• 22
  • December
    2011

A jury earlier this week (outside of Louisiana) awarded $8.8 million to the family of a mother who died in a car accident after colliding with a vehicle being driven by a teenage driver, according to news reports.

Baton Rouge car accident lawyers noted from the news reports that the teenage driver was believed to be texting on a cell phone while speeding and weaving through lanes of traffic. He was driving his father's SUV.

News reports said the woman died at the scene of the accident, while her husband, who was driving the car, was taken to the hospital to be treated for internal bleeding and other internal injuries. The mother left behind two young children.

Police said marijuana and cocaine, as well as an opened bottle of Delsym cough syrup, was found in the teenage driver's vehicle. The driver, who was 17 at the time, was not charged for vehicular homicide but was convicted on charges of reckless driving and speeding. He received a $2,000 fine and a six-month license suspension and is required to take a driving course.

The case highlights the potential risk posed by texting while operating a motor vehicle. Many states already have laws that outlaw texting while driving a car. Research suggests that drivers are eight times more likely to be involved in a motor vehicle accident when texting on a mobile phone.

The teenage driver of the vehicle texted rampantly and had sent 127 text messages on the day of the collision.

Source: Miami Herald "Miami Dade jury awards $8.8 million to family of woman killed in crash" Dec. 20, 2011