Think Distracted Driving Is Bad?
If you drive in Sarasota or just about anywhere in North America, chances are you’ve witnessed a distracted driver, someone preoccupied with an activity other than driving: talking on the phone, texting, putting on makeup – even operating a tablet computer. Perhaps you’ve even have had the misfortune of being involved in an accident caused by a distracted driver and have considered hiring a Sarasota accident attorney to recover some of the losses. Distracted driving is a huge problem, but as a few noteworthy cases have shown in recent years, one that unfortunately isn’t limited to roadways. And that should have everyone concerned.
In September 2008, public-transportation riders from Sarasota to San Francisco got a sharp wake-up call in the form of a horrendous rail accident outside of Los Angeles. The L.A. Metrolink, a commuter rail line serving the outer environs of California’s largest city, ran head-on into a freight train. The scene of the collision and subsequent derailment was a nightmarish scenario of mass casualties and twisted machinery. In all, 25 people died, the worst train accident in the U.S. in nearly two decades. But the most troubling part of the story came out in the days following the collision, when it was revealed that the disaster was entirely preventable. The driver of the Metrolink train had been texting and had run a red light, putting the train directly in the path of the oncoming freight car. Within days, victims had retained attorneys to file suit against Metrolink, cases which may take years to unravel. The individual chiefly held responsible, engineer Robert Sanchez, died in the collision.
Just a year after the Metrolink crash, another high-profile incident involving distracted mass transit employees worried Americans even more, as it involved commercial jet pilots. In October 2009, a Northwest Airlines flight left San Diego en route to Minneapolis. The plane flew 150 miles past its intended destination, at which point a flight attendant asked the pilots about the plane’s ETA. In the interim, neither the pilot nor the co-pilot had responded to radio attempts to contact the missing plane. After the plane landed safely, it came to light that both pilots had been absorbed by a discussion and had been working on their laptops while the plane flew over its destination. Both pilots had their licenses revoked, but attorneys for the pilots and the airlines worked quickly to reach an agreement that would eventually result in their reinstatement.
The problem of distraction by electronic devices affects every person in Sarasota. Even walking down the street can be a hazard when people aren’t paying sufficient attention to their environment. It is a very grave matter when the men and women responsible for dozens or even hundreds of lives risk serious accidents, litigation, and even mass casualties. The problem is undoubtedly one with which public safety officials, legislators, and Sarasota accident attorneys will be wrestling for a long time.
With thousands of attorneys in Florida, one of the first questions an accident victim faces is whom to trust? Luhrsen Law Group is a family-oriented Sarasota law firm dedicated to helping accident victims receive justice and fair compensation. If you’re searching for a Sarasota accident attorney, contact Luhrsen Law Group for legal representation. Call us today for a free consultation at 1-866-957-4878 (HURT) or visit our web site, www.luhrsen.com, to learn more about our areas of specialization.
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