Driving With Pets Can Lead To Fatal Car Accidents

As an experienced Fort Worth Personal Injury Lawyer, there is one thing that I am certain of: Any distraction or impairment while driving can lead to catastrophic consequences. A rising number car accidents are caused by distracted drivers such as those who talk on cell phones, messing with the radio or having a pet in the vehicle. As an animal lover who owns three dogs, I too must confess that I am guilty of this offense.

Many people are aware that pets in cars have a tendency to wander around and sometimes can even go to the floor level where the brakes and accelerator pedals are positioned. If you have a pet wandering around your car when you are driving, there is a pretty good chance that you might be a distracted driver.

Recently when driving, my dog attempted to jump from the back seat to the front seat and I must confess that my attention was drawn away from the road, but thankfully I did not have an accident. Additionally, if one has to take an accident avoidance maneuver or apply the brakes in a sudden fashion, a pet is another loose object that can be thrown about the vehicle impairing driving ability.

A recent survey by AAA Foundation for Traffic and Safety revealed that an overwhelming 80% of respondent’s state that they have driven with their pets in a variety of car trips and only 17% claim that they use any form of pet restraint system. Here are a few safety tips when driving with a pet in your vehicle:

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  Use safety barriers throughout your car to prevent your pet from being projected in case of a short stop or accident avoidance maneuver.
• Purchase a dog or cat restraint system to insure that the animal behaves properly while riding and that the restraint prevents it from hitting the hard interior of the vehicle in a sudden stop.
• Place your dog or cat in an animal carrier and secure it properly. When using a pet carrier, it is important that it be secured properly so that it doesn’t fly around during a collision.

Information and commentary provided by Fort Worth Distracted Driving Attorney Mark A. Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be contacted in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900. If you have been injured by a distracted driver in a car accident, please fill out our contact car online for a free consultation.

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The truth is that it is extremely difficult to estimate any injury claim's value until the injured party has ended medical treatment and is either well or as well as he or she is going to get. Only then can you truly put a figure on the damages that should be sought.

There is nothing worse than settling a claim too soon because once you settle, it's final. If your conditions worsen after prematurely accepting a settlement then you have no choice but to pay any additional medical bills yourself. Once your case settles, you cannot force the insurance company to also pay for your medical care in the future.