401.467.2300 
The use of personal electronic devices in our cars has caused an increase in car accidents attributed to distracted driving. “Distracted driving” applies to anything that diverts a driver’s attention from the road. Most often, a driver in a distracted driving accident was texting or talking on a cell phone.
Distracted driving accidents killed 3,522 people across the country in 2021 and injured an estimated 324,652 more, according to the most recent stats from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Rhode Island’s law to prohibit texting while driving went into effect in November 2009. Distracted driving is negligent and possibly reckless driving.
Do You Need a Providence Distracted Driver Lawyer?
Gemma Law Associates is committed to aggressively pursuing compensation for those who have suffered serious personal injury or wrongful death in distracted driving car accidents. For more than four decades, the car accident lawyers of Gemma Law Associates have helped victims of negligent and reckless drivers throughout Rhode Island.
Learn about the Types of Distracted Driving
To learn how we can help you, call our Providence distracted driving accident lawyers today toll-free or use our online form. We provide free initial case evaluations.
Distracted Driving Causes Car Accidents
The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) recently examined more than 350 studies about distracted driving. Based on that research, the GHSA found that distracted driving is the likely cause of 15 to 25 percent of all U.S. motor vehicle crashes.
Distraction.gov, the official U.S. government website about distracted driving, says drivers who use hand-held devices are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. Text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted, the site says.
Anything that takes the driver’s attention from the road is a distraction. In May of 2012, a Rhode Island legislator identified another driver distraction: lap dogs. A bill in the Rhode Island General Assembly would ban dogs from the driver’s seat when their owners are behind the wheel. (AAA said that in a 2023 survey, 31 percent of drivers said they had been distracted by their dogs while driving; 80 percent admitted to driving frequently with their pets, and only 17 percent used a pet restraint such as a seat belt or kennel.)
Rhode Island’s Distracted Driving Laws
Rhode Island made texting while driving illegal in 2009. The state has also prohibited all cell phone use (hand-held and hands-free) by drivers younger than age 18. School bus drivers are not allowed to use any kind of cell phone behind the wheel.
Compensation for Distracted Driving Victims
Distracted driving is among many actions that would be considered careless or negligent operation of a motor vehicle or reckless driving. When a distracted driver causes injury, death, or property damage, the people who have been harmed have a right to be made whole financially.
A Rhode Island resident severely injured in a car or truck accident has the right to pursue a personal injury lawsuit that seeks compensation based on the at-fault driver’s negligence or recklessness. The family of a person killed in a car or truck accident may pursue a wrongful death lawsuit if the at-fault driver was careless or reckless.
The car accident lawyers of Gemma Law Associates prosecute such lawsuits on behalf of accident victims after conducting independent investigations to determine how an accident occurred, who was at fault, and the damage that the victims have suffered.
Contact Our Providence Distracted Driving Accident Lawyers Today
If you have suffered a serious personal injury or the loss of a family member in a car crash attributed to distracted driving, call the car accident lawyers of Gemma Law Associates today. Gemma Law Associates represents distracted driving accident victims and their families across Rhode Island. We help those in Providence, Pawtucket, Newport, Warwick, Cranston, Bristol or Woonsocket. If you’re an out-of-state driver injured in Rhode Island, we can help you, too.
Call the Providence distracted driving accident lawyers of Gemma Law Associates today toll-free or use our online form. We can provide you with a free and confidential evaluation of your case and help you determine your legal options.
Serving the Greater Providence metro area, including Warwick, Cranston, Pawtucket, North Providence, South Kingston, Coventry, Cumberland, Woonsocket, and East Providence.
Gemma law is the best and helped and guided me threw everything … highly recommended thank you so much
ellen almgren2023-02-095 stars all the way. They did exactly what was expected. Good Job
Keith Ruggiero2023-02-04Very efficient and very good with communicating with me. I received updates about my case without having to call and request them. Very good law office! Very satisfied.
Bethania Herrera2023-01-19Mark Gemma has been absolutely amazing. He was helpful and answered all concerns and questions I’ve had. Him and his team are beyond incredible, supportive, and sweet. I would like to thank them all for everything they’ve done.
Samantha Argus2023-01-19very professional and honest, what I liked the most is whenever you call the lawyer returns your call with every concern I had. It was my first time and I would not hesitate to trust them again.
Diana Palacio2023-01-17This team is extremely helpful and kind. Mark Gemma was a great help in guiding me through this whole process and was a huge help. I would recommend this team to anyone seeking legal counsel
Zachary Dustin2023-01-16I am so happy with the turnout of my case. Both Sarah and Peter kept me up to date on everything and worked very hard on my case. The whole staff is friendly and diligent with their work. 100% recommend!
Chelsie Abatiello2022-12-28Managed to get my money before Christmas...in just days after settling! Great communication and always helped with my needs, and always gave good advice. Would definitely recommend.
Trini Luckey2022-12-23Always professional and always checking in on their clients. Excellent atmosphere.
Susan Hallam2022-12-17After spending 8 hours in a hospital overnight to get stitches in my lip because of a drunk driver’s negligent decision to get behind the wheel, the last thing I wanted to do was think about it all. I sent an email to Gemma Law, and Mark Gemma quickly called me back with an empathetic approach to listening to my story and helping me figure out the next steps. When he told me I wouldn’t have to have any contact with the insurance companies, I was HOOKED! When he pointed out how unfortunate it was I might have to miss out on a lip modeling career from a potential scar from the stitches, I was SOLD! And when I finally received my settlement check after letting him do all the leg work while I just focused on recovering, I was and am eternally GRATEFUL! Mark Gemma helped me turn a near death experience into a new start in life and I highly recommend him to anybody needing a personal injury lawyer.
Angie Sherman2022-12-07