According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, text messaging or sending emails while behind the wheel is becoming an increasing problem. Approximately one-fifth of all drivers admitted to sending messages while driving in 2010, an increase of 50 percent over the previous year. Young drivers were even more likely to text or email while on the road. Half of all drivers aged 21 to 24 admitted to sending messages from behind the wheel. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports distracted driving caused more than three thousand deaths last year. Sending messages while driving is not only unsafe, it is illegal in 35 of our nation's 50 states. At least three other states treat text messaging and the use of cellular telephones as part of a larger distracted driver issue. In Louisiana, texting and driving has been illegal since 2008, but it wasn't made a primary offense for which drivers could be pulled over until two years later. The Safety Administration currently advocates for both stricter enforcement of laws which ban texting or emailing while driving and effective educational campaigns aimed at drivers. Merely speaking with others on a cell phone can also result in distracted driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates nine percent of drivers on the road in 2010 were using a cellular telephone. This rate was even higher for drivers aged 16 to 24. In Louisiana, cell phone use by teens aged 17 and under is prohibited. Americans spend countless hours in their cars each year. Drivers who are distracted by cell phones, text messages, and email can be a serious danger to everyone on the road. A wide variety of injuries and even death may result from their negligence. If you were injured in an automobile accident due to another person's inattention, you may be eligible to receive compensation for past and future medical bills, lost wages and earning capacity, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. Because no two auto accidents are alike, an experienced car accident attorney can help you assess the amount of damages you should recover from the driver who caused your injuries. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in an automobile accident, contact Baton Rouge car accident attorney J. Price McNamara today for a Free Denial Review. He understands the uncertainty and devastation which can be caused by a serious auto accident, and is committed to helping you recover the damages you are entitled to receive. With offices in Baton Rouge and Metairie, J. Price McNamara assists clients throughout Louisiana. Call our offices today at (866) 248-0580 or contact us through our website.
J. Price McNamara
Attorney
Losing my own brother, then my father and sister after long, disabling illnesses just a few months apart drove a career change for me. Before that experience, I never truly understood the place you’re in. I never understood the dramatic impact that receiving (or not receiving) the disability and life insurance benefits you paid for and counted on can have on your life especially when you need to focus on family and healing. What I experienced with my own family now drives the way I view my clients and my work, and I will never forget it!
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