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How Often Do Car Accidents Involve Distracted Driving In New Jersey?

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man distracted driving

Traffic research shows that distracted driving is the leading cause of auto collisions in the United States. Distracted drivers can lead to disaster when they take their eyes off the road to pay attention to visual, auditory, manual, and cognitive distractions instead. One of the most common types of distracted driving is texting while driving. Are you wondering how many car accidents per year involve distracted driving? No need to worry because our knowledgeable law firm has all of the answers you’ll need! To learn more, continue reading this blog or reach out to one of our New Jersey Car Accident Lawyers for individualized legal counseling.

HOW COMMON ARE DISTRACTED DRIVING ACCIDENTS?

Multiple studies have concluded that distracted driving is by far the leading cause of car accidents in the United States. Some of the specific statistics are:

  • Distracted driving leads to around 3,000 deaths each year
  • In 2020, distracted driving caused over 300,000 injuries
  • 8% of fatal crashes, 14% of crashes involving serious injuries, and 13% of all police-reported auto collisions in 2020 were caused by distracted driving
  • The percentage of drivers who talk on the phone while driving decreased from 2.9% in 2019 to 2.6% in 2020
  • Teenagers make up most of the fatalities, and 7% of all distracted driving fatalities are drivers aged 15-20

IS DISTRACTED DRIVING ILLEGAL IN NEW JERSEY?

The usage of an electronic device while driving is a pretty serious traffic violation in our state. There are very few exceptions to New Jersey’s texting and driving laws. For a first offense, you can be given fines between $200 and $400. The fines only increase for each subsequent offense. You’ll also get three motor vehicle points on your driver’s license for each offense. After a third offense, your license can be suspended for up to 90 days.

ARE MY INJURIES ELIGIBLE FOR COMPENSATION?

New Jersey is a no-fault state when it comes to car accidents. This means that no matter who caused the crash, your own auto insurance will be responsible for covering your damages. However, you may be eligible for compensation by filing a personal injury claim. In order to win restitution, you’ll need to prove that the other driver’s negligent actions directly led to your injuries. In the legal world, negligence is when someone fails their civic duty of minimizing harm to the general public. Distracted driving is almost always considered negligence because all New Jersey drivers have a duty to pay full attention to the road. If you prove that the at-fault driver caused the accident due to distractions, you may be eligible for compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages.

If you’ve recently been injured in a car accident caused by a distracted driver, you deserve a dedicated personal injury lawyer to help you to determine your best options going forward. Thankfully, our highly experienced legal team is on your side every step of the way! Contact Rubenstein, Berliner & Shinrod today for an initial consultation.

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