Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog
Across South Florida and in Hollywood, car accidents can occur for many reasons. They can occur due to drunk driving, distracted driving, inexperience, mechanical problems, and other issues. In many cases, collisions are preventable. Authorities say one of the current causes of car accidents involves selfies.
People who take selfies in cars, especially moving cars, are putting themselves and other road users in danger. There are many ways selfies while driving can be dangerous. They:
- Distract drivers
- Remove your eyes from the road
- Block visibility
- Encourage drivers to remove their hands off the wheel
Selfies in general have caused injuries and death in Hollywood and across the state and the country. Those interested in posting selfies on social media sites have suffered fatal falls and serious injuries when posing on mountains, on top of buildings, with wild animals, and at other sites.
With car accidents, there is the potential to harm not just the person taking the selfie but innocent bystanders, as well. A selfie-taker can cause a multiple-car collision, a rear-end shunt crash, a T-bone accident, or even a head-on collision if they lose control of the car. Unfortunately, it is often others who end up paying the price.
Preventing Selfie-Related Car Accidents
There are many ways you can prevent these types of car crashes:
- Never take selfies when driving: It is safest when cameras, phones, and other devices are packed away when you are driving. Not only can they not distract you then, but in case of a collision phones cannot be thrown around and cause additional injuries.
- Talk to your teens and young people in your life: For younger drivers, a phone may be ubiquitous and teens may not fully realize all the dangers of selfies in cars. In some cases, drivers may think they can take a “quick” selfie safely, but this is not the case. Talk to your teens about the dangers. If teens want to take photos in a car, make sure they understand they should only take photos in a completely stationary vehicle. Encourage your children to speak up and to never get in the car with a reckless driver.
- Report selfie-users: If you see other road users driving recklessly or taking selfies while driving, stay well out of their way and call authorities. You may be able to prevent a car collision.
- Watch out for cars driving erratically: You may not always be able to notice when someone is taking photos and driving. If you notice a car weaving, slowing down and speeding up, or otherwise driving erratically, leave more space between yourself and the vehicle or get off the road entirely. Always drive defensively and be ready for the unexpected. If you do notice a reckless or dangerous driver, get to safety and call authorities to report the danger on the road.
Gathering Evidence
If you are in a car accident with someone who was taking a selfie, you may not know why the accident took place, but if it was caused by reckless behavior, such as using a camera phone in a car, you may have a legal claim. Unfortunately, gathering evidence can be a challenge. People know taking selfies while driving is dangerous and many will try to hide evidence of their actions.
If you suspect a driver who caused your collision was texting, taking phots, or using their phone just before the accident, tell this to the authorities when they show up. You will also want to contact an attorney immediately. If you act before evidence is destroyed, an attorney can take steps to secure evidence of phone use just before the accident.
In addition to securing this evidence, you will want to take photos of the scene of the accident, exchange contact information, and document or write down anything you remember soon after the accident. The reality is that a car accident can a cause devastating, even permanent injury. If you have been injured through no fault of your own, you may wish to pursue a claim and get compensation for the medical bills, lost wages and other losses you will face.
Getting Justice
If you have been injured by someone’s bad driving, contact Flaxman Law Group at 1-866-352-9626 (1-866-FLAXMAN) for a free accident consultation with a Hollywood car crash attorney. Our attorneys have more than six decades of combined experience and would be happy to discuss how much your potential case may be worth.