Many Illinois residents understand that texting while driving is dangerous. They may not realize that doing other things with their smartphones, including checking Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media apps is also dangerous. More recently, many people have started playing Pokemon Go while they drive, resulting in some accidents across the nation.

In one accident, a man in Baltimore crashed into a police car while he was distracted by Pokemon Go. A girl in California was believed to have been playing the game when she ran off the road and crashed into a utility pole. Forty-six states along with the District of Columbia currently forbid texting while driving. Lawmakers have not fully caught up with the use of social media or playing games while driving, however.

The National Safety Council conducted a survey of 2,400 motorists of all ages, finding that 74 percent admitted to checking Facebook while driving. In a study by Liberty Mutual Insurance of 2,500 teen drivers, almost 70 percent admitted to using social media apps while they drove. In that study, only 6 percent identified using social media while driving as the most dangerous distracted driving behavior.

A person who is seriously injured by a negligent driver who was using social media or playing games while driving may want to file a personal injury lawsuit in order to hold the driver accountable. Through a lawsuit, the plaintiff may be able to hold the driver liable to pay damages for all of the losses the accident caused the plaintiff. Injured victims might want to meet with personal injury lawyers in order to learn about the types of damages that might be available to them as well as the likely value of their cases.