The driver who hit you was smoking a cigarette.

Does it matter?

Does the fact that he/she was smoking impact your injury claim?

Well, if responsibility for your accident is in dispute it certainly might.

Why?

Smoking can causes a number of different distractions:

> Visual distraction - such as when a driver is looking for a pack of cigarettes or a lighter;

> Cognitive distraction - this takes place when a motorist is thinking about finding and then lighting up a cigarette;

> Manual distraction - usually a person has to take one if not both hands off their steering wheel in order to light a cigarette while driving

The National Institutes of Health ( a US body) published a report which examines this very issue.

And ,interestingly enough, this study found that drivers who were smoking were more distracted than those using a cellular phone.

So, was the driver who hit you smoking?

If so, this could make a big difference when it comes to tackling the question of who's responsible for your crash.

Interested in talking about this issue?

Questions?

Call me at 604-255-9018 or send me an e-mail at [email protected]

Jeff Witten

McComb Witten Personal Injury Lawyers