Last weekend, a 16-year-old hit and killed a runner while she was using her cellphone while driving. She has now been charged with using a handheld phone while driving under age 18 and homicide with a motor vehicle, as well as driving outside of the proper lane of traffic.
This incident is one of many Connecticut distracted driving accidents that lead to serious injury and death. In fact, in 2009 alone, 5,500 people were killed by distracted driving and nearly 450,000 were injured. Of any age group, teen drivers were the most likely to be involved in fatal distracted driving accidents.
After the Connecticut car-and-pedestrian accident, Norwalk Police Chief Harry Rilling underlined the importance of paying attention to the road, stating, “[T]his incident illustrates how dangerous it is to be distracted while driving a 3,500-pound vehicle 35 to 30 mph. You need to focus all your attention on what you’re doing. It only takes a second to swerve a few feet. Everybody should look at this and learn from it.”
Wrongful death / distracted driving lawsuits
In Connecticut, novice drivers may not use cellphones while driving. The teenager who caused the accident faces up to six months in jail and one-month license suspension.
This seems paltry compared to the pain and suffering that the family of the deceased runner faces; however, the family can also bring a wrongful death lawsuit to recover compensation for the economic and noneconomic damages they have suffered as a result of the accident. These damages may include:
- Medical expenses
- Reasonable funeral expenses
- Loss of income
- Loss of consortium (the love of a spouse)
- Loss of protection, services, care, etc., that the deceased provided
- Pain and suffering
No amount of money can adequately compensate a family for the death of their loved one. Yet, recovering compensation through a personal injury lawsuit can provide the financial support a family needs during this very difficult time.
Source: Boston Herald, “Connecticut accident shows dangers of distracted driving,” Associated Press, May 15, 2012.