NY fatal crashes caused by cellphones likely underreported

A recent study showed that not only in New York, but all over the nation, fatal accidents caused by cellphones are being underreported. Specifically in New York, there was only one reported fatal crash attributed to a cell phone in 2011, while in 2010 there only ten. As a comparison, Tennessee, the state that reported the most fatal car accidents that were related to cell phone use, reported 93 crashes in 2011 and 71 in 2010. Some New York City wrongful death lawyers and other experts may point out that because New York is so much larger than Tennessee, this discrepancy calls into question the reliability of the underlying statistics; these experts instead believe that accidents related to cell phones are being widely under reported. There are certainly various reasons for this under reporting, but one belief is that unless a witness at the accident such as a driver, passenger or bystander mentions that a cell phone was in use, it can be difficult, if not impossible to prove it. Because of that difficulty, it is believed that crashes related to cell phone use are likely much higher than currently reported simply because drivers do not want to get in trouble for causing an accident while talking on the phone. When someone is involved in an accident, the most important thing is to get them medical attention immediately. After that is taken care of, however, getting an accurate report in writing, even if doing so entails taking down the information by hand, can be critical. In particular, filling out a detailed report immediately may help a person establish whether or not a driver was on his or her cell phone at the time of the wreck. This information could be critical if a personal injury lawsuit or wrongful death lawsuit has to be brought to collect damages for the victim. Seeking out legal assistance after an accident is often necessary. With the proper help, the family of a deceased accident victim can often find a way to make ends meet financially and begin the process of moving on with their lives.