Did you know that the National Safety Council has estimated that about25% of all car accidents involve drivers who are either texting or using their cell phones while driving? That adds up to over 1.2 million car and truck accidents a year.
Now here is the scary part for business owners… If your employees illegally use their cell phones driving while working for you – you can and likely will be sued for any damages that occur.
Distracted driver lawsuits are now increasingly common. Whether it is done in a company car, on a company-issued phone, or on an employee’s personal phone – if an employee has an accident while using a cell phone during hours in service to your company – your corporation will face serious legal and financial consequences.
Many companies are now moving to outright ban all employee use of cell phones while driving. And this is an important step in protecting your business. The next and crucial step is to make sure you educate your employees about the dangers of cell phone use while driving – and make it absolutely clear that the practice is banned. A failure to complete this last step will leave your business with significant financial exposure.
It is common to worry about a loss of productivity if cell phone use by employees is banned in cars and trucks during the workday. Companies that have instituted bans in the last several years were recently surveyed by the National Safety Council. Seven percent of companies surveyed felt productivity had fallen off a bit – but 19 percent reported an increase in productivity. Productivity not withstanding – travel safety was enhanced to the benefit of all.
Some might say – how would police ever know a cell phone caused the accident…? Well, it used to be difficult to prove. Now however there is new cell phone technology that makes it easier than ever to document cell phone use at the time of an accident.
So take no chances. Tell your employees they are absolutely banned from using cell phones while driving for any purpose while working for you. Or face painful consequences.
If you or your employees are ever the victims of a car accident in Connecticut caused by a distracted driver, it is important to gather all the information you can and then call a qualified Connecticut car accident lawyer. A knowledgeable attorney can help to ensure that your rights are protected.
RisCassi & Davis has handled thousands of car accident cases over our more than 55 years serving the people of Connecticut. Our car accident lawyers have received local and national recognition for our handling of car accident cases including:
- Top listing in “The Best Lawyers in America” and “Best Law Firms”….. for more on our honors and awards, click here.
If you would like a free consultation with one of our accident lawyers, contact us today.
There is no obligation of any kind.