Throughout the course of any person’s daily routine, they are likely to engage in at least a few activities which have the potential to place their health and personal well-being at considerable risk. One of the most basic activities that many of us engage in on a daily basis, motor vehicle transportation, is also easily one of the riskiest. Because of the considerable force that a moving car, motorcycle, or other type of motor vehicle carries, a crash involving an automobile is often an extremely dangerous situation.
In 2010, the latest year for which data are available, 556 fatalities occurred as a result of motor vehicle accidents in the state of New Jersey. Of these, 71 occurred as a result of an accident involving a motorcycle. Motorcycle accidents may be particularly dangerous, as riders have significantly fewer safety features available to help protect them from injury.
There are many reasons why motorcycle accidents occur in New Jersey, but one problem which has begun to pose an increasingly significant threat is the rise of distracted driving caused by cell phone use. In 2011, 3244 accidents were caused by drivers who were distracted because of calling or texting on their phones. However, law enforcement agencies have increasingly begun to target drivers who use their cell phones, which is a crime in the state of New Jersey. Recently, in fact, a teenaged driver was convicted of motor vehicle homicide for the death of the driver of a vehicle which he crashed into because he had been texting on his phone, the first case of its kind in the nation.
Most car accidents involving cell phone use don’t result in fatalities, but they can still leave those involved in the accident badly hurt, sometimes requiring medical intervention for their injuries. This can be quite costly, particularly if the individual has insufficient or no insurance. Fortunately, personal injury law allows individuals who have been hurt by the reckless or negligent actions of others (a category under which driving while using a cell phone falls under) to pursue compensation for their damages.
Leading Causes of Death in New Jersey
As much as automobile accidents can pose a threat to the health and safety of New Jersey citizens, it remains a minor cause of mortality in the state. The leading causes of death in the state of New Jersey, in fact, are mostly medical in nature, and include the following:
- Heart Disease
- Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases
- Unintentional Injury
With many of these medical issues, particularly heart disease and cancer, early detection of possible warning signs is critical to improving a patient’s prognosis. Unfortunately, in some cases, a doctor may fail to register appropriate concern about certain risk factors, which can make a patient more likely to suffer the adverse effects of an illness later on.
As is the case with negligent drivers who cause injuries to others, doctors who fail to exercise the caution and professionalism expected of their position may be held liable for the damages they case to their patients through a medical malpractice lawsuit.