As Virginia car accident injury attorneys we have witnessed first-hand the tragic deaths and injuries that occur from distracted drivers. With nationwide campaigns bring attention to the danger one would think that this would deter many drivers. However, a number of studies and polls have found, an “It won’t happen to me” mentality is something that a lot of people have in common. Perhaps the best example comes out of the University of Southern California. Close to 1 in 5 respondents to a survey said that they can’t help but send a text or go online while driving. A similar percentage of millennials – 17 percent – confessed that they text or email while driving “often,” despite appreciating the fact that it is dangerous.
This mindset is also apparent among the nation’s youth. In a poll of high school students ranging in age from 16 to 19, a recent traffic safety study found that 60 percent of accidents examined were caused by teens who were distracted. Our personal injury attorneys feel very passionate about teens driving distracted and participate in a nationwide program called “End Distracted Driving.” Our attorneys have provided a presentations to Virginia (VA) students that included videos of families and friends who suffered the death of loved ones in a variety of distracted driving circumstances in an effort to curb the epidemic.
We also let teens know that these types of accidents not only injure the distracted driver but other innocent people as well. If a driver was the cause of a wreck and was indeed driving distracted, then they could be held liable for damages through a distracted driving wrongful death claim. Our firm has handled these types of wrongful death cases for the family members of loved ones who were killed in distracted driving accidents. We know that some at-fault drivers deeply regret their actions, but needed to be held liable for their reckless behavior.
Our firm is committed to spreading the word about the risks of distracted driving and have published an in-depth consumer report that anyone can download for free. Take a moment to download the report here.
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