Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have gained increasingly in popularity because they allow users to contribute ideas, photos, and videos to the Internet for millions of people to potentially see and read. These sites have hundreds of millions of users, many of whom contribute to the site or update their profile on a daily basis. With the development and distribution of applications for use on smartphones, the social media craze is just as popular away from people’s computers.
In fact, Facebook reports that nearly 250 million users have accessed their Facebook profiles with some type of mobile device. Like texting and driving, using social media while operating a motor vehicle can be extremely dangerous, putting drivers at an increased risk of an accident.
Potential Dangers of Driving and Using Social Media
Social media isn’t confined to Facebook alone. Other platforms like Twitter, Flicker, and Tumblr, also prompt users to contribute at all hours of the day, even while behind the wheel. If you are using social media on your mobile device while driving, you may cause an accident by:
- Hitting a stopped vehicle in front of you because you don’t see it.
- Swerving in and out of your lane from looking down at your mobile device.
- An inability to assess the road in front of you, leaving you unable to avoid accidents.
- Failing to stop at red lights or stop signs, as well as missing construction warnings.
As the victim of an accident caused by a distracted motorist, you may be able to obtain financial compensation for medical bills and other damages through a civil lawsuit.
Contact Us
It is important that you are fully advised of your legal rights in this situation. Contact Your Iowa Lawyers of LaMarca Law Group, P.C., at (515) 705-0233 today to speak with a qualified representative about your case.