Do you talk on your cell phone while you drive? If you do, you’re certainly not alone. Every 60 seconds in the U.S., more than 1 million drivers are using their cell phones while operating an automobile, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

However, that cell phone use behind the wheel may come at a price. First, in certain states, it is now illegal to use a hand-held cell phone while driving.

But more importantly, research shows that using a cell phone while driving significantly increases your chances of being in an automobile accident — and suffering personal injury.

In addition, you are at a much greater risk of causing someone else (another driver or passengers) to be injured. The increased odds of causing thousands of dollars in property damage to your car and others’ vehicles is also a factor to consider.

The statistics have been on the rise. Authorities now estimate that talking and texting on cell phones can be tied to 330,000 injuries and 2,500 car accident deaths in the U.S. every year.

Facts About Driver Cell Phone Use

• Drivers on cell phones are four times more likely to be seriously injured in an automobile accident.
• Several studies have found that a driver on a cell phone is as impaired behind the wheel as someone who has blood alcohol level of 0.08, legally drunk.
• Cell-phone-using drivers stop take 20 percent longer to stop than someone not talking on a cell phone.

Many proponents of cell phone use say hands-free devices can help prevent the potential automobile accident issues for drivers. Unfortunately, research shows that it is not the holding of the phone to the ear that causes the driver to be distracted; it is the act of conversing.

Do You Deserve Compensation for a Cell Phone-Related Traffic Accident?

There are now personal injury attorneys who handle the growing number of cases where a person is injured in an automobile accident caused by a driver who was using a cell phone at the time of the incident.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a car wreck because of someone’s cell phone use, you may be able to receive compensation for your medical bills, financial losses, and pain and suffering, related to the accident.