Educating Yourself on the Perils of Distracted Driving

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Not all drivers are able to maintain their focus and attention to the road, no matter how long or short the distance of the trip is. More often than not, their one hand is on the steering wheel while the other is clutching on their cell phones, speaking with a friend or office colleague or texting a loved one.

Looking up ahead on the road and then on the phone screen and back again is just a piece of cake for those who are used to it. However, doing so puts them in danger of getting seriously injured or killed. Such is distracted driving.

To begin with, distracted driving is any activity that disrupts the attention of the driver to his or her primary task, which is, of course, driving. In other words, taking your eyes off the road for just a few seconds, or even removing your hands off the steering wheel, could spell disaster not only for you, but also for your passenger/s, pedestrians, and other motorists that share the road with you.

Distractions that drivers do while behind the wheel include using mobile phones to text or call, grooming, reading, tinkering with the car stereo, and talking to passengers, among many others. Moreover, distracted driving is one of the key factors as to why accidents occur on America’s roadways.

In fact, deaths related to distracted driving increased by 1.9 percent in 2011, in which 3,331 such deaths were recorded. Injuries, however, decreased by 7 percent that same year, in which an estimated 387,000 such injuries were recorded. Said data shows how deadly getting distracted while driving can be.

Fortunately, states and other localities have made strides to end distracted driving on their roadways. In fact, many of them have passed and implemented stringent laws that prohibit texting, talking on the cell phone, and other non-driving activities while driving.

Aside from that, distracted driving-related information through websites allow people to become educated and be informed about the perils of driving distractions, which would enable them to make decisions on what they should and should not do behind the wheel. Meanwhile, Los Angeles personal Injury Lawyers and other legal experts believe that learning from distracted driving and its perilous effects to drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and other motorists can help promote better and safe driving on the road.

Pedestrian Accidents: Threat to Young Students

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Pedestrian accidents are likely to happen in crowded areas like school zones. Because of this, it is imperative for drivers to mind their surroundings when driving and to slow down when passing by crosswalks or crowded places. This is because school zones are hotspots for pedestrian accidents. According to reports, in 2010, about 100 children died due to pedestrian accidents near school zones.

In the State of California, pursuant to California Vehicle Code (VC) 21950, drivers must give way to crossing pedestrians. The VC specifically states that: "The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right of way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.”

California drivers must therefore remember that even a simple traffic violation like failing to give way to crossing pedestrians could result in horrific and fatal consequences. This is because child pedestrians do not have the ability to effectively protect themselves from road accidents. Additionally, children who get involved in a pedestrian accident are likely to sustain major injuries, including:

•    Fractured bones

•    Extreme lacerations

•    Spinal cord injury

•    Traumatic brain injury

•    Severe bruises

•    Multiple bone fractures

•    Head concussion

•    Internal bleeding

•    Brain hemorrhage

Accordingly, parents of children who got injured in a pedestrian accident are advised to file a pedestrian accident claim against the driver involved in the incident. Under the tort law, injured parties in a road accident may be entitled to compensations for them to recover from the injuries they sustained. However, claiming for the said payments is not easy, which is why parents of injured children should hire a competent Los Angeles injury attorneys who can assist them in claiming for injury damages.

    

On this note, a Los Angeles pedestrian accident attorney can provide the following assistance:

Case analysis – This involves reviewing the nature of the case in order for the client to learn the legal actions that he or she must take.

Gathering of evidence – A pedestrian accident attorney can assist his or her client in collating necessary evidence that could prove the negligence of the defendant. Accordingly, documents that are usually deemed helpful in pedestrian accident claims are medical records, photos of the accident scene and injury, police report, and others.

Representation – During negotiation with the insurance company, the client can be assured that his or her attorney will deal with all the legal and complex aspects of the negotiation. The lawyer will likewise take charge of convincing the insurer that the injured party deserves high amount of payments.