distracted driving

Smartphones responsible for rising insurance rates

February 22, 2017 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Injury Lawyer Matt Arnold answers the question: “How much time do I have to file a claim for my personal injuries after an accident?”

For those who own automobiles, you’ve likely been met with bad news when you opened your recent renewal letters. Insurance companies say that rates across the country have been on the rise, reversing years of declines. What’s the reason for the increase? Most experts say that there is a clear link between increases in insurance rates and the prevalence of smartphones. The personal electronics are now so commonplace and can be so distracting that the number of auto accidents, injuries and deaths are rising, leading to a corresponding rise in the rate that ordinary people must pay to insure their vehicles.

Deadly Crash Leads to Manslaughter Charges and Personal Injury Lawsuit Against Apple

January 5, 2017 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “Can I post about my injury on Social Media?”

Everyone knows that drivers today face far more distractions than those decades or even several years ago. Though the cars themselves have grown more distracting, with DVD players, apps, maps and even in-car Wi-Fi, smartphones represent the most common and most alluring distraction to most drivers. The calls, texts, emails, internet, social media and multitude of apps can prove to be too tempting for many people to resist. This has led to an increase in fatal accidents, reversing a long downward trend. On a societal level it’s a problem in need of a solution, but on a personal or familial level it can be devastating.

Company Pays Millions After Crash Caused By Trucker Talking While Driving

November 29, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Personal injury Lawyer Matt Arnold answers the question: “If I am injured in a car accident or at work what should I do?”

The danger of using cellphones behind the wheel is evident to everyone by now. For years, we’ve all heard about accidents caused by distraction linked to cellphones used for talking, texting or surfing the internet. Despite the endless warnings, some have refused to take heed and alter their behavior. A recent settlement involving a North Carolina company whose truck driver crashed into an unsuspecting motorist might spur actual changes in an industry that has been slow to take such steps. To find out more, keep reading.

Can cellphone companies be held liable for distracted driving accidents?

September 28, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “What exactly is a wrongful death claim?”

Anyone who pays attention to the news has heard about the terrible increase in deadly car accidents in recent years. In fact, the problem has gotten so bad that auto fatalities have risen at rates not seen in more than 50 years. This tremendous growth in deadly driving has been tied to a number of factors, chief among them the increase in distracted driving. Given the rise, some have begun to wonder whether cellphone manufacturers and cellphone service providers have a responsibility to prevent the devices, which the companies earn tremendous profits off of, from being used for deadly purposes.

Suing Snapchat for Car Crashes

July 12, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Personal injury Lawyer Matt Arnold answers the question: “If I am injured in a car accident or at work what should I do?”

Everyone knows how dangerous distracted driving can be. Whether it’s fiddling with the radio, dealing with unruly kids in the backseat or, far more commonly, interacting with your smartphone, that split-second lapse in attention can, and frequently does, prove to be fatal. If you or a loved one are involved in such an accident, it might occur to you to sue the driver responsible, after all, he or she is the one who chose to text and drive. But what about the company that makes the app the person was using at the time? According to legal experts, holding the developers of the apps that distracted drivers are using legally liable is an emerging trend in the world of personal injury law. To find out more about these kinds of cases and how they would work, keep reading.

School Is Out, Car Accidents Involving Teenage Drivers Increase

June 23, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “Should I take photographs of the property damage sustained to my car, of the accident scene, or of my visible injuries following an accident?”

School’s out for the summer.

Snapchat Sued After Teen Causes Devastating Car Crash While Using “Miles Per Hour” Filter

April 28, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

When the car wreck happened last September, it was quite possibly the most millennial-sounding story you’ve ever heard. A teenager driving her father’s Mercedes Benz was speeding at 107 miles per hour and Snapchatting when she hit and critically injured an Uber driver. If this is the first you’re hearing of this story, take a moment to let all those Gen-Y details sink in.

Dangers Posed By Tired Truckers Set To Receive Increased Attention

December 15, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

Everyone knows about the dangers associated with distracted driving. Commercials and public service announcements routinely warn drivers of the importance of focusing on the road in front of you and not on other distractions, usually cellphones. A subset of distracted driving that seldom gets the attention it deserves involves tired drivers. Drivers who are exhausted are just as if not more dangerous than those busy texting. Thankfully, a new push by federal lawmakers appears designed to bring increased attention. To find out more, keep reading.

Can you get in trouble for texting someone who is driving?

September 8, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What is partial versus total disability, and temporary versus permanent disability?”

The dangers of distracted driving are well known at this point. Commercials and public safety ads have repeated over and over how much texting can increase a person’s risk of being involved in a deadly car accident. Despite the apparent danger, millions of people continue to text behind the wheel every day, with alarming percentages of motorists admitting to reading and responding to text messages while driving.