Take a look at the accident reports provided by the Minnesota State Patrol and you’ll start to see a pattern. A driver overcorrects and rolls into a ditch, another driver drifts out of his or her lane and loses control of the vehicle when he or she tries to correct the error.
On October 18th, a driver had to be extricated from a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Marston Bush had begun to drift onto the shoulder of the road, when he overcorrected quickly and lost control of his car. The car ended up crossing the highway and rolled over several times. The Jeep was found in a ditch off of Highway 2. Bush suffered serious injuries.
On October 19th, a Saturn driving on Highway 65, went off the road when the driver failed to properly negotiate a curve in the road. The Saturn was found completely submerged in water. Three individuals were involved in the accident. A two-year old child sustained serious injuries as a result of this accident.
While the precise details that led to these accidents remain to be investigated by the Minnesota State Patrol, one might wonder about personal and bodily injury differences and how one little irresponsible moment could be a matter of life and death for someone. They might also wonder about the major factors that could have possibly contributed to these accidents where there were apparently no other vehicles involved, though passengers in these cars were clearly affected by the driver’s actions.
Health.com news recently reported that cell-phone use actually contributes to more fatal accidents in the U.S. than any other cause. Using a cell phone to text while driving is considered more deadly than using alcohol. When drivers choose to text and drive, not only is their attention drawn away from the road, but their eyes are drawn away from the highway as well. When this occurs, drivers can miss important features in the road, including stop signs, or sharp curves. The results of these accidents are sometimes tragic, with deaths or personal injuries reported. Losing loved ones to fatal accidents is a devastating situation but remember, you have the right to take legal action and, if you’re in Richmond, you could do so by contacting Marks & Harrison.
Among 15 to 18 year-olds, driver error accounts for more accidents than any other cause. Youth drivers are still learning how to negotiate the hazards of the road. However, when these risk factors are combined with cell phone use, there is a clear recipe for disaster. Even in their slightly older counterparts, the reckless use of phones while driving often proves to be problematic. Considering that about 91% of colleges grads own a smartphone, and almost all of them drive, the probability of road accidents significantly increases.
Researchers have found that cell phone use causes about 26% of accidents that occur every year. Five percent of these accidents could have been prevented had the driver not been texting while on the road.
Personal injuries cost U.S. citizens 190 billion dollars annually.
Fortunately, the law protects victims from having to shoulder the bills for injuries they have not caused themselves. If you have been in an accident, where you are not culpable, you need a personal injury lawyer in Minneapolis, Minnesota who can help you receive compensation for your injuries, medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. The Law Office of Martin T. Montilino has years of experience protecting victims’ rights and helping them seek justice if they have been victims of another driver’s cell phone use, or distracted driving.