New Law on Driving and Cell Phone Use

Written by our personal injury lawyers in Charlottesville

The Virginia legislature has passed a new law that makes it illegal to use a hand held device while driving.  Use of a hands free device will now be required if you want to make a call with your cell phone while driving.

Of course, texting and driving was already prohibited in Charlottesville, Augusta County, Waynesboro and throughout Virginia. The new law is similar to existing prohibitions on the use of hand held devices in many states, including our neighbor, Maryland.

There is no doubt that the use of cell phones while driving has become a major factor in causing car and truck accidents.

Our personal injury lawyers in Charlottesville are finding that a significant percentage of car and truck accidents resulting in personal injury claims that we will handle, perhaps even approaching fifty percent, are caused by drivers who are using their cell phones and are distracted as a result.

In particular, younger drivers in Charlottesville, Augusta County, and Waynesboro are more likely to be using their cell phones while driving.  And because the younger driver has less experience behind the wheel, it creates a very dangerous situation.

For example, I recently resolved a very significant personal injury case where the young driver did not see the stopped cars ahead of her on the interstate because she was looking at her cell phone. She crashed into the rear of a chain of stopped cars at a speed of approximately 70 miles per hour, causing a series of collisions between the stopped cars in front of her.

Fortunately, no one was killed, but the personal injuries were significant. Hopefully, the new law will help to address this very real problem and more drivers will avoid using their cell phones while driving.

If you are injured in a car accident and have a personal injury, call us to discuss your options at 434-202-8181.  Our experienced personal injury lawyers can let you know what your options are and how to maximize a recovery.

Personal injury lawyers in Charlottesville serving Augusta County, Waynesboro and all of central Virginia.