Recently, the Huffington Post had a frightening story about texting while driving that focused on how a Knoxville school bus crash involved this form of distracted driving.
According to the news outlet, a police investigation recently determined that a 2014 Knoxville crash involved a bus driver who was texting at the time of the crash. The driver reportedly received multiple messages on his cell phone when his bus collided with another bus in December 2014.
Sadly, the accident killed two young girls, an aspiring teacher and the driver, who passed away a few weeks ago after sustaining serious injuries. Due to the driver’s death, there will be no prosecution in the case. The buses were traveling in opposite directions when one crossed a median and crashed into the other one.
The family members of the victims have stated that they intend to file wrongful death lawsuits against the district.
“In addition to the issue of distracted driving, [the police] investigation revealed some alarming issues regarding the lack of oversight and supervision of the private school bus contractors that are transporting Knox County school students on a daily basis,” a statement from one family said, according to CBS News.
HOW MANY PEOPLE TEXT AND DRIVE?
This crash is a tragic reminder of the dangers of texting while driving. In its story, the Huffington Post reported that 33 percent of Americans ages 18 to 64 have admitted to reading or texting while driving over the past month.
This is scary—the news outlet also reported that drivers who text and drive are four times more likely to be involved in vehicle accidents. Additionally, each year, more than 340,000 accidents in America are estimated to be the result of texting while driving.
SEEKING LEGAL GUIDANCE FOLLOWING A DISTRACTED DRIVING ACCIDENT
As the press release from the family of the victims in this crash indicates, if a distracted driver injures or kills your loved one, you can hold him or her liable. Additionally, if a driver is working when an accident occurs, you may be able to hold his or her employer liable.
Visit our verdicts and settlements page to see how our Nashville accident attorney has helped victims of transportation accidents.
“I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore…” – Revelation 1:18
Source: https://huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/08/dangers-of-texting-and-driving-statistics_n_7537710.html