Cellphone use is responsible for serious car accidents year in and year out. Reports indicate that hundreds of thousands of drivers admit to using their phones in the car every day. This leads to thousands of accidents resulting in injuries and even fatalities. This is why many states are moving to ban the use of handheld devices in the car.
And it is true that cellphones themselves are causing a lot of these accidents through driver distraction. But there may be a root cause that is often left unaddressed: The role of addiction.
Phones are designed to be addictive
The problem is that it’s beneficial for app developers to make phones that are as addictive as possible. This keeps people on their devices for extended periods of time, giving them the chance to sell more advertisements.
But the effect that this has on drivers is very costly. Many people understand that it’s illegal to drive with a handheld device, and they also know that it could cause a car accident. It’s not as if they are completely unaware of these issues.
However, whether they are aware or not, the addiction can take over at a key moment. Someone may leave their phone in their pocket for most of the drive, but then they feel it buzz as a notification comes in. They react instinctively and pull their phone out of their pocket, right before rear-ending the car ahead of them. They will regret their actions after the fact, but it was the initial addiction that caused them to do this,
Have you suffered injuries?
Have you been hit by a distracted driver? You may deserve compensation for medical bills, lost wages and other costs that are related to your injuries. Be sure you know what legal steps to take.