Over the last twenty years, cell phones have grown in popularity. Cell phones have become so popular that the industry has grown at a rate of 45% over the last four years.
Researchers have found that 85% of adults and 77% of teens own a mobile phone.
Although mobile phones offer a ton of features that enrich our lives, they are also a major cause of car accidents.
The distraction and accidents that result from using a mobile phone have become so bad that there has been a national campaign to teach teens why ‘texting and driving’ is so dangerous.
Staying Connected Kills:
We’ve all seen the commercials where a teenager or young adult speaks out about how ‘texting and driving’ has impacted their lives. One of the most memorable commercials is where a young man is shown severely handicapped by a brain injury he suffered because he was distracted by sending a text message while driving.
Another memorable commercial shows the sister of a teen who was killed because she tried to answer a text message while driving. The text message was: Where are you?
The young lady became distracted trying to answer the phone that she lost control of her car.
Legal Considerations For Texting, While Driving:
We have talked about how people have been killed or injured in a car accident because of ‘texting while driving’, but what happens when someone is killed because you were answering or sending text messages while driving?
Mobile phone records are easy to subpoena, and any attorney worth his salt will do so. If your mobile phone records show that you were texting before or during the time of the accident; you will be found negligent for the accident, the injury and even the death of the victim.
This can lead to a lawsuit or even prison.