Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog
Distracted driving, particularly from texting while driving, is a major cause of Washington, D.C. car accidents. Although texting while driving has been illegal in D.C. since 2004 when the city passed The Distracted Driving Safety Act, far too many individuals still text and drive, endangering not only themselves but everyone else on the roads with them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that, every day in the United States, approximately nine people are killed in crashes involving a distracted driver, and over 1,000 are injured. Texting while driving is one of the most common forms of distracted driving and has become more and more of an issue over the past decade as cellphones and other mobile devices become more commonplace.
A recent New York Times article highlights the dangers of texting and driving, as well as the difficulty securing criminal convictions when serious accidents occur. According to the article, a pedestrian was killed when the allegedly distracted driver rear-ended a second vehicle, which then hit the victim, who was on a walk. Prosecutors claimed that the first driver had been texting at the time of the crash, as evidenced by the unfinished text message on her phone.
The tragic case illustrates the dangers posed by texting while driving. A momentary distraction, causing a driver to glance away from the road, can quickly turn into a tragedy, injuring other drivers and pedestrians alike. Washington, D.C., like most other states, has laws prohibiting texting and driving, meaning that distracted drivers causing a crash may be prosecuted through the criminal justice system. However, according to a spokeswoman for the national Governors Highway Safety Association, prosecutions can be challenging, because of difficulties obtaining evidence proving that a driver was distracted. And even when prosecutions are successful, the criminal charges do very little to help the victims, if they survived, or their family members.
Understanding the serious financial and emotional effects that a car accident can have on victims and loved ones, Washington, D.C. law allows for those affected to bring a civil suit against the distracted driver, even if criminal charges have already been filed. This suit, if successful, can provide the family with monetary compensation to cover medical bills, pain and suffering, loss of companionship, lost wages, and funeral and burial costs. While it can never undo the harm caused by texting and driving, a civil suit can help ensure that a family does not go bankrupt dealing with the aftermath.
Do You Need A Washington, D.C. Personal Injury Lawyer?
At Lebowitz & Mzhen, Personal Injury Lawyers, we understand how heartbreaking it is when someone is injured or killed because of a Maryland distracted driver. If this situation has happened to you or someone you love, contact the Washington D.C. personal injury attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen. Our attorneys have decades of experience skillfully and resourcefully handling D.C. clients’ cases, working tirelessly to get them the compensation they deserve. To learn more, and to schedule your free initial consultation, call us today at 800-654-1949. Calling is risk-free, as we will not bill you for our services unless we can help you get compensation for your injuries.