Whiplash Injuries from Distracted Driving

Distracted driving can lead to whiplash injuries. Whiplash is a soft-tissue injury that often happens when a driver is hit from behind, causing their head to snap forward and back. In many cases, rear-end collisions are caused by a driver who is distracted and doesn’t realize you’ve stopped or slowed down.

A skilled car accident attorney in Phoenix knows that distracted driving happens when a driver is texting, eating, changing the radio station, searching for something in the car, talking with passengers, or doing anything else that takes their attention away from the road. 

What Is the Hands-Off Law in Arizona?

For the safety of everyone in the car and on the road, it’s essential that drivers be 100% focused on driving. In Arizona, hands-free laws make it illegal to hold or use a cell phone or other electronic device with any part of your body while driving. 

This includes holding a phone in your hand, resting it on your leg or shoulder, scrolling through social media, watching or recording a video, using an app, dialing a phone number, and reading, writing, or sending messages or emails.

Drivers can, however, use a phone in hands-free mode. You are allowed to use a phone while driving if it is mounted on the dashboard and in speaker mode. 

Calls can also be made if the driver is using earphones or voice commands, or the conversation is routed to the car’s speakerphone via Bluetooth. GPS and navigation apps are permitted if they are voice-activated, and a driver can use their phone to call 911 in an emergency or make a single touch or swipe to start or end a call.

If you have trouble ignoring your phone, consider turning it off or putting it on silent mode while you are driving.

Common Signs of Whiplash

Whiplash happens when the muscles, ligaments, and tendons in the neck are overstretched and strained from sudden, violent back-and-forth motion caused by a rear-end collision.

Sometimes, a victim of a car accident knows they have whiplash right away. Other times, the adrenaline coursing through their body masks symptoms and the pain isn’t felt for another day or two later.

Don’t ignore the signs of whiplash. Seek medical attention if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Neck pain, stiffness, or reduced range of motion
• Worsening pain with neck movement
• Headaches starting at the base of the skull
• Shoulder, upper back, or arm pain
• Tingling or numbness in the arms
• Dizziness or exhaustion
• Ringing in their ears
• Trouble concentrating or memory issues
• Blurred vision
• Trouble sleeping

Find an Attorney You Can Trust

When you choose Gage Mathers Law Group to represent you in a whiplash case, you get trial experience that only comes from decades of handling texting while driving injury cases and successfully representing accident victims. 

We’ll explain the catastrophic injury claim timeline and help you get compensated for medical bills, ongoing physical therapy, and lost wages, so you can focus on recovering from your injuries. Call us today for your free consultation!

About the Author

Joseph D'Aguanno

Guided by the belief that being a highly skilled specialist in a narrow field is better than being ordinary in everything, Joseph “JD” D’Aguanno leads Arizona’s best personal injury law firm in Phoenix, AZ. Having extensive cross-training in pre-litigation negotiations and trial lawyer skills, with decades of experience, JD strives to provide clients with the most valuable legal services a personal injury lawyer can provide. Under his direction, Gage Mathers Law Group is an award-winning personal injury law firm providing aggressive representation to victims of a car accident, medical malpractice, dog bite, motorcycle accident, and other injurious events. Gage Mathers is trusted by thousands of lawyers and clients throughout the country because of their reputation for getting clients the maximum compensation they deserve.

Years of experience: Over 24 years
Bar number: 020421
Location: Phoenix, AZ
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