California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
Ani Voskanian has been arrested and charged with gross vehicular manslaughter for allegedly texting while driving, running a stop sign and colliding with an 80 year old man in a Glendale pedestrian accident. The man, Misak Ranjbar, later died from head trauma in Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.
Ms. Voskanian’s attorney claims that she was not texting, the sun was in her eyes and that Mr. Ranjbar hit her car, causing this Glendale pedestrian collision. However, the district attorney’s office said the case was filed based on a careful review of the evidence (which might include cellular phone records from the time of the accident or an eyewitness account of the incident).
According to the Los Angeles Times, Glendale Mayor, Ara Najarian, has said that distracted driving has reached “epidemic” proportions in Glendale. Distractions, which are sometimes illegal, depending on the jurisdiction, should always be avoided, and can include talking on a cell phone, texting, eating, putting on makeup, caring for children in passenger seats, looking at a navigation system, etc.
If you are involved in a car accident in California and believe the other driver caused the collision due to a distraction such as texting, it is very important that you inform the responding police officer so that the information goes on the record. You should also inform your California personal injury attorney so that he/she can obtain the cell phone records from the responsible party or statements from any witnesses. This crucial evidence, which may weigh heavily on a jury, can make or break your California personal injury case.