Distracted Driving
Research shows that somewhere between 25-50 percent of all auto accidents in the United States are the result of distracted driving. The most common distraction related crash is rubbernecking. Rubbernecking accounted for 16 percent of all distracted related crashes and is defined as when a driver slows down to look at another accident.
Common driver distractions that result in automobile accidents include:
* Rubbernecking
* Driver fatigue
* Radio adjustments
* Reading maps, newspapers, ect.
* Passenger distractions
Cell phones have become the latest problem in the prevention of distracted driving. Recent studies have shown that driving and talking or texting at the same time quadruples the risk of crashing. This is why many states and cities have implemented bans on talking or texting while driving.
If you or a loved one have suffered serious injury as the result of other’s negligence, you should contact an experienced auto accident attorney. Tabor Law will assist you and your family in seeking compensation for any damages. Consider Tabor Law during this life changing moment, consider Tabor for your life changing case.
Case Study
Shaw v. Steven Byerly of Byerly Enterprises, LLC; A1Choice Construction
On November 12, 2009, Steven L. Byerly was driving his truck in an eastbound lane of State Road 14 in Warsaw Indiana when he became distracted by his cell phone and drove the right side of his truck off the paved roadway for more than 160 feet before he re-entered the eastbound lane. He then over-corrected, and crossed the center line into the westbound lane, striking Sgt. Jeffery B. Shaw’s police car. Sgt Shaw died as a result of his injuries. The defendant Steven Byerly was at all times relevant a principal member of Byerly Enterprises and an employee of A1 Choice Construction, and acting as an agent of both when the crash killing Shaw ensued. Byerly drove the truck off the road and over corrected in returning to the roadway and crashed into the Shaw vehicle. Byerly was also a distracted driver having used a cell phone just prior to the crash. Shaw left behind his wife of 9 years, Angelia, and his two children, Nickolas then age 9, and Isabella, then age 7. Tabor Law Firm represented Sgt. Shaw and his grieving family and fought to recover a 1,500,000 result for the Shaw family. This case highlights the dangers of distracted driving while operating a commercial vehicle.