OHIO DISTRACTED DRIVING LAWYERS

We Hold Distracted Drivers Accountable for the Car Crash Injuries They Cause

It wasn’t that long ago when the only entertainment people had in their car was a radio. There were still accidents caused by people eating, arguing with each other or falling asleep at the wheel, but there was no texting while driving or messing around with GPS maps and other apps.

We live in a world that’s filled with distractions, and those distractions can have fatal consequences. The CDC estimates nine car crash fatalities can be attributed to distracted driving every day (more than 3,000 deaths each year). Thousands more suffer injuries because of distracted drivers.

Distracted driving is usually a willful act. People know they shouldn’t text and drive, yet they do it anyways. Those people should be held accountable if their distraction causes injuries or deaths.

The distracted driving injury lawyers at the Buckeye Law Group are committed to fighting for people in Ohio who have been injured by these negligent motorists.

Is Texting While Driving Illegal in Ohio?

Yes – Ohio statute 4511.204, which went into effect in October 2018, clearly states that no person should operate a motor vehicle while writing, reading or sending text-based communication on an electronic wireless communication device. That doesn’t mean people don’t still do so on a regular basis.



Texting Isn’t the Only Cause of Distracted Driving

Although phones have greatly increased the ease and frequency of distracted driving, texting is far from the only culprit. Other common distracted driving accident causes include:

• Eating and drinking
• Yelling at children in the back seat
• Attempting to change songs/podcasts/etc.
• Putting on makeup or grooming

Distracted driving can be caused by anything that pulls your attention away from the road in front of you or otherwise degrades your situational awareness. Even if those things aren’t explicitly illegal, they can still potentially cause an accident.

For example, a distracted driver who is trying to brush their hair while commuting to work may drift into another lane, causing a crash. Although brushing one’s hair may not be explicitly listed as illegal in Ohio statutes, failing to stay in one’s lane without signaling and causing an accident is a violation of traffic law. Drifting into another driver’s lane makes the responsible driver liable for the other driver’s injuries and property damage.