Phone addiction: Does it increase chances of personal injury?

On Behalf of | Aug 20, 2019 | Personal Injury |

Many Alabama residents are addicted to their cell phones. It is a problem that appears to be on the rise throughout the country. Data suggests that phone addicts who drive may be at great risk for causing personal injury in distracted driving accidents.

There are numerous signs and symptoms that indicate a person might have a cell phone addiction. Often, phone addicts become depressed, agitated, restless or even angry if they lose access to their phones. Many of them also spend more and more time using their phones because, like drug addiction, the satisfaction or gratification one gets from feeding the addiction tends to take longer to achieve as time passes.

Cell phone manufacturers seem to know how to turn a profit. They always produce newer, supposedly better, products to put on the market. Another possible sign of phone addiction is a continued desire to own the latest, greatest model available. Phone addicts purchase new phones all the time and often have perfectly functional old phones lying around the house.

It is illegal to use a cell phone while driving in Alabama and most other states. However, phone addicts often have trouble controlling their desire to use their phones and may do at inappropriate times, such as at work, while dining with someone or while driving. If a person suffers injury because a person using a cell phone at the wheel caused a collision, he or she may seek financial recovery for losses by filing a personal injury claim against the motorist who was negligent.