In a case before California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal, a plaintiff is seeking punitive damages in a car crash that occurred because of a driver who was texting, the first court case of its kind to make it to trial. If the court sides with the plaintiff, texting while driving could become even more dangerous: drivers who text and cause on accident could risk financial ruin.
The case before the court stems from a negligence suit filed by Joseph Schultz, the victim of a car accident. Schultz states that a driver, named in his lawsuit as Serob Terarutyunyan, was texting while driving on State Route 134 before losing control of his vehicle, swerving through lanes, and hitting numerous vehicles, including Schultz’s SUV. Schultz was forced off the freeway, ultimately colliding with a tree head-on. Schultz suffered moderate injuries in the crash.
Punitive damages are, by definition, designed to stop people from conducting similar acts, in this case, texting while driving. The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker has blogged extensively about the dangers of texting while driving. The risk of punitive damages in a car accident will only make texting while driving even less worth it.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident, contact the car crash lawyers at The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker today at (800) 333-0000 for a free consultation.