Dialing
and Driving

Cell Phone Accident Lawyers and the Legality of Dialing and Driving

It’s been well documented—people who are driving while using their cell phones are more distracted than those who aren’t. While driving while using your cell phone is technically legal, it depends on the circumstances, and in many cases it still isn’t permitted. What that means for you, then, is that you should never take a chance when you’re injured in an auto accident and the other driver was on his phone at the time. Instead, you should contact a cell phone accident lawyer that knows the ins and outs of these laws, which continue to evolve along with cell phone technology.

Illegal Cell Phone Use

Cell phone driving laws vary from state to state, and in Illinois, driving while using your cell phone is perfectly legal—sometimes. It all depends on who is using the phone, how they are using it and where they are using it. For example, it is illegal to use your cell phone to read or compose electronic messages like e-mails, texts or tweets while you’re driving—you can even be pulled over for it. While you’re generally allowed to talk on your phone while driving, you can’t do it in certain areas, like active school zones. And finally, the age of the driver influences the legality of talking while driving—drivers under the age of 19 are not permitted to talk on their cell phones while operating the vehicle.

How Your Car Crash Attorney Steps In

If you’ve been involved in a car accident with a person who was using his cell phone, even if that person was using it legally, a cell phone accident attorney may be able to help. Car crash attorneys are used to conducting investigations and determining what happened during an accident, particularly when it comes to determining fault. Even a person that uses a cell phone legally while driving has his driving ability arguably compromised, and a car crash attorney may be able to demonstrate that you were not at fault in your accident. If you have reason to believe that you were not at fault in a car accident and the other driver was using a cell phone at the time, contact a car accident attorney as soon as possible.