Hit by a texting driver? Call Reaves Law Firm, PLLC!

In Tennessee, texting while driving has been directly linked to 1,361 accidents since 2006. In 2013, 181 accident reports listed texting, PDA, or Blackberry usage as a cause or contributing factor[1]. That same year, Tennessee Highway Patrol handed out 803 texting while driving citations[2]. Many accidents may not be properly attributed to texting because, in Tennessee, drivers are still allowed to dial numbers for the purposes of making phone calls, and the two actions look very similar.

Texting while driving is dangerous. So dangerous, in fact, that it was made illegal (TCA 55-8-199)[3]. Texting is among the more dangerous things a person can do while driving, because it involves three types of distraction:

• Visual – takes a driver’s eyes off the road
• Cognitive – takes a driver’s mind off the situation at hand
• Manual – does not allow for the driver to have both hands on the wheel

It can be difficult to determine if cellphone use directly contributed to an accident, but in some cases, cell phones can be used as evidence in car accident cases. This is a type of electronic discovery.

Texting While Driving Kills

Reaves Law Firm, PLLC is prepared to handle wrongful death cases in which the victim was killed in a texting while driving accident. Driver distraction kills more than 3,000 people every year[4], and yet many people continue to do it. In a recent survey, 87% of respondents agreed that texting while driving is dangerous, and yet 18% of people surveyed said they could not resist the urge to check their phones while driving[5].

Even when texting while driving doesn’t kill, it often results in injuries. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly one in five injury-causing crashes is the result of distracted driving[6].

What You Can Do

If you or someone you love has been involved in an accident because of a texting driver, we encourage you to contact a Memphis car accident lawyer at Reaves Law Firm, PLLC today. With our lead attorney’s experience in the field of insurance defense, we know how the other side thinks and can come up with an effective strategy for your case. Get in touch with us today so you can learn your legal rights and options! 

Resources

[1]https://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/safety/attachments/DrvrAction.pdf 
[2]http://www.wsmv.com/story/24933262/citations-increase-for-texting-while-driving-in-tn
[3]https://www.tn.gov/safety/article/top10tnlaws
[4]https://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cause-of-accident/cell-phone/cell-phone-statistics.html
[5]http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/03/12/texting-driving-dangerous-behavior/70147834/
[6] https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/