Distracted driving accidents are soaring and emerging as a major cause of work-related accidents, and the related claims are a liability issue for employers and their insurance carriers. Liability falls upon the employers for workers' compensation benefits and potential liability damages by innocent injured third-parties. Additionally, employers may be subject to fines by regulatory agencies such as The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
A bill to address cell phone abuse while driving has been proposed by Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, D-NY4. McCarthy, a victim of an accident caused by texting while driving, is a former nurse who has made public health and safety a hallmark of her tenure in Congress. She has announced new federal legislation that would create a single national standard prohibiting the use of handheld mobile devices while driving.
“Driving while making a phone call, texting or using 'apps' can be as dangerous as driving drunk, and much more common,” Rep. McCarthy says. “With some basic commonsense rules that are already in place in some parts of the country, we can reduce injuries and save lives in America.”
Recommended For You
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader
Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
