Buffalo NY Car Accident Lawyer James E. Morris Comments on Tougher Texting While Driving Law
Buffalo, NY (PRWEB) July 28, 2013 -- Buffalo NY personal injury lawyer James E. Morris of the Law Offices of James E. Morris today said he welcomes a recent move by New York State lawmakers to toughen the state’s texting while driving penalties for teenage drivers.
New York’s new texting while driving penalties for teenage drivers went into effect on July 1, according to CBS New York, “New York Increases Penalties For Teens Caught Texting While Driving” (July 1, 2013). Teenage drivers caught texting or using a hand-held cell phone on the road now face a 60-day license suspension for the first offense, CBS New York reported. A second offense within six months will result in a probationary license being revoked for six months or a junior license being revoked for 60 days, CBS News added.
“We have seen the devastation caused by texting while driving,” said Morris, who represents victims of negligence and families who lost loved ones in accidents. “Texting while driving has become one the leading causes of auto accidents in New York and across the county. Any effort by officials to reduce the number of texting while driving accidents in New York is greatly appreciated. Hopefully, teenagers – and everyone else on the road – will get the message that there’s no excuse for texting while driving.”
Gov. Cuomo hopes the new penalties educate young drivers about the dangers of texting while driving, according to comments he made quoted by WNYC Radio, “To Stop Teens from Texting While Driving, NY Will Suspend Licenses” (July 1, 2013). The radio station quoted Cuomo, who said, “We want to establish a behavior pattern right away for young drivers that says we know this is a big part of your life, we know this is an appendage attached to your body. [But] not when you drive the car."
Distracted driving causes far more accidents than drunk driving in New York State, according to the Cuomo’s office, as reported by WNYC Radio. In 2011, there were more than 25,000 fatal and personal injury crashes involving distracted driving in New York State. In contrast, that same year there were 4,600 fatal and personal injury caused by alcohol-related driving in New York.
Buffalo NY auto accident lawyer James E. Morris advises everyone to avoid using their phones when they are driving. “Everyone’s lives are in danger when people text while driving,” Morris said. “What many people don’t realize is that it just takes a split second to cause a serious or fatal car accident. That brief amount of time you take to read or write a text could kill someone else or even yourself. One study found that texting while driving increased the risk of an accident happening by 23 times.”
Morris said people injured by the reckless actions of others would be wise to consult with a personal injury lawyer. An attorney can help protect their legal rights and hold the negligent individual accountable, Morris said.
For more information about what to do after an accident due to negligence in New York and the legal options available to families, call (800) 477-9044 for a free case evaluation or complete the online contact form.
About the Law Offices of James E. Morris
James E. Morris is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo and the University at Buffalo Law School. Morris has achieved the highest rating of "10.0 Superb" by national independent rating service Avvo and "AV Preeminent®" by Martindale-Hubbell. He has practiced law in Western New York for 30 years and founded the Law Offices of James Morris in 2004. His practice is 100 percent devoted to personal injury and wrongful death litigation. The law firm does not charge any legal fees unless their client is victorious.
The Law Offices of James Morris is located at 350 Main Street, Suite 2405, Buffalo, New York 14202. Visit online at http://www.jamesmorrislaw.com/
Jacob M Del Hagen, Big Voodoo Interactive, http://www.bigvoodoo.com, 888.566.5466, [email protected]
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