A Los Angeles car accident the morning of July 25, 2010 proved fatal for a 44-year-old man, The Orange County Register reports. The victim was the driver of a minivan who had crashed his 2004 Mazda into a guardrail on the right shoulder of the 405 Freeway in Long Beach, after he fell asleep at the wheel. It was then that a 46-year-old Huntington Beach man driving a 2004 Ford SUV slammed into the disabled vehicle. The driver of the minivan was killed and his 37-year-old female passenger sustained moderate injuries. Officials say the driver of the Ford SUV failed to see the disabled vehicle in time because he was adjusting his radio at the time and was distracted.

My heart goes out to everyone who knew and loved this fatally injured victim for their tragic and devastating loss. I hope his passenger did not sustain major injuries and pray for her speedy and complete recovery.

The Problem of Distracted Driving

There is no question that driving is a skill that requires your complete and undivided attention. There are three types of distractions and they include anything that takes your eyes off the road, mind off the road or your hands off the steering wheel.

For example, if you change your radio station, you not only take a hand off the steering wheel to push a button or turn a dial, but also take your eyes off the road to look at what button you need to push. It may seem like a couple of seconds, but when you are driving at freeway speeds, the distance you travel in four seconds is usually the length of a football field. According to a study released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involve some form of driver distraction. The distraction usually occurred within three seconds before the car accident, the study found.

Claim for Compensation

In this case, if driver distraction is believed to have caused the fatal accident, then the family of the deceased victim could file a wrongful death claim against the at-fault driver. Injured victims could seek compensation to cover medical expenses, loss of wages, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation, physical therapy and other damages. A knowledgeable Los Angeles personal injury lawyer will also be able to advise injured victims and their families about how their auto insurance policy might apply to an incident involving an at-fault driver who is uninsured or underinsured.

What steps do you take to avoid common distractions in the vehicle when you are driving?

None of the parties mentioned in this article are represented by us at the time this article was posted. The source of our information is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call a reputable law firm for a consultation. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. The BISNAR | CHASE personal injury law firm will provide free, confidential consultation to "not at fault" persons and their family members if you mention your source was the “Personal Injury Law Journal." They can be reached at 866-456-5235 during California business hours.