Distracted Driving and Wrongful Death – When Texting Kills
Distracted driving plagues city streets, highways, and interstates all across the United States. It is a dangerous activity that is responsible for many accidents every year. These accidents injure hundreds of thousands of people and are responsible for thousands of fatalities. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than 9 people die every day in distracted driving accidents on U.S. roads.
Distraction can take many forms. Many people automatically think of texting or any use of a cell phone when they hear the term distracted driving. The reality, however, is that distractions can include adjusting the radio, eating, drinking, talking to passengers, shaving or applying makeup while driving.
All drivers have a legal duty to exercise care when operating a motor vehicle. This means that everyone must drive in the manner that a reasonable person would in the same situation. Anytime a driver fails in this duty and inflicts injury on others, those victims have the right to sue the driver for negligence. Which brings us to the connection between distracted driving and wrongful death claims.