Distracted Driving

What is Distracted Driving?

Distracted Driving is when a person operates a motor vehicle while engaging in activities that divert attention from driving tasks, such as:

Talking on a cell phone
Using a navigation system
Texting or emailing
Eating
Adjusting hair or makeup
Using the audio system
Texting

What is Distracted Driving?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “Distracted driving is any activity that…takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.” Studies have shown that texting while driving significantly increases the likelihood of a crash or near-crash event. The detrimental effects of distracted driving can range from minor fender-benders to severe accidents resulting in life-altering injuries or fatalities.

Understanding the risks associated with distracted driving and adopting safe driving practices can help mitigate its adverse impacts on road safety and overall public safety.

More information about Distracted Driving

New York Man Awarded $1.5 Million After Debilitating Auto Accident

A man who suffered “a permanent, significant physical limitation” as the result of a serious automobile accident on Route 104 in Ontario, New York, has been awarded over $1.5 million by a Monroe County Supreme Court jury.

The man was stopped at a stop light in 2009 when he was hit from behind by another vehicle. He was diagnosed with acute lumbar spine injuries. The defendant’s insurance company, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., offered to settle the case for $5,000 and refused mediation or arbitration to settle the case, forcing the case into trial.

InsuranceNewsNet.com reports the man was awarded $1.25 million in past, present and future pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life, along with $321,250 in past and future medical expenses.

About Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys
Munley Law is a Pennsylvania accident and injury law firm that represents car accident victims and their families throughout the state of Pennsylvania and the Northeast, […]

LA County Hospital Likely to Pay $2.8 Million in Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

Los Angeles County officials will likely agree to a $2.8 million settlement in a lawsuit brought by a woman whose child suffered birth injuries at the County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in March 2008.

In a lawsuit filed by the then 18-year-old, the woman claims the medical staff failed to perform an emergency cesarean section when she was showing signs of distress during labor. Her son was later diagnosed with neurological injuries from fetal distress, according to an article in the Contra Costa Times.

The hospital will also waive the nearly $20,000 hospital bill and will cover the $16,000 lien placed against the woman’s home. In addition, the hospital was required to implement safety measures to prevent future incidents similar to this one.
About Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys

Munley Law is a Pennsylvania accident and injury law firm that represents car accident victims and their families throughout the state of Pennsylvania and the Northeast, […]

Car Accident Round-Up – Car Plunges into Lake Killing Three

Three pronounced dead after divers pull them out of submerged car

Three Men Drown in Florida When Car Plunges into Lake
Local10.com reports three men drowned after their car ran off the road and plunged into a Pompano Beach, FL lake. The early Saturday morning car accident occurred when the car was traveling south on Andrews Avenue off Sample Road. Apparently, the car ran off the road, hit a guard rail then veered into the lake. Rescue divers pulled the men from the water, and they were then rushed to the hospital where all three were pronounced dead. Police are continuing to investigate, and autopsies will be performed on all the men.

Fatal Dayton, Ohio Accident Kills Two
Two young adults lost their lives in a violent crash early Saturday morning when a car smashed into their Ford Neon while they were stopped at a light in Dayton, […]

Car Accident Round-Up – Teenagers Die in Early Morning FL Accident

Car spins out of control, strikes light post and splits in two killing two teenagers in fatal accident

Two Teens Dead, One Critical After Miami Accident
The Miami-Herald reports a 2:30 a.m. Saturday accident in Miami, FL left two teenagers dead and another critically injured when the car in which they were traveling struck a light post on the highway causing the vehicle to split in half. The accident, on the Dolphin Expressway near Northwest 17th Avenue, occurred when the car swerved and crossed the inside lane and shoulder, spun and struck the concrete wall and a light post. The two pieces of the car blocked both the westbound and eastbound lanes of the highway. The 17-year-old driver and an 18-year-old passenger were pronounced dead at the scene. The second passenger, 18-years-old, was found seat belted into the rear section of the car. She was taken to Ryder Trauma Center. […]

Florida Supreme Court Upholds $10.3 Million Medical Malpractice Award

The widow of a man who suffered a heart attack and died when his Palms West Hospital doctor failed to give him the anti-clotting drug Retavase will receive the $10.3 million previously awarded, according to a ruling by the Florida Supreme Court this week. The award amount was being disputed due to the $1 million medical malpractice cap put in place in Florida months after the man’s death.

The court referred to a decision rendered in July when it determined the award cap could not be applied retroactively. The man died in 2003, however, the lawsuit was not filed until 2005. The defense argued the time of lawsuit should be used and thus, the cap limits should apply.

The award amount had also been upheld by the Fourth District Court of Appeal in 2009 saying, “It is therefore well settled that retrospective laws are generally unjust.” […]

Missouri Family Awarded $7 Million in Fatal Tractor-Trailer Accident

The family of a tractor-trailer driver who died in a 2008 Arkansas truck accident has been awarded $7 million by a federal jury. The fatal crash between two tractor-trailers occurred when a truck owned by Dunaway Timber Co. crossed the center line hitting the other truck head-on.

The lawsuit alleged that Dunaway’s driver was fatigued after driving longer than the U.S. Department of Transportation rules allowed. The driver also was inexperienced and had a “horrible driving record,” according to the lawsuit. Both the driver and Dunaway Timber were found liable.

Maverick Transportation, which employed the deceased driver, sued Dunaway because of damage to their truck. They were awarded $93,000.
About Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys

Munley Law is a Pennsylvania accident and injury law firm that represents car accident victims and their families throughout the state of Pennsylvania and the Northeast, […]

Car Accident Round-Up – Three Dead, Four Injured in VA Head-On Collision

Jeep Cherokee crosses center line, causes head-on car accident

VA Accident Kills Three, Injures Four
According to the Roanoke Times, a Jeep Cherokee carrying four people crashed head-on into a Plymouth van carrying three people Saturday afternoon in Bedford, VA leaving three people dead and four injured. The Jeep was heading eastbound on Virginia 24 when it crossed the center line striking the westbound van. The driver and front passenger of the Jeep died; the other two passengers were air lifted to a nearby hospital. The front passenger of the van died; the driver and another passenger were taken to a local hospital.

Fatal Accident in FL on I-95
First Coast News reports an early morning accident on Wednesday closed down northbound lanes on I-95 near US 1 and SR 206 in St. Johns County, Florida. Although details are unclear, apparently a pickup truck flipped several times after crashing into another vehicle. […]

Pennsylvania Hospital to Pay $2.2 Million in Birth Injury Lawsuit

UPMC Hamot and several of its doctors have settled a lawsuit filed in 2008 against a woman alleging a “botched” delivery resulted in cerebral palsy and other medical problems for her child. The childbirth was in 1998.

The woman went to the hospital in February 1998, after going into labor two months prematurely. The lawsuit claims the medical staff failed to respond appropriately to indications that the fetus was in distress. Neither the hospital nor the doctors admitted any wrongdoing.

The child will not be able to live independently and suffers from cognitive impairment, seizures and motor and language delay.

According to The Erie Times-News, the tax-free $2.2 million will be placed in a special-needs trust and paid out over time to cover the costs of the child’s medical care over her lifetime.

About Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys

Munley Law is a Pennsylvania accident and injury law firm that represents car accident victims and their families throughout the state of Pennsylvania and the Northeast, […]

Car Accident Round-Up – One Dead, Five Injured in Multi-Vehicle Crash in FL

Out-of-control vehicle spins into oncoming lane colliding with two other vehicles in fatal accident

FL Accident Kills One, Leaves Five Critically Injured
A multi-vehicle crash over the weekend in Frostproof, Florida left one person dead and five others critically injured. The Miami Herald reports that a vehicle on U.S. 27 northbound ran off the roadway, overcorrected and spun around sending it into the southbound lanes where it collided with two other vehicles. The driver of the out-of-control vehicle died; her two passengers were taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Three occupants of the other vehicles were listed in critical condition. Police were continuing to investigate the accident.

Heart Attack Kills Driver of Rock Band Bus in Iowa
According to the Ames Tribune, the driver of the charter bus for the rock band Widespread Panic apparently suffered a heart attack while driving the bus on Interstate 35 last week south of Ames, […]

Car Accident Round-Up – Five Die in Fiery Michigan Accident

Both cars catch fire in wrong way car crash killing all five involved

MI Accident Kills Five in Wrong-Way Collision
In a tragic, fiery crash in Detroit, MI early Sunday morning, five people died when a driver traveling the wrong-way on the M-10 crashed head-on into another vehicle. An SUV carrying four people and a passenger car, with just the driver in the car, slammed into each other causing both cars to erupt into flames killing the occupants of both vehicles. Police are unsure of the cause of the accident and do not know which car was traveling the wrong way. The northbound lanes of the highway were shut down for nearly six hours.

Two Die in Multi-Vehicle FL Accident
NorthEscambia.com reports that a Friday morning accident on I-10 near Pensacola, FL took the lives of one adult and a child. […]

Car Accident Round-Up – Motorcyclists Die in Florida Accident

Motorcyclist and passenger die after being hit from behind and thrown into traffic

FL Motorcyclist and Passenger Die in Multi-Vehicle Accident
Both the driver of a motorcycle and his passenger died when a Ford Explorer struck the cycle from behind on I-4 near mile marker 122 in DeLand, Florida early Sunday morning. The Sun-Sentinel reports both occupants were thrown from the motorcycle and were run over by approaching vehicles who could not avoid the wreckage. A third vehicle swerved and hit a tree leading to a fire. The driver of the Explorer fled the scene of the crash; however, police have identified a woman who is a person of interest.

Teenager Dies in KY Roll-Over Accident
A Monday afternoon car accident in Nelson County, KY, claimed the life of one teenager and sent two more to the hospital. The 17-year-old driver apparently lost control of her car as she was heading east on Old Bloomfield Road. […]

Car Accident Round-up — Cell Phone/Text Messaging Implicated In S.C Teen’s Death

Distracted driving is a leading cause of car accidents in the United States

Cell Phone/Text Messaging Involved In S.C Teen’s Death

South Carolina State troopers say a high school senior was killed when her Honda Accord crossed the center lane and hit the rear tires of a log truck’s trailer which was traveling in the opposite direction. The accident happened in Beaufort County. Witnesses say the student appeared to be looking down at the time of the accident and information retrieved from her phone shows she was reading and sending text messages while driving home from school. She had read a text less than a minute before the first 911 call was made, reports WITN.com.

One Dead and One Injured In Fiery Salt Lake City Crash

It is not yet know if a woman died from her injuries after her Mazda sedan hit a pickup truck in downtown Salt Lake City or if she died from the flames when her car caught fire after the impact, […]

Car Accident Round-Up — All Is Not ‘OK’ When Text Messaging Before Car Wreck

Distracted driving including text messaging is a leading cause of car accidents

Homeless Man Dead After Thanksgiving Accident With Jackie Autry’s Car

The widow of former Angels owner Gene Autry says the Thanksgiving night event which left a homeless man dead was an accident, reports the Los Angeles Times. She was driving home from a Thanksgiving dinner and traveling about 25 mph when she hit a man who crossed the street with no lights and wearing black clothes. She called 911 but the man died about an hour later, the paper reported.

Forty Plus Car Accidents In Delaware County Due To Winter Weather

Wednesday’s brutal weather, which followed months of above average temperatures, brought over 40 car accident reports to police departments in Delaware County, reports the starpress.com. Injuries, roll-overs, and vehicular entrapments were reported, but no fatalities.

Two Car Fatal Accident Closes Route 29 in Easton, […]

Despite Ban, Teens Using Cell Phones While Driving

According to a recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, despite states’ efforts to outlaw teen drivers from chatting on their cell phones, it is occurring at the same level as before the bans went into effect.

Earlier this week, researchers released the finding of an in depth look at North Carolina’s teen driver cell phone ban. They found that even though 95% of parents and 74% of teens support the ban, the new law isn’t reducing the number of teens using their phones while driving. Prior to the ban going into effect, researchers observed 11% of teens leaving high schools with one hand on the wheel, one hand on their phone. Then, after the ban was passed, researchers went back to the same high schools and observed 12% of teens chatting away while driving.

Researchers found that females were more likely than their male counterparts to be using cell phones while driving. […]

AAA: 9% Admit Driving Drunk, 54% Admit Using Phone While Driving

Traffic safety poll displays drivers’ hypocritical behavior

The AAA Foundation, the non-profit arm of AAA Auto Club, recently released its annual Traffic Safety Culture Index for 2008.

The survey, conducted on nearly 3,000 American motorists 18+, revealed a “do as I say, not as I do” mentality amongst most drivers.

75% of those surveyed feel that they are safer drivers than others out on our nation’s roadways; however, most admit to engaging in the same risky behavior they deem “serious or extremely serious” safety violations by others.

87% rate drunk driving as the number one concern they have about roadway safety; however, 9% (roughly 15 million adult motorists) admit to having driven under the influence within the past 30 days. This includes almost 2% that report doing it “very often.”

After drunk driving, 82% of participants rated distracted driving as the #2 concern for road safety. […]