'Cellphone fell on face': ACC pays out $10,000 for phone-related injuries

ACC received 23 claims for cellphone injuries from Dunedin people and paid claimants a total of $10,436. Photo / File

Is your cellphone hurtling out of control towards your face?

Can you walk while talking on your phone or might you trip and suffer an injury?

Will your back take the strain of picking up your phone?

While some Dunedin motorists are paying the price for illegal cellphone use, other people in the city have been making ACC claims for accidents related to their devices.

In the three years to the end of 2016, ACC received 23 claims for cellphone injuries from Dunedin people and paid claimants a total of $10,436.

The Dunedin claimants were among several hundred nationwide who made claims totalling several hundred thousand dollars.

ACC was not able to provide an exhaustive list of accident descriptions used by claimants, but they included "cellphone fell on face'', "in bed reaching for cellphone and injured shoulder'', "talking on mobile phone and tripped'' and "bending over to pick up cellphone and hurt back''.

Statistics provided by ACC show Aucklanders made the highest number of claims at 190, costing a total of $76,159.

The Queenstown-Lakes district was one of many in the country which had fewer than three claimants over the three years, costing $1103.