In 2008, Minnesota passed a law prohibiting texting and other uses of a cell phone while driving a motor vehicle:
No person may operate a motor vehicle while using a wireless communications device to compose, read, or send an electronic message, when the vehicle is in motion or a part of traffic. (Minnesota Statutes, Section 169.475)
This law was used this week to convict the driver who hit and A driver who hit and killed Andrea Boeve a woman while she was riding her bicycle near her home in Rock County, MN. She and her 2 daughters (behind her in a bike trailer) were riding to visit grandparents nearby when they were hit. The driver was reading information on his cell phone at the time of the accident, a violation of the above Minnesota law.
The driver told police that at the time of the accident he was reading his bank’s website on his phone. Such tragedy because he could not wait to do this at another time.
“Unfortunately, using a cell phone while driving is something I see far too often in cases where my clients are injured or killed in auto or truck accidents,” said Eric Hageman. “With younger drivers, it has seemingly risen to epidemic proportions. What so many young people fail to understand is that sometimes it only takes a split-second of taking your eyes off the road to forever alter someone’s life.”
As the driver looked down at his cell phone, he veered to the edge of the road, hitting the young mother and her 2 children. The mother died at the scene. One of the children was critically injured, with broken ribs and a collapsed lung.
In 2013, 2,189 drivers were cited for texting in Minnesota, according to the StarTribune. Nationally,over 3,000 people were killed and over 400,000 people were injured by distracted drivers in 2012, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
About Attorney Eric Hageman
Attorney Eric Hageman represents clients nationwide in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits against distracted drivers. He did not represent the Boeve family, but he has represented many families who lost loved ones in senseless accidents. In 2014 alone, he has won over $16 million for his clients. You can call 612-338-0202 or 1-888-377-8900 to contact Eric and request a free consultation.
We are a traffic safety law firm with offices in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Attorney Fred Pritzker founded the firm to help injured people and their families.