Could a distracted driving ticket help in your accident claim?

It is only a matter of time before the New York State Police conducts its fall ticketing campaign for distracted driving. State troopers are aimed to remind people of how dangerous distracted driving can be and why it is illegal. Drivers can expect police in marked and unmarked cars to be on the streets throughout central New York to catch people in the act of using their cell phones while behind the wheel.

Authorities report that last year, more than 550 tickets were issued to drivers who were on their phones when they should not have been. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that more than 3,000 people were killed and 424,000 were injured in distracted driving accidents.

While drivers may be concerned about being ticketed, those who have been in accidents may not have much sympathy. In fact, a Long Island woman was recently hit by a car and killed by a person suspected to be on their phone when the accident happened. Because of this, people who have been injured in distracted driving accidents should look to see whether the offending driver had been ticketed for distracted driving due to the accident or even before the crash occurred.

This could help in establishing whether the driver was more likely than not liable for the accident. Essentially, if a driver had been ticketed before for distracted driving, it is possible that the same action led to the crash.

If you have questions about your rights and options after a car accident, an experienced personal injury attorney can help.