Maryland has a variety of new state laws that took effect October 1, 2014. Among those laws was a new, stricter approach to penalizing people who cause injuries in car accidents resulting from the use of cell phones. 

Under the new law, any driver that was found to be texting or talking on a cell phone during an accident that results in an injury or death could face a year in jail and up to $5,000 in fines. Using cell phones while operating a motor vehicle has been illegal in Maryland since 2010 and has been considered to be a primary offense since October 2013, but these are the strictest penalties implemented for cell phone-related injuries since then. 

The number of states banning any sort of cell phone use while driving is slowly growing throughout the country. Ten states and Washington, D.C. currently have such bans in place, while all states except six have bans on texting while driving in their state laws. 

These latest adjustments to Maryland law are unsurprising — and increasing number of accidents are happening because of distracted drivers who are using their mobile devices in various ways while driving. People are using their cell phones to do more than ever before, and as such are more plugged into these devices than in the past. Those who cannot put the phone down while on the road run the risk of causing severe accidents and injuries. 

If you or a loved one have suffered an injury in a car accident caused by a distracted driver, speak with a southern Maryland car accident attorney at Mudd, Mudd & Fitzgerald, P.A.