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How Many Fatal Crashes Have Been Caused By Drivers Using Cellphones?

Even just five years ago, if you wanted a chauffeured ride in NYC, you were limited to the options of calling your local car service or standing outside and waiting for an empty, on-duty cab to drive by (which, unless, you were in prime areas of Manhattan, meant you could be waiting a long time). Now, ridesharing app services like Uber and Lyft have changed everything, bringing down prices for rides and extending car service all across the city. But, unlike taxi and livery services which tend to employ long-term drivers, these ridesharing apps employ “independent contractors” who may never have driven professionally before or even had face-to-face interaction with any types of supervisors or managers at Uber or Lyft. This calls into question the safety of the drivers working for these ridesharing apps, both with regard to their skills as drivers and their potentially criminal intentions, all leading to the question of whether it is safe to ride in an Uber or Lyft car alone.

The 2015 Lexus GS350 was driven by an unidentified 24-year old at the time it collided into the 12-year old at the intersection of Dahill and Cortelyou at 7 AM on a September Wednesday morning. Police arrived at the scene and appeared to conclude that the collision was an accident and did not issue a summons.

Distracted Driving Now Nearly Tied for Leading Cause of Accidents

The National Safety Council (NSC) collects data related to traffic accident throughout the United States, and, in recent years, distracted driving has continuously risen as a leading cause of accidents. The NSC’s 2016 study on safety on the road found that the three leading cause of accidents were:

  • Alcohol/Impaired Driving (30.6%)
  • Speeding (30%)
  • Distracted Driving (26%)

In 2015, over 38,000 people died on U.S. roadways in accidents. The above statistic thus indicates that just over a quarter of those fatalities – or just under 10,000 deaths – involved distracted driving. To put that in perspective, that is over twice as many U.S. soldiers who died in the Iraq War which lasted for over eight years, and the deaths from distracted driving occur each and every year. And, perhaps worst of all, there is never a good reason to sacrifice road safety in favor of your cellphone or some other device, and so these deaths are unnecessary and preventable.

What to Do If You’ve Been in an Accident Involving Distracted Driving

As drivers, each and every one of us can pledge to avoid distracted driving, but unfortunately we cannot prevent what other drivers might do. If you are in a car accident, it may or may not be clear to you that the driver causing the accident was engaged in distracted driving when the accident occurred. That’s why it’s important to contact the police as soon as an accident occurs to have a full report written up, and to also begin working with an experienced auto accident attorney. By contacting a personal injury / wrongful death attorney as soon as possible, your attorney can begin investigating the facts of the accident (including the presence of distracted driving) and work towards a full recovery for all of your injuries through a settlement or verdict at trial.

With extensive experience in handling automobile personal injury cases, the Law Offices of Justin D. Brandel will fight to get you the maximum recovery for your injuries. If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident, call now for a free consultation.

Legal Help For Those Injured in Taxi or Uber/Lyft Accidents

Whether you’ve been injured in a taxi accident or an Uber or Lyft accident, or a loved one has died in such an accident, help is available for your personal injury or wrongful death claim. With extensive experience in handling automobile personal injury cases, the Law Offices of Justin D. Brandel will fight to get you the maximum recovery for your losses. Call now for a free consultation.

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