Distracted Driving Facts in Connecticut

Distracted driving is one of the major contributors to traffic accidents, which is why legislatures across the country have enacted laws concerning this negligent behavior. The state of Connecticut currently bans all handheld cell phone usage. It also bans both handheld and hands-free cell phone usage by bus drivers and novice drivers. Texting is also banned for all drivers in the state. As of October 1 of this year, fines for cell phone usage will increase in Connecticut for those convicted of violating these laws. Another newly passed law in the state further clarifies the definition of driving as applied to cell phone statutes. The new law states that even those drivers who are stopped at a traffic light or completely stopped in a traffic jam are still considered to be "driving" and thus subject to these traffic laws.

The U. S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) has reported that 3,331 individuals lost their lives in 2011 due to distracted driving. This was an increase from the previous year. The Washington Post featured a story earlier this month about an 8 month-old baby who was killed after a bus driver crashed his commuter bus into a streetlight resulting in the lamppost falling on the child, crushing her head. The bus driver was driving while using a cell phone and was charged with death by vehicle, reckless driving, and operating a vehicle while using a cell phone. His bail was set at $250,000 and his case is pending in Hudson County Superior Court in Jersey City, New Jersey. The Governor of New Jersey signed a new law which will go into effect next year that raises the penalties for handheld cell phone violations by state drivers.

Personal Injury Firm in Hartford, Connecticut

Drivers who disobey the laws regarding cell phone usage may not only find themselves facing traffic citations and other criminal charges when they cause accidents. They may also find themselves subjected to civil court cases stemming from personal injury or wrongful death claims. Anyone who is injured or who loses a loved one due to the carelessness or negligence of another may have grounds for legal action pursuing damages. These damages can include medical expenses, loss of earnings, emotional trauma, pain, and suffering in an injury case or funeral expenses, loss of financial support, and loss of companionship or similar damages in a wrongful death case.

For those who have been harmed through negligence in the Hartford area, the personal injury and wrongful death firm of David A. Zipfel & Associates, LLC provides experienced and aggressive legal representation. The firm's legal team has more than 34 years of practical experience in this field of law and is ready and equipped to help you. They make home and hospital visits and their personal involvement in your case is what sets them apart. The firm has successfully represented over 2,000 personal injury cases; that is the kind of experience you want when pursuing any claim for damages through an insurance carrier. Contact the firm to get started. You pay nothing until your case is successfully resolved.