Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog
The family of a man killed in a Chicago pedestrian accident blames a driver who was allegedly updating her Facebook page at the time of the crash, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune.
Our Chicago personal injury lawyers frequently write about the hazards associated with distracted driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 5,474 people were killed and 448,000 were injured in crashes caused by distracted driving in 2009.As we reported recently on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, Illinois has recently launched the campaign “Drive Now. Text Later. You Can’t Do Both.” The campaign aims to remind people that texting and driving has been illegal in the state of Illinois since Jan. 1 2010. Hand-held cell phone use has been illegal for Chicago drivers since 2005.
Along with texting, the law also forbids reading or sending e-mails, surfing the Internet and, of course, updating your Facebook account while driving.
In this case, the 70-year-old was in a minor car accident on Dec. 7. His family claims he was outside his vehicle, exchanging information with the other driver, when a vehicle southbound on Ewing Avenue ran into the victim, partially severing his leg and causing him to bleed to death.
Both that driver, and the other driver in an accident with the victim, claimed sun glare was a problem.
It’s not the first time Facebook has made the news in connection with distracted driving, nor will it be the last. Last fall, the USA Today reported that General Motors’ OnStar system would allow drivers to dictate Facebook posts and have their text messages read aloud.
The New York Times reported such services were coming under increased scrutiny during the nation’s second annual Distracted Driving Summit, held last fall in Washington, D.C.
Please note that while our law firm works on distracted driving cases, we are not involved in the case discussed in the Chicago Tribune article. Further, the lawyer representing the victim’s family was not named in the Tribune article.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, the Chicago injury attorneys and wrongful death lawyers at Abels & Annes offer free consultations to discuss your rights. Call (866) 99-ABELS. There is no fee unless you win.