Texting While Driving Can Cause Fatal Accidents on Illinois Roads

 Posted on August 24, 2022 in Car Accidents

Texting while driving is illegal in Illinois, but thousands of people still do it every day. In 2020, distracted driving lead to nearly 200 people losing their lives in car accidents in Illinois alone. Even more financial and physical damage was caused by the many distracted driving accidents that were not fatal. 

The primary cause of distracted driving accidents is the use of cell phones while driving. While eating, talking, and adjusting the radio can all cause accidents as well, it is the ubiquitous need to be constantly checking text messages and app notifications that causes the most distracted driving traffic fatalities. 

How Do Distracted Driving Accidents Happen? 

When someone is talking on the phone or texting, they are unable to pay attention or respond quickly to the flow of traffic or changing road conditions. Distracted driving accidents can occur when a driver: 

• Swerves out of their lane into oncoming traffic 

• Sideswipes another car traveling in the same direction

• Fails to brake and rear-ends the driver ahead 

• Fails to yield to pedestrians, cyclists, or other vehicles 

• Fails to stop at red lights or stop signs 

• Runs off the road into physical objects such as barricades, trees, and buildings

How Do Distracted Driving Accidents Impact Victims?

Through no fault of their own, someone impacted by a distracted driver can have their life changed in a split second. Victims of distracted driving accidents often suffer severe and even fatal injuries, including: 

• Traumatic brain injuries

• Neck injuries

• Back and spinal cord injuries, including paraplegia and quadriplegia

• Internal injuries, like hemorrhaging and organ failure

• Burns

• Disfiguring injuries and scars

• Broken and fractured bones

• Limb loss

• Crush injuries 

When someone has been injured in a car accident caused by someone else’s negligence, they can pursue compensation not only for their physical injuries (such as medical bills and physical therapy) but for their emotional suffering and loss. If someone has been killed in a distracted driving accident, their family may be able to pursue wrongful death compensation. 

Contact a Cook County Car Accident Injury Lawyer

If you or someone you love were involved in a car accident and were seriously injured or killed because of another driver’s distracted driving, you may be able to pursue compensation for your damages. Call the offices of Schwartz Injury Law today to schedule a free consultation with an Orland Park car accident injury attorney. We have the experience and resources to conduct thorough investigations into car accidents, and we aggressively pursue maximum compensation for our clients. Call 708-888-2160 now. 

Source: 

https://patch.com/illinois/across-il/distracted-driving-illinois-elsewhere-killed-3-140-2020-report