Can A Hands-Free Device Affect Auto Accident Lawsuits
Distracted driving has become a leading cause of deaths that involve automobiles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 3,166 individuals were killed in 2017 due to a distracted driving accident. As the statistics show, you cannot drive safely unless your full attention is on driving. Cell phones are incredibly distracting so different hands-free devices have become more popular. Laws that involve cell phones and hands-free devices are constantly changing to ensure safety on the roadways
Automobile accidents that involve distracted driving can cause injuries that range from minor cuts and bruises to catastrophic injuries. If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident that was caused by the negligent actions of another individual, contact an automobile accident attorney to protect your legal rights. You might have an opportunity to receive compensation for the injuries you sustained. The attorneys at Los Angeles Injury Group can assist you with your entire legal case.
The attorneys at Los Angeles Injury Group want to help you fight for your legal rights and get the justice you deserve. We are here to help you and look out for your best interests.
Hands-Free Devices & Liability
Most drivers are guilty of distracted driving daily but often it doesn’t result in an accident. Individuals may not even realize that they are distracted while driving due to certain habits and they could be held liable if an accident does occur. Distracted driving is more of a liability term since individuals are responsible for ensuring they always practice safe driving habits and don’t participate in distracted driving. Some forms of distracted driving that could affect liability include:
- Eating or drinking
- Texting or cell phone use
- Using a GPS to navigate
- Reading
- Adjusting the music
- Talking to the passengers
- Adjusting climate controls
All of these forms of distracted driving could have an impact on liability and negligence in the event of a car accident. These distractions include hands-free devices as well because they are considered cognitive distractions.
Distraction Of Hands-Free Devices
Research has shown that hands-free devices can cause the same amount of distractions as utilizing a handheld device while driving. A hands-free device can cause cognitive distractions, which can still cause serious accidents. Studies have shown that drivers who are looking straight ahead but utilizing a hands-free device experience “inattention blindness” when driving. This means that individuals may not be looking down at a phone, but they are still distracted because they are multitasking while driving which can be the cause of serious car accidents. All of their attention is not on driving so they are experiencing distractions even though they aren’t looking down at a phone.
Risks With Hands-Free Devices
Hands-free devices are safer than utilizing handheld devices while driving, but they are not risk-free. The driver is not fully concentrating on driving so, therefore, they are still mentally distracted. This means drivers could miss visual cues on the road while using voice-activated technologies. Examples of visual cues that someone could miss due to a distraction include the following:
- Failure to see a traffic light
- Failure to see a turn signal
- General awareness of your surroundings decreases
- Failure to see traffic jams which could result in a rear-end accident
You don’t have to be looking down at a device to be distracted while driving and individuals need to make note of that. Most individuals believe that they can multitask, but focusing on multiple things while driving puts yourself and others in harm’s way.
California Law
California is one of the strictest states in the United States when dealing with cell phone use in a car. In 2017, the state made changes to their cell phone laws and passed a bill that prohibits cell phone use of any kind while driving unless it is mounted in the car or the phone is in a voice activation mode.
There are consequences for individuals who are caught holding their phones while driving. If an individual is caught holding their phone and driving in the state of California, they are subject to a $20 fine on the first offense and a $50 fine for each offense after that.
California passed this law after data showed that 80 percent of all vehicle crashes in California involved a driver who was not fully paying attention. Furthermore, throughout the United States, 3,000 individuals are involved in fatal accidents each year as a result of distracted driving. Talking on the phone and texting is the most common form of distraction. Many states are following California’s lead in determining more strict laws to pass involving phone usage and distracted driving. If you are utilizing a cell phone or hands-free device while driving and cause an accident, you most certainly could be held liable for the damages.
Los Angeles Injury Group Automobile Accident Attorney
Automobile accidents that involve hands-free devices can be very dangerous and cause serious injuries. Contact a Los Angeles automobile accident attorney if you have sustained injuries in a distracted driving car accident. The attorneys at Los Angeles Injury Group are knowledgeable in California personal injury law, and our attorneys can assist you with your case.
It is crucial to have a strong legal team by your side because they work for you and will give you the best legal advice. The attorneys at Los Angeles Injury Group want to help you fight for the justice you deserve.
The attorneys at Los Angeles Injury Group understand how overwhelming these accidents can be. Our automobile accident attorneys at Los Angeles Injury Group will determine the best legal claim to file, so you can recover the maximum amount of compensation for the injuries you sustained. Contact us today to find out how our automobile accident attorneys at Los Angeles Injury Group can assist you. Call us at (310)-954-7248.