watching a video or other media
- Paying attention to things outside of the vehicle
If you were injured in an accident caused by a driver’s negligent or reckless performance of any of these forms of distraction while driving, you are likely entitled to compensation. A dedicated New York distracted driving accident attorney can help.
Trusted Advice and Representation After a Serious Bronx Distracted Driving Car Accident
If you’ve been injured by a distracted driver in New York, get help securing the compensation you’re owed by contacting the talented, capable, and passionate Bronx distracted driving accident lawyers at the Kohn Law Firm at 718-409-1200.
