Maryland lawmakers are well aware of the dangers of cell phone use and driving. All texting while driving is illegal, as well as talking on a hand-held phone. Novice drivers are prohibited from all cell phone use, period. Nationally, 1 of every 4 crashes involves a distracted driver.
People of all ages dramatically overestimate their ability to control a vehicle traveling on a crowded road and do something else at the same time. Multi-tasking is a familiar skill much used by mothers, but does not belong behind the wheel. Texting, particularly, makes an accident 23 times more likely to happen. Approximately 40% of American teenagers report that they have been in a car when the driver was using a cell phone in a manner that endangered the passengers.
Eating and drinking while driving are everyday occurrences. People run through the drive-in for their morning coffee or a hamburger at noon. Something spills and attention is completely removed from the road for a brief period. Children in the car can be a huge distraction. Probably everyone has spotted people doing something while driving that they should not have been doing.
People become visually distracted (taking their eyes from the road and other cars), manually distracted (removing their hands from the steering wheel) or cognitively distracted (thinking about something other than driving). While it is not as unusual as it should be for a driver to become distracted from his/her primary responsibility, distracted driving is not an acceptable excuse for causing an accident. The injured victim of the accident caused by the distracted driver is entitled to recompense for their expenses, lost wages and medical bills. Don’t be bullied by the distracted driver’s insurance company into settling for far less than justice requires.
The Law Offices of Daniel J. Earnshaw, LLC provides solid representation and defense for cases involving criminal law and DUI/DWI, accidental injury, wrongful death and car accidents in Baltimore and the neighboring counties. These attorneys are dedicating their skill and experience to protecting the rights of accident victims and getting the settlements to which they are entitled. The lawyers are available 24/7; in fact, they will visit someone in the hospital or at their home if they are unable to come to the office.
