While your first impulse after suffering through a car accident in East Orange may be to look past the issue of fault, take it from many of our past clients here at Goldstein & Goldstein, LLP: establishing liability is crucial in such a situation. While you may not see it now, you could end up facing mounting medical expenses and repair costs that might easily leave you in a financial bind.
However, determining whether negligence might have been the cause of your accident (and subsequently seeking compensation because of it) can be difficult. Yet ask yourself this: did the driver that hit you have fresh food stains on their clothing, or did you notice opened wrappers or drink containers in their vehicle?
The dangers of eating while driving
If so, then it is likely that an incredibly common yet often overlooked driving distraction played a hand in your accident: eating while driving. While may not view eating and drinking behind the wheel as distracting, a joint research effort between the Auto Alliance and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons revealed just how much it can be. Together they show how such action leads to the following types of driving distractions:
- Manual: taking one’s hands off the steering wheel to grasp food items
- Visual: taking one’s eyes off the road to see what they eat
- Cognitive: taking one’s attention away from the road to avoid spills
Cumulatively, these actions can lead to those who eat while driving being 3.6 times more likely to experience a car accident than those who do not.
How common is eating while driving?
The distraction of eating while driving may be so common that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates it could be responsible for as many as 80% of all car accidents. You can learn more information about spotting distracted drivers by continuing to explore our site.