Aldrich Law Firm, Ltd.
Aldrich Law Firm, Ltd.

Call us toll free at
877-508-0433Good People Deserve Good Lawyers. ®

Call us toll free at
877-508-0433
Good People Deserve Good Lawyers. ®

Car accidents rise 12.3 percent among mobile workers

In its 2018 Distracted Driving Report, the vehicle management and reimbursement platform Motus has linked the increase in smartphone ownership to the rise in auto accidents among the mobile workforce. Nevada residents should be familiar with this trend because mobile workers travel 49 percent more often than any other type of employee in the U.S.

Between 2013 and 2017, the number of mobile workers with smartphones jumped from 55 percent to 77 percent. In those five years, the number of auto accidents that such workers were in went up 12.3 percent from 5.7 million to 6.4 million. Every year, mobile workers travel 1,200 miles while distracted behind the wheel.

Smartphones are not the only culprit, as activities, like eating or adjusting the radio, can also take a driver’s attention from the road, but Motus has found a clear correlation between smartphone use and accident rates. They calculated that in 2017, Americans drove 107 billion miles while distracted by their phones.

Mobile workers, or grey fleet drivers, are costing their employers about $4,400 in medical expenses, property damage and other losses for every accident they get into. Phone distraction costs employers about $1,680 per driver. 2017 saw mobile workers lose a total of 1.65 million work days because of accidents. Motus does offer driving solutions, though, which have already helped many businesses reduce collision rates.

When phone use or other distracting activities are to blame for a car accident, victims might decide to file a personal injury claim. In this state, though, victims must prove that the defendant was more than 50 percent to blame for the accident. This is where a lawyer and his or her network of professionals might help. Investigators could gather proof against the defendant, and medical experts could measure the extent of the injuries. The lawyer may then opt to negotiate for a settlement.

John P. Aldrich
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