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More mobile workers are getting in distracted driving crashes

On Behalf of | Sep 24, 2018 | Motor Vehicle Accidents |

According to a new report, mobile workers in Virginia could be getting in more distracted driving-related car accidents. Not surprisingly, smartphone use while driving is behind the trend.

Researchers from Motus, a Boston-based vehicle management and reimbursement platform, analyzed company data and found that smartphone use among mobile workers increased from 55 percent in 2013 to 77 percent in 2017. During the same five-year period, the number of U.S. car crashes jumped from 5.7 million to 6.4 million, which represents a spike of 12.3 percent. Researchers also found that mobile workers are on the road 49 percent more than average Americans, and the average mobile employee logs approximately 1,200 distracted miles each year.

Of course, distracted driving can lead to serious car accidents. The Motus report found that employee car crashes are very costly for employers. In addition to medical expenses and property loss, distracted driving crashes cost employers money in the form of lost work days, legal bills and lost productivity. In fact, the company estimates that car accidents cost employers around $4,400 per gray fleet mobile employee every year. Gray fleet employees are workers who use their personal vehicles to perform business duties.

Victims of distracted driving-related accidents often suffer catastrophic injuries, which could leave them temporarily or permanently unable to work. An attorney could help the victim of such a crash file a personal injury lawsuit to recover their losses. This type of claim could lead to a financial settlement that pays for lost wages, medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, pain and suffering and other crash-related damages. An injured victim could learn more about their legal rights by scheduling a consultation with an attorney.