Serious car accident caused by dropped cell phone in Florida

Driving a motor vehicle requires one's undivided attention. The roadways are dangerous on their own without taking cell phones, iPods and GPS systems into account. Amid all the distractions modern technology can offer while driving, collisions are becoming increasingly more common. Earlier this month, a distracted driver in Florida caused a serious car accident that involved five vehicles.

Traffic was stopped at a red light on Nine Mile Road in Pensacola. According to police, a 29-year-old male driver has been charged with careless driving following an accident wherein five vehicles collided. The young man dropped his cell phone and took his eyes off the road to retrieve it. He failed to notice that traffic was stopped ahead of him.

The driver rear ended the last vehicle in line, and barreled through the remaining three vehicles ahead of him, before crossing the oncoming lane and finally coming to rest in a ditch on the opposite side of the road. All the victims of the serious car accident were transported to local hospitals for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Police charged the distracted driver at the scene.

The property damages in the accident are estimated to be around $44,000. That number does not include the possible medical costs the victim's incurred as a result of the accident. Thankfully, the personal injury legal system offers those victims an opportunity to obtain financial compensation for their injuries and damaged vehicles.

Source: Destin Daily News, "Man causes five-car- $44000 accident while retrieving cell phone," Angel McCurdy, 13 June 2011