Texans who are in a car crash should be cognizant of the variety of reasons that could have been the cause. Because a car accident can lead to significant medical expenses, lost time at work, major issues for the injured person and his or her family, it is vital to understand the cause of the accident. For example, some accidents come about because of a driver who was under the influence. It can also happen because a driver was distracted. There are numerous ways in which a driver can be distracted with the litany of devices and items that are available. As recent studies have shown, other combinations of aspects can contribute to being a distracted driver.
Researchers are regularly trying to determine why drivers take their attention away from the road to focus on other things and become a distracted driver. A survey of drivers in the South — including Texas — by Travelers says that peoples’ jobs are having an impact on them paying attention to the road when driving. According to the study, close to half of those who responded said they replied to various forms of contact from work when they were driving. 28 percent of Southerners who replied stated that their boss had texted or called them despite the employee being behind the wheel.
This is problematic because of the number of distracted driving accidents in Texas is substantial with more than 109,000 in 2016. That was a rise of 3 percent from the previous year. There were more than 3,000 serious injuries from these crashes. Over 450 people were killed. Travelers recommends that expectations should be set between employer and employee to push safety with supervisors allowing employees not to respond immediately if they are driving at the time of the contact.
The cause of a car crash can be a major part of a legal filing. When there is a car accident, the car accident victim will have a lot to deal with from medical expenses to lost wages to needing long-term care. With this survey, it is shown that many of the distracted driving incidents can be attributed to people who feel the need to answer a call from work or reply to an email or text as soon as it comes in. This is dangerous. In the aftermath of car accidents, having legal help to investigate the case and determine its cause is imperative to seeking compensation in a legal filing. The first call that the injured person should make is to a qualified lawyer.
Source: chron.com, “Is your boss making you a distracted driver?,” Andrea Rumbaugh, Nov. 10, 2017
