Tampa, Fla. – An auto accident in Tampa involving 5 cars that includes a state trooper vehicle, was linked to a distracted driver.
Though the woman who caused the accident has not been identified. According to reports, the 49-year-old driver was looking at her GPS at the time of the collision. When she looked up again, she noticed 3 stop cars on the westbound lanes on the Gandy Bridge.
After attempting to swerve right, she collided with a trooper patrol car, which then in turn collided with a trailer. (TBT)
Only minor injuries were reported after the crash so far and none of the drivers or passengers have been rushed to hospital at this time.
It’s easy to get distracted nowadays but still very much illegal to drive distracted. It is illegal to text and drive in Florida. (FLHSMV)
Distracted driving killed more than 2,800 people in 2018, but still, millions of Americans drive distracted every day. (NHTSA)
And 36% of all drivers use a smartphone while at a red light, while another 35% of those drivers continue to use their phone after they begin moving from the stop. (NHTSA)
No word yet if the victims of the crash are suing the driver that was distracted, or how they plan to prove the driver was distracted but they did report she was distracted by the GPS.
Can you prove someone was driving distracted? The answer in most cases is yes, but you have to do a lot of detective work or hire a great Tampa auto accident lawyer.
The best way to fight the urge to drive distracted is to physically remove the distraction.
Cellphones and electronic devices tend to be the main culprit in distracted driving accidents in the past 10 years. In order to combat it, you can implement one or more of the following techniques:
- Put your phone in the trunk before you start driving. It can wait.
- Turn your phone off completely.
- Learn to enjoy the silence and focus on driving, especially at stoplights.
- Download an app that prevents you from using your phone while driving.
The first step to avoiding accidents like this one is to understand that you are also helpless to distracted driving.
About the Author
Sean Greene
Sean J. Greene has recovered more than $150 million in the past 10 years for clients. He specializes within the firm in wrongful death, personal injury, medical malpractice, nursing home malpractice, and product liability cases.
Sean has represented coaches and players in the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) who have been victims of personal injuries. In 2001, after winning a trial on liability, he recovered $11,200,000 for the family of David Griggs, the former Miami Dolphins player who died in an automobile accident in Broward County, Florida.
He has received the highest distinction of an AV® rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell, which recognizes Sean as possessing “Very High-Preeminent” legal ability with “Very High” ethical standards. Additionally, he is a member of the prestigious Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum whose membership is limited to trial lawyers who have achieved a trial verdict or settlement in the amount of $1,000,000 or more. Sean is widely known in South Florida, as he cohosted the TV program “Your Legal Rights” and lectures throughout the state of Florida on various legal issues.
Sean Greene
Sean J. Greene has recovered more than $150 million in the past 10 years for clients. He specializes within the firm in wrongful death, personal injury, medical malpractice, nursing home malpractice, and product liability cases. Sean has represented coaches and players in the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) who have been victims of personal injuries. In 2001, after winning a trial on liability, he recovered $11,200,000 for the family of David Griggs, the former Miami Dolphins player who died in an automobile accident in Broward County, Florida. He has received the highest distinction of an AV® rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell, which recognizes Sean as possessing “Very High-Preeminent” legal ability with “Very High” ethical standards. Additionally, he is a member of the prestigious Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum whose membership is limited to trial lawyers who have achieved a trial verdict or settlement in the amount of $1,000,000 or more. Sean is widely known in South Florida, as he cohosted the TV program “Your Legal Rights” and lectures throughout the state of Florida on various legal issues.