Distracted Walking: Phone Use and Pedestrian Injuries

Everybody is familiar with the dangers of distracted driving, but what about the dangers of distracted walking? It is a well-known fact that distracted driving (especially cell phone use) is a contributing factor in a multitude of severe car accidents every year. But cell phone use when walking can cause injuries too — a pedestrian who is looking at their cell phone could be hit by a car, fall, or sustain other injuries while distracted.

Pedestrian Accidents

One of the most severe risks of using a cell phone while walking is the possibility of being hit by a car. It is essential to be alert when crossing the street or using a sidewalk. If you are looking at your cell phone instead of the road, you could be injured in a pedestrian accident. Pedestrian accident victims often sustain severe injuries, such as spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, bone fractures, and burns.

It’s possible that using your cell phone before a pedestrian accident could negatively impact any legal action related to the incident. If an insurance company knows that distraction contributed to the accident, they may attempt to reduce your compensation.

Slip and Fall Accidents

Another risk of walking while distracted is slip and fall accidents. When you’re not looking at your walking path, it’s possible that you could slip on ice, fall into a hole, run into something, or trip on a broken sidewalk. A fall could result in injuries such as broken bones, bruises, lacerations, or traumatic brain injuries.

The Dangers of Pedestrian Cell Phone Use

CNN reported on the rise of cell phone-related injuries, explaining that injuries to the head and face have increased in the past 20 years, apparently due to the ever-growing permeance of phone use: “Most injuries occurred to people between the ages of 13 and 29 and were due to distracted driving, walking and texting with a cell phone.” Research from JAMA “found injuries [to the head, face, and neck] to be infrequent until 2007 -- when Apple introduced the first iPhone -- but then rose dramatically.”

Like driving, it’s best to keep your eyes off of your cell phone when walking. Contact McHargue & Jones, LLC fordedicated representation in your injury case.