Texting While Walking Is Actually A Serious And Dangerous Thing

In real life, we don’t walk into walls, or off cliffs, or into doors. At least, hopefully we don’t. But sometimes, we actually do, when we are distracted on our phones. Although it may seem like a joke, texting while walking does cause injuries—and if you are on your phone when you are injured, it could even cause you problems in your personal injury case.

Being Distracted is Dangerous

Just like texting or being on your phone behind the wheel causes dangerous distractions, so does texting while walking.

There are actually statistics kept on how many people are injured while they are walking and texting, and current numbers show that about 2,000 pedestrians are killed every year while using their phone. In fact, many studies have been done to measure people’s ability to do basic functions like walking in a straight line, while using their phone. These studies demonstrate that relatively easy tasks like walking in a straight line, become difficult or impossible while texting.

Studies even show that what you do on your phone while you walk, affects your concentration, or lack thereof. For example, studies have shown that listening to music doesn’t distract you nearly as much as actual texting (or anything that distracts your senses, like browsing the internet, or anything that requires use of the hands) does.

Other Hazards

There have even been studies that show that the mere act of using the phone while walking can cause neck and back injuries. The “looking down” action puts excess pressure on neck muscles and amounts to an extra 20-30 pounds of pressure on neck muscles than what would normally exist.

Texting while walking makes you a bigger target for any hazard-and that’s not just as a pedestrian, who could be hit by a car. Distracted walkers can easily miss objects on the floor, spills, curbs, or other things that can lead to a trip and fall. Walkers can miss holes in the ground, even ones that have been blocked off by barriers, as they legally must be.

Problems With Your Injury Case

When you sue for something that causes you to fall, one of the first things that the Defendant will argue is that you weren’t being careful, and that your distraction with the phone, caused or contributed to your own injuries. If a jury does find these allegations credible, the amount that you can recover for your injuries can be reduced—or even eliminated completely, in more serious situations.

For example, if a jury finds that your injury is worth $100,00, but you were 20% responsible for your accident because you were texting while walking, you would only recover $80,000—you would not get the $20,000 that you were responsible for.

Contact our Rhode Island personal injury lawyers at Robert E. Craven & Associates at 401-453-2700 today if you were injured as a pedestrian, or from a fall on someone else’s property.

Source:

cnn.com/2019/12/05/health/cell-phone-injury-increase-texting-wellness/index.html