Syracuse Car Accident Lawyer Applauds Increased Efforts Against Texting While Driving

New York personal injury attorney Scott C. Gottlieb of Syracuse’s Law Offices of Scott C. Gottlieb & Associates, LLP, says those using cell phones illegally behind the wheel must be held accountable for their act of negligence and recklessness.

Syracuse, NY (PRWEB) September 26, 2011

Syracuse personal injury attorney Scott C. Gottlieb today congratulated local police on a sharp rise in citations issued for texting while driving, but he cautioned that no law enforcement program can promise total protection from negligent and reckless drivers.

“Multiple law enforcement programs that have focused recently on texting while driving has helped to curb the practice but also illuminated the extent of the problem,” said Gottlieb of the Syracuse personal injury law firm, Scott C. Gottlieb & Associates, LLP.

“Texting while driving has become a pernicious traffic hazard,” he said. “That’s why our law firm applauds all efforts to stop it and to hold accountable those who harm others by doing it.”

The state of New York made texting while driving a primary traffic offense in July, meaning police could stop drivers specifically for the act. Since then, the number of tickets issued to drivers for the offense has increased by 43 percent statewide when compared to 2010 and by 72 percent outside of New York City, according to state Department of Motor Vehicles records examine by Gannet News Service.

Additionally, police in Syracuse participated in a pilot program sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to target texting and cell phone use behind the wheel through increased law enforcement and a public education campaign.

Syracuse police issued 9,587 citations for those talking or texting on cell phones while driving during the one-year crackdown, the NHTSA said.

The NHTSA also said cell phone use by drivers declined by about one third in Syracuse between April 2010 and April 2011 due to the pilot program. It achieved similar results in Hartford, Conn.

“Unfortunately, the police can’t be everywhere, and the threat of a ticket is not enough to make every driver follow the rules of the road,” Gottlieb said. “We will continue to see motor vehicle accidents that cause injury and death simply because drivers are distracted by cell phones, texting and other activities that are inappropriate while operating a motor vehicle.”

Gottlieb said it is a mistake to consider a collision caused by a texting driver to be an “accident.”

“Texting while driving is a conscious, illegal act,” he said. “Those who cause harm to others because of this kind of negligence should be held fully accountable.”

Scott C. Gottlieb & Associates has helped hundreds of Syracuse residents hurt in automobile crashes obtain proper insurance settlements and other compensation for pain and suffering through personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits.

“Anyone hurt in a motor vehicle crash caused by the recklessness or negligence of the other driver should seek legal help right away,” Gottlieb said. “An experienced attorney can help an injured party file a claim and, especially, to fight the insurance company, which will always push for the lowest insurance settlement it can possibly get the injured party to accept.

“And, where it is proper and necessary, the personal injury legal team at Gottlieb & Associates is ready to use its experience and skills in court to make sure that those who have been injured receive the benefits they deserve.”

About Scott C. Gottlieb & Associates, LLP

The Law Offices of Scott C. Gottlieb & Associates, LLP, handle all types of personal injury and motor vehicle accident cases, including cases involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles and boats. The firm also represents clients in actions for wrongful death, cancer misdiagnosis, dog bites, hunting accidents, birth injuries, brain injuries, construction accidents, fall down injuries and insurance settlements. The firm regularly employs accident reconstruction experts, investigators, photographers and economists to assist in evaluating and preparing personal injury cases. In 2008, the firm reached the $100-million mark in combined lifetime verdicts and settlements. Scott C. Gottlieb & Associates features offices in Syracuse, Binghamton, Elmira, Rochester and Watertown. For more information, call (800) TALK-LAW or use the firm’s online contact form.

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Scott C. Gottlieb
Law Offices of Scott C. Gottlieb & Associates
(800) 825-5529
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