Toronto Texting While Driving Lawyer
In the province of Ontario, it is illegal to use handheld electronic devices, like cellphones, while driving. Even if a car is stopped at a red light or idling in trafficareas-we-serve/toronto-on/car-accident-lawyer/texting-while-driving/ focus off the road, even for a matter of seconds, they increase their chances of causing a collision.
Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of vehicular accidents. In Ontario, Canada Drives reports that the number of deaths caused by distracted driving has doubled in the last two decades. In addition to causing potential fatalities, texting while driving could result in severe injuries, which may impact a victim’s entire life.
If you have been injured in a car accident caused by an irresponsible motorist who was texting while driving, a Toronto distracted driving accident lawyer may be able to help you recover damages incurred as the result of your collision.
Texting and Driving Has Consequences
All road users have a duty to operate their vehicles in a safe and responsible manner. This means a driver’s focus must be on the conditions of the road. If a driver’s attention is taken away from the task of operating their vehicle, even for the briefest of moments, they can create unsafe conditions for themselves and other drivers. Even fleeting moments of inattention can result in collisions causing serious injuries. Common distractions behind the wheel include:
- Sending text messages
- Checking app notifications
- Talking on the phone
- Engaging with the car’s passengers
- Eating or drinking while driving
- Using the car’s navigation system
- Changing the radio station
Recent data from Transport Canada illustrates that distracted driving, which includes texting while driving, causes more than a quarter of the country’s accidents. These statistics represent an upward trend in collisions causing serious injuries as a result of distracted driving.
Injuries Caused by Texting and Driving
In the time it takes to respond to a text message received behind the wheel, lives can be lost, and severe, catastrophic injuries can be sustained. Some injuries from accidents caused by motorists texting while driving include:
- Neck injuries
- Whiplash
- Broken or fractured bones
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Burns, cuts, and abrasions
- Traumatic brain injuries
What to Do After an Accident with a Distracted Driver
If you’ve been involved in a collision with a motorist who was texting while driving, time could play an important factor in your recovery from injuries sustained in the accident. In the first, shocking moments following a car crash, you may not believe your injuries warrant immediate medical attention. However, due to the effects of shock, your body may not fully process the total severity of your injuries. It can take days or even weeks for the full symptoms of injuries to manifest. Seeking medical attention as soon as possible may be able to provide you with an accurate assessment and recovery plan. Delaying your emergency medical examination may result in future complications during your recovery process.
Visiting an emergency room will also result in medical documentation of injuries you sustained in the accident. This documentation may be used at a later date by a Toronto distracted driving accident lawyer to help illustrate the full extent of physical damage you sustained as a result of another driver’s negligence.
If you remain at the scene of your accident, a few simple actions may prove useful in the future, if you choose to pursue future legal action against the motorist who was texting while driving. These actions include:
- Recording the circumstances of the accident while they’re fresh in your mind, using your smartphone’s notepad app or voice recorder
- Speaking with eyewitnesses and recording their names and contact information
- Filing a police report with responding law enforcement officers
Recovering Damages from a Texting While Driving Accident
Victims who were injured by a driver who was texting and driving may be eligible to seek monetary compensation for costs they incurred as a result of their accident. If eligible to recover damages, an injured accident victim may work with a Toronto texting while driving accident lawyer to compile and analyze various forms of evidence in order to strengthen their claim for damages. These damages may include:
- Medical expenses
- Rehabilitation costs
- Lost income from being out of work
- Loss of future earnings
- Property damage
- Vehicle repair or replacement costs
- Pain and suffering
Reach Out to Preszler Injury Lawyers
If you were injured in an accident caused by a motorist who was texting while driving, a Toronto car accident lawyer may be able to help you recover the financial losses you incurred as a result of the collision. Call Preszler Injury Lawyers today for a free, initial consultation about your case.