Who to Call if You’re the Victim of a Cell Phone Accident

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Who to Call if You’re the Victim of a Cell Phone Accident

Written by Malman Law, reviewed by Steve J. Malman.

Although it sounds oxymoronic to ask who to “call” after a cell phone accident, the truth is most people don’t know who to turn to. And if they do find a cell phone accident lawyer to contact, they may be uncertain if they have a case or not. If you have been involved in a cell phone accident and you need the advice from a legal expert, you should call an experienced cell phone accident attorney right away. The longer you go without legal representation, the weaker your argument becomes for proving the guilty party was in fact using a cell phone during the accident. Unless you have video evidence or witnesses to testify, time is certainly of the essence.

Listed below are the basic laws in Chicago regarding cell phone usage in case you are ever involved in a cell phone accident. And if you don’t know these laws already, you should also pay close attention so you do not break them yourself.

Cell Phone Laws in Chicago 

Texting 

Texting is always illegal and there are no exceptions. Every second you spend looking down at your phone is a second less you can react to someone stopping short in front of you or someone changing lanes. This section of the law is also applicable to all online activity and game playing. We have all been in traffic and pulled aside someone going to slow or swerving side to side only to see them looking down at their phone and trying to type as they drive. Not only is this grossly irresponsible; it is the perfect scenario for a cell phone accident. 

Talking 

All across the city of Chicago it is illegal to use a handheld phone in which you hold up to your ear and mouth. The only exception to this rule is if you’re dialing 911 in an emergency, but we all know this is usually not the case. In addition to the slow driving and swerving, most cell phone users don’t notice when a light turns green or take turns extra slow. Lucky for us law abiding citizens, officers can pull over and ticket these offenders immediately but it is still a serious problem in Chicago. 

Hands Free Device

Do you want to avoid sitting across from a cell phone lawyer? It’s easy; use your Bluetooth! Most vehicles are equipped with them now and it takes less than a minute to pair your phone. Only teenagers and bus drivers are not allowed to use cell phones (even hands free) at any time, so if you have Bluetooth you are good to go! Just be sure to stay vigilant for the selfish and irresponsible drivers who don’t follow the law!