Charleston accident attorneys at Howell and Christmas are concerned about the growing issue of distracted driving. The use of cell phones and other hand-held devices while driving can often cause serious, and sometimes even fatal, automobile accidents.
Just recently, a trucker negligently caused the death of a woman by talking on his cell phone while driving. The woman, Barbara Williams, was a passenger in a vehicle driven by her daughter, Lori Adamo. When the car stalled at a stop light, Adamo put on her hazard lights while one of the passengers got out and checked the hood. According to the complaint, it was then that the truck driven by William Ryan Ellis slammed into the car. In addition to speeding, Ellis was distracted by talking on his cell phone at the time of the accident and did not notice the stalled car in the road.
The impact of the collision killed Williams and seriously injured Adamos and the other passenger. Plaintiffs say that Ellis, an employee of the industrial drill bit manufacturer Varel International, was driving in the scope of his employment, therefore the company may be liable for the accident.
Williams’ family filed the suit and is charging Varel with negligent training, supervision, and hiring. They are also charging Ellis with negligence.
Source: Thomson Reuters-“Trucker on Cell Phone Caused Fatal Accident, Suit Alleges”- October 20, 2009.
