Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By David M. Baum, Attorney & David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
In today’s 24/7 world, staying connected is no longer an option, it is a necessity. The use of text messaging, also referred to as “texting,” has dramatically increased over the last three years. There is no doubt that texting has increasingly become the way most people communicate today. For many, the need to quickly read and respond, even from behind the wheel of a moving vehicle can be tempting. However, the act of texting and driving is dangerous.
Texting was a cause of an automobile accident, which resulted in critical personal injuries to a woman and child in Plymouth, Illinois. According to authorities, Brett A. VanFleet, 25-yearsold, was headed southbound in a 2009 GMC Sierra on Highway 61 just south of Plymouth. He took his eyes off the road because he was sending a text message on his cell phone, according to reports. VanFleet’s truck crossed the center lane and collided head-on with a 1998 Chevy Malibu driven by Brittany A. Ramirez, 22- years-old; passengers in her vehicle included 32-year old Dorothy K. Cook, 10-year-old Kiara Cook, eight-year-old Melanie Cook, and four-year-old Javier Ramirez. Reports said that Brittany Ramitez and Melanie Cook sustained critical personal injuries and were taken to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield for treatment. Kiara Cook suffered serious personal injuries and was taken to Blessing Hospital in Quincy, along with Dorothy Cook and Javier Ramirez who suffered minor personal injuries. VanFleet was issued citations for reckless driving, texting while driving, improper lane usage and failure to wear a safety belt as a result of the Illinois automobile accident.
Take out your cell phone and read out loud the last text message you received. Would reading or responding to that message from behind the wheel of a vehicle be worth the risk of getting into a car accident or worse? The answer is NO – The text message could wait. For more information on this topic, see texting crash causes injuries to woman and children.