...I have worked with families whose lives were shattered by negligent drivers. Texting is clearly a significant factor in distracted driving accidents.
Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) April 17, 2015
Phoenix, AZ car accident attorney lawyer Kyle A. Israel today said Arizona lawmakers who oppose texting-while-driving bans should be aware of a recent study that suggests states with such bans have fewer serious traffic accidents.
Israel, a lawyer at Israel & Gerity, PLLC, commented on an April 3 article in Newsmax (“Texting Bans Tied to Drop in Car Crash Injuries”). According to Newsmax, researchers reported in the American Journal of Public Health found that states with tough bans experienced a drop in car-accident hospitalizations between 2003 and 2010 compared to states with no bans.
“As a personal injury attorney who has represented victims injured in distracted driving accidents, I am a big advocate of implementing strong safety measures to protect everyone using the road,” Israel said. “That’s because I have worked with families whose lives were shattered by negligent drivers. Texting is clearly a significant factor in distracted driving accidents. I hope people who are opposed to enacting statewide texting bans read this report and seriously consider the findings.”
According to Newsmax, one of the researchers stressed that the study’s findings cannot prove texting bans were the cause of the decline in car-crash hospitalizations. But even when accounting for other factors that might lead to a decline (such as speeding and drunk driving laws), texting bans were still associated with a dip in the number of hospitalizations for traffic accidents.
The study found there was a decline in hospitalizations specifically in states where police officers can stop drivers for texting and driving, even if they did nothing else illegal. This is known as primary enforcement of the law, as opposed to secondary enforcement where the officer must stop the driver for doing something else illegal like speeding or ignoring a stop sign.
Arizona is one of only five states that do not prohibit drivers from texting while behind the wheel, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.
Attorney Israel noted that even in a state like Arizona, where texting and driving is not banned, drivers should make responsible decisions and avoid texting or even talking on a cell phone.
“Some scientific studies have found that talking on a cell phone creates a distraction for the driver, even it’s a hands-free device,” Israel said. “While the law in Arizona might allow drivers to text or talk on cell phones, it’s important for drivers to understand that they are still taking a very dangerous risk by texting or talking on a phone. A texting driver who causes an accident resulting in injuries or the death of another person will be held accountable, even if the state has no ban on texting while driving. Victims and their families deserve to get justice. Personal injury attorneys can help them pursue compensation for their losses and send a message that negligent behavior behind the wheel will not be tolerated.”
About Israel & Gerity, PLLC
Attorney Kyle A. Israel obtained his degree from the Arizona State University College of Law and has practiced law in Arizona since 1994. Israel & Gerity’s legal practice focuses on helping victims of car crashes, construction accidents, construction defects, lithium toxicity, dog bites, nursing home negligence and more. Attorney Israel was anonymously selected by his peers into the first class of Arizona’s Finest Lawyers, an honor reserved for 2 percent of lawyers across the state, and has received nearly 100 percent favorable verdicts in the cases he has tried to verdict.
For more information about what to do if you or a loved one was injured in an accident, call (480) 629-4368 for a free case consultation. The firm handles personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless you win.
Israel & Gerity, PLLC
3300 N Central Ave
Ste 2000
Phoenix, AZ 85012
(480) 629-4368
http://www.ig-law.com