Can I be responsible for an accident if I was texting while driving?

Distracted Driving Statistics

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides:

• Over 1300 people are injured every day on our nation’s highways as a result of a distracted driving crash[1].

• Drivers who use hand held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.

Driving while using a cell phone reduces brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent.

In 2011, 3,331 people nationwide were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver, compared to 3,267 in 2010.

Connecticut Texting Laws

In the state of Connecticut, section 14-296aa[1] of the statute provides:

“no person shall operate a motor vehicle upon a highway, as defined in section 14-1, while using a hand-held mobile telephone to engage in a call or while using a mobile electronic device. An operator of a motor vehicle who types, sends or reads a text message with a hand-held mobile telephone or mobile electronic device while operating a motor vehicle shall be in violation of this section, except that if such operator is driving a commercial motor vehicle, as defined in section 14-1, such operator shall be charged with a violation of subsection (e) of this section…”

Connecticut’s laws against cellphone use and texting while driving are among the most restrictive in the nation. Unfortunately, it is not unusual to see drivers using hand-held cellphones in Waterford and New London.

Contact an Experienced Waterford Distracted Driving Attorney

If you or a loved one have been injured in an auto collision involving a distracted driver, it is important to speak to a skilled East Lyme distracted driving lawyer. At Polito & Harrington, we offer personalized and attentive service while handling your auto collision case which will be handled directly by CT & RI lawyers Humbert Polito or James Harrington. You will always be able to talk with your lawyer when you need to. We will work hard to hold people responsible for injuries caused by their carelessness.

To schedule a free consultation at Polito & Harrington to discuss your distracted driving injury claim, call 1.860.447.3300.

References

[1] https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_248.htm#sec_14-296aa