Texting while driving is illegal under Maryland law, but unfortunately the deterrent effect of this law has yet to take hold, and its frightening how many times you can see the driver of his or her vehicle blatantly looking at a phone while their car is in motion. Texting and driving violations started out carrying a simple $50 fine, but the legislature has pushed stiffer penalties year after year. As of 2019 the fine for using a handheld device while a vehicle is in motion ranges from $75 to $175 for a third or subsequent offense, and few people also realize that texting and driving that leads to an accident causing serious bodily injury or death is a crime, which is punishable by a year in jail. But texting and driving citations still carry no points unless an accident occurs, and unlike speeding tickets the average driver just does not seem that worried about being pulled over for using their phone. It is for these reasons that cell phones are the cause of hundreds of serious car accidents each year, and anyone can be a victim.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a person in Maryland that broke the law by texting and driving, and then injured you in an accident, you deserve the maximum amount of compensation. The word is clearly out that it’s illegal and those who choose to ignore the laws must be held responsible if they injure someone. Distracted driving is deadly, and nowadays there is no excuse for using a cell phone while driving. Benjamin Herbst will fight tooth and nail to recover all medical costs plus pain and suffering damages against negligent drivers who use their phones while behind the wheel. The insurance companies that represent these drivers will routinely deny that their client is liable, but Benjamin knows how to navigate the court system to secure subpoenas for the negligent driver’s phone and prove who was really at fault.
Texting and driving accidents can cause numerous serious injuries including broken bones, sprains and concussions. It the most serious cases distracted drivers can cause permanent damage to another motorist including paralysis and brain damage (TBI). Some of the worst cases occur when a driver on a cell phone fails to yield at a crosswalk and hits a pedestrian or bicycle rider. This commonly occurs as drivers coast to a stop but then look at their phone for a second instead of coming to a complete stop. Although these types of accidents occur at slow speeds they can have catastrophic consequences for a pedestrian or bicycle rider that was totally vulnerable and unprotected. Maryland drivers texting on their cell phones also routinely cause rear end collisions by not paying attention to drivers ahead of them coming to a stop. These accidents commonly occur at red light intersections, in stop and go traffic and at stop signs. Rear end accidents do an great deal of damage to all passengers involved including whiplash, broken or sprained wrists from holding on to the steering wheel, broken noses from the airbag, contusions and chest and neck bruises from the seatbelts.
No matter the severity of your injury Benjamin is standing by to offer a thorough and free consultation about your accident. He will fight to ensure that the insurance companies that represent people that text and drive pay their fair share. Benjamin represents those injured in a texting and driving accidents in all Maryland jurisdictions. He is always available to his clients by cell phone and understands how import the attorney client relationship is during the tough times of recovering from an injury. Call (410) 207-2598 anytime to discuss how to recover the maximum for your injuries.