Straight Talk Law: Seattle, Washington Personal Injury Lawyer Jason Epstein On “The National Fight Against Distracted Driving Car Accidents”

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Continuing to show the growing importance of preventing car accidents that result in personal injury and wrongful death, US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood held the second annual Distracted Driving Summit in Washington D.C. on September 20th – and had some potentially good news.
The Secretary reported that wrongful deaths resulting from distracted driving car accidents fell by 6 percent in 2009, and cases of personal injury declined by 4 percent.
Much of the credit was given to increasing state and local legislation against the dangerous practice, especially the practice of texting and driving.
In the past year, 12 more states – Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming – passed laws against the use of hand-held mobile phones while driving, according to the Governors’ Highway Safety Association (GHSA). 30 states in total now have laws in place against texting and driving.
LaHood also announced new regulations targeting drivers transporting hazardous materials, train operators and commercial truck and bus drivers. He also reported that more than 550 U.S. companies have committed to putting polices into effect against employees engaging in distracted driving. Under the new federal law, truck and bus drivers who text while driving commercial vehicles may be subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750.
“We are taking action on a number of fronts to address the epidemic of distracted driving in America,” LaHood commented. “With the help of the experts, policymakers, and safety advocates we’ve assembled here, we are going to do everything we can to put an end to distracted driving and save lives.”
The government also released 2009 statistics concerning distracted driving and car accidents. According to the numbers, distracted driving caused 5474 wrongful deaths and a personal injury total of 448,000.
The summit brought together leading transportation officials, safety advocates, law enforcement personnel, industry representatives, researchers and the family members of victims in order to study the ongoing challenge of preventing distracted driving tragedies, as well as to look at possible solutions to the growing problem.
“Every time someone takes their focus off the road — even if it’s just for a moment — they put their lives and the lives of others in danger,” added LaHood.
The Transportation Secretary is also suggesting that the tech industry could follow the lead of the cigarette industry and place warning labels on the boxes of mobile phones, urging consumers not to use the devices while behind the wheel.
For more free “Straight Talk Law” information, please visit the website of King County Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Attorney Jason Epstein at www.straighttalklaw.com, where you can order free books on personal injury lawyers, Washington auto accidents, auto insurance, and other valuable legal information, offered as a public service by Mr. Epstein’s law practice in Seattle, Washington.

About the Author

Jason Epstein joined Premier Law Group as a partner in 2007. Jason is a litigator handling all types of personal injury cases with an emphasis on serious plaintiff’s personal injury and insurance coverage. Jason is a member of the Washington State Association for Justice and serves within its leadership. Jason often speaks at CLEs and serves as an arbitrator for both private and mandatory arbitration matters. Jason completed a certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution from the Strauss Institute of Dispute Resolution and the Trial Advocacy program through the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. Jason has been dedicated to representing injured people since 1999. Jason Epstein has been representing individuals against insurance companies and large corporations since 2001. He limits his practice to personal injury and wrongful death cases including auto accidents, motorcycle accidents, or other serious and catastrophic injuries. Hopefully you have already visited StraightTalkLaw.com. This website is loaded with tons of information, and is constantly updated to keep you informed of recent developments. You can also stay up to date by following the blogs which are linked toStraightTalkLaw.com Jason understands that providing the best legal representation to his clients means limiting the number of cases he accepts. He takes fewer cases so he has more time for you. By limiting his caseload, Mr. Epstein is able to give each client and each case the time and attention that they deserve. If you would like to see if your case qualifies for Mr. Epstein to represent you, please contact us throughStraightTalkLaw.com, request one or more of Jason’s books, or call us toll free at (888) 333-1873.

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