The Cochran Firm Legal Blog

Police are still investigating, but at this point it seems like texting and driving may be to blame for the fatal crash that killed the plastic surgeon to the stars on Monday. According to the surgeon's ex-girlfriend, he was texting a Twitter message about his border collie, Jill, and that led to the car accident. The surgeon's Jeep went over the cliff off the famous, curving Pacific Coast Highway. While his celebrity patients and friends mourned his passing both at and away from a ceremony today, his ex-girlfriend hopes that others learn from the tragedy. She says, "people should not text and drive at all."

Although the ex-girlfriend said investigators told his family that texting caused the accident, the California Highway Patrol would only confirm that he had been texting and "It is one of the elements that we are investigating," according to an officer. Distracted driving, especially cell phone use and text messaging, are the focus of a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) campaign. Studies have shown that texting can have as big an impact on driving and reaction time as driving drunk.

A texting driver endangers not only himself and his passengers--in this case the beloved Jill, who survived with head, eye, and paw injuries--but also everyone else on the road. If you have been hurt or lost a loved one in an accident with a distracted driver, you may be able to receive compensation for your injuries. To learn more, contact the Los Angeles office of The Cochran Firm today for a free case evaluation.