Texting and Driving Accident Lawyers

Many people may think that texting and driving is not a big deal. However, looking down at your phone for five seconds or less is all it takes to become distracted and cause an accident to occur. Recently, the National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration reported that drivers becoming distracted caused eighteen percent of fatal car accidents resulting in over three thousand deaths. If you have been injured in an accident and you feel that texting while driving may have been the cause, you should talk to a Tennessee texting and driving accident lawyer. We will review your case and help you get the compensation you are entitled to by law for what you have been through.

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You may be thinking, many people do lots of different things while they drive, why is texting so dangerous. When we are driving it is important that we are looking at the road and the drivers around us. We should also have our hands on the wheel in case we need to turn suddenly, and we should be focused on the task that we are involved in, in this case, driving. When someone texts while driving are in the back of our minds. We take our hands off the wheel to send or receive a text message. We take our eyes of the road long enough for a car to hit us or for our car to hit someone else. Finally, if we are focused on who we are texting, we are thinking about our driving. This means that texting and driving unlike other forms of distracted driving takes our attention away from all the things we need to do when we drive, making it the most dangerous type of distracted driving. If you reach for a phone, answer a phone call or text message while driving, you are three times more likely to be involved in an accident.

Many states, including Tennessee have made texting while driving illegal. However, there are some simple things you can do to help prevent yourself or others from being tempted to text while you drive. Some ways to prevent texting and driving include but are not limited to:

• turning your phone off or to silent mode while you drive
• put your cell phone somewhere where you can not reach it or see it (in the glove box for example)
• use an app that prevents you from texting while driving or alerts people trying to text you that you are driving and will text them back when you are able
• ask someone who is not driving to send or read text messages for you so that you can focus on the road.
• Educate people you know and love about the dangers of texting and driving
• Become involved in projects that promote safe driving

Texting and driving accidents can happen to anyone, all it takes is a few seconds of not paying attention to cause an accident. Texting while driving can cause some severe injuries such as head injuries, fractured bones, internal bleeding and other damage, and may result in a life long disability or in the death of someone you care about.

If you have suffered an injury or death of a loved one after an accident and you believe texting and driving may have been involved, you should contact our experienced and caring Tennessee texting and driving lawyers at the Higgins Firm. We understand how confusing and emotional this must be for you and; we will answer any questions you may have and go over your case with you to see if you may be eligible for any compensation.

As a driver, you will encounter distractions on a regular basis. It will be up to you to manage your responses to them. Handling any distractions in a minimal way is vital to safe driving. While visual distractions can lure you into taking your eyes off the road, texting while driving demands visual, manual, and cognitive attention. Not only does this make it more dangerous, but it also causes great concerns amongst professionals and anti-texting while driving advocates. According to the National Safety Council:

• In 5 seconds, a driver travelling at 55 mph and text messaging, will have covered the length of a football field.
• Texting while driving increases the risk of an accident by 23 times.
• A driving who is texting is more likely to cause an accident than a person who is intoxicated.
• Texting while driving causes at least 1.6 million accidents and 330,000 injuries every year.

Unfortunately, most drivers overestimate their capabilities. They believe that they will be able to text and drive - and without problems. Despite laws passed in most states regarding the use of a handheld phone behind the wheel, drivers continuously engage in this behavior.

Texting while driving contributes to 25 percent of accidents. Because texting slows the driver's brake reaction by up to 20 percent, the impact is often substantial, and has the potential to be catastrophic.

If you or someone you love has been harmed by a person who was texting and driving, a Tennessee texting and driving accident lawyer can be a powerful ally. Call The Higgins Firm today.