Recent Blog Posts
One Hospitalized After Crash Between Motorcycle and Car
On a recent Sunday, a motorcycle and a vehicle collided near the intersection of West Howard Lane and the North I-35 service road. One person was declared a “trauma alert” and transported to St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center with “potentially serious” injuries, though no other information is currently available. While law enforcement did not specify who the ‘trauma alert’ was, it is reasonable to deduce that it was the motorcyclist, given the immensely higher likelihood for motorcyclists to be injured and killed in this type of accident. If you are a motorcyclist and have been injured in an accident with a car, you may be able to file suit to try and recover compensation for the harm you have suffered.
Motorcycling Can Be Dangerous
Motorcyclists are at a serious disadvantage when struck by cars, simply due to size and weight. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that per vehicle miles traveled, motorcyclists are approximately 28 times more likely to die than passenger vehicle occupants in the event of a crash. There is simply less protection available to a motorcycle rider – who usually just has the clothing they wear, and a helmet if they so choose – than there is to a vehicle driver or passenger sitting behind sheets of metal and glass.
City Traffic Engineer Recommends Lowering Speed Limits on Some Austin Streets
Recently, Austin city engineers presented their recommendations to the Urban Transport Commission, arguing that the speed limits on roads in the urban core and on downtown streets, as well as on residential streets, should be lowered by 5-10 mph. The Office of the City Traffic Engineer points to speeding as the most significant cause of automobile accidents in Austin and its surrounding suburbs, and a speed reduction on some of the most commonly-traveled streets is seen as a good way to lower Austin’s ever-rising number of traffic fatalities.
Speed Kills
If you have been involved in a traffic accident, it is very likely that the driver who struck you was exceeding the speed limit. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimate that around 9,400 people were killed in 2018 due to speeding-related causes, or around 26 percent of all traffic fatalities. Seventeen percent of drivers were actually speeding at the time of their crashes, but the 26 percent also includes those whose passing was directly related to speeding behaviors even if they were not speeding themselves – for example, not wearing a seatbelt, or driving at the posted speed limit when one should be driving more slowly, such as in bad weather.
18-Wheeler Jackknifes on Loop, Dumps Load
Recently, an 18-wheeler trying to avoid a crash wound up jackknifing on Loop 410, spilling its load onto the highway. The driver crashed into the median after swerving around a vehicle that allegedly had cut him off, dumping the truck’s load of sod onto Southeast Loop 410 and closing the highway for several hours. While no injuries were reported in this particular incident, they very easily could have happened, especially to the driver of the smaller vehicle. If you are involved in an accident with a large truck, your injuries are likely severe; seeking compensation for what you have been through may be a good idea.
Causes and Effects
There are countless causes for 18-wheeler crashes. Some can be attributed to driver error, such as speeding, disobeying traffic signals and stop signs, and in particular, driving while fatigued. (The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration [FMCSA] has regulations governing worker hours, but many truck drivers ignore them or are told to ignore them, in order to deliver orders more quickly.) Others may be somewhat inevitable, or at the very least, not the fault of either driver in the accident – poor maintenance on an 18-wheeler is a prime example, as the driver may have no idea of a fault in their vehicle unless it is too late.
Can I Hold Someone Liable for a Bad Weather Accident?
In recent days, Travis and Williamson Counties have seen quite a lot of rain, with more storms on the way. When the weather is bad outside, drivers have a responsibility to take defensive measures and to not drive in a way that a reasonable person would consider dangerous. However, this does not always happen – traffic accidents occur very commonly, in fact, killing more annually than large-scale weather disasters like tornadoes. If you are involved in a car accident where you suspect that rain has been a factor, it can be difficult to establish liability, but certainly not impossible. An experienced attorney can also be of help in your seeking compensation.
Bad Weather Plays A Big Role
Accidents are very common after it has rained or snowed, as one might imagine; wet pavement plays a role in as many as 70 percent of weather-related accidents, according to Federal Highway Safety Administration (FHSA) data, with rainfall specifically playing a role in nearly half the number. Every aspect of driving can, in theory, be affected by wet pavement or rainfall – visibility, stopping distance, and all the other factors are vastly inferior to their dry-weather counterparts. The injuries from this type of accident can be quite severe, as well, because it is so easy to lose control of one’s vehicle in bad weather, which in turn may prevent any kind of defensive measures.
Death Toll from 10-Person Rollover In San Marcos Rises
Over the Memorial Day weekend, a Ford Explorer crammed past capacity rolled over on I-35, killing two people at the scene and injuring 6 more. Sadly, the news came out after that a seven-year-old child had succumbed to their injuries at Dell Children’s Medical Center, raising the fatality count to three. The Explorer’s suggested capacity is five, but five additional people had been packed into the vehicle, putting 10 people in the car when a tire allegedly blew. While no legal action has been announced yet, the surviving family would be within their rights to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the manufacturer or seller of the blown-out tire. If you have lost a loved one or been injured due to a faulty product, consulting an attorney may be a good idea.
Causes and Effects
Rollover accidents are by far the most deadly type of car crash, causing far more fatalities and injuries than one might assume, given how infrequent they are. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that rollover accidents generally makeup around 2 percent of car crashes – but are responsible for a whopping 35 percent of all traffic fatalities. They can be rather violent, given that they are often caused by what is called ‘tripping’ – a sudden interaction with a fixed object, such as a patch of soft soil or a guardrail, which then launches the vehicle at least partially into the air.
Hit-And-Run Leaves One Dead
Recently, a man was struck by a car on Rundberg Road, in north Austin, but the vehicle that struck him failed to stop and administer aid. The man was taken to a nearby hospital, while he was pronounced deceased on arrival. While no other details were released at the time about either the deceased man or the vehicle that struck him, it is important to understand that the victim (or the family of the victim) in a hit-and-run accident has options to try and seek compensation for what they have gone through. Enlisting an attorney to help with that is also a good idea.
High Frequency, High Stakes
Texas has one of the higher hit-and-run accident totals in the country, partly because of its sheer population, but partly for other reasons. For example, Texas is one of the states that permits speed limits of up to 85 mph in certain areas, which in turn can breed recklessness, especially when alcohol is involved. In addition, the majority of hit-and-run victims are pedestrians, and Texas boasts a large pedestrian population, between its cities and the rural areas in which public transport is infrequent or inefficient.
Two-Van Crash on I-35
Recently, two vans crashed near the intersection of SW Military Highway and I-35, after an alleged drunk driver crashed his Mazda transport van into a Dodge minivan carrying five people after driving the wrong way down the highway. Two adults, including the alleged drunk driver, and a three-year-old child were taken to University Hospital, with the adults in “serious” condition and the child receiving “minor injuries.” Law enforcement states that the Mazda driver will almost certainly be charged with intoxication assault, and in addition to the criminal charges, the family of the adult and child could easily file suit against the drunk driver for the injuries that their loved ones have suffered.
Elevated Dangers
The driver of the Mazda was allegedly driving while intoxicated, sending his vehicle down the wrong side of SW Military Highway before it struck the Dodge minivan. This tracks with nationwide statistics about wrong-way drivers – the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)’s analysis of data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) shows that approximately 60 percent of all those wrong-way drivers had at least some alcohol in their systems at the time of their accidents. In addition, the majority of wrong-way drivers also tend to be male (though women are represented to a degree in statistics) and on the younger side.
Five Hospitalized After Multiple-Vehicle Rollover Crash
Recently, a multiple-vehicle rollover accident occurred in the 6200 block of Loyola Lane, in East Austin. One adult was ejected from their vehicle, and was taken to Dell Seton Medical Center with injuries “thought not to be life-threatening.” Another adult, as well as three young children, were taken to hospitals as well, though their injuries appeared to be less serious. Law enforcement originally thought that a third vehicle had left the scene, but later revised that assumption. If you are injured in this potentially deadly type of accident, the harm you suffered is likely extensive. If you believe that someone else was responsible for your injuries, you may be able to bring suit against that person and seek compensation for their negligence.
Causes and Effects
Rollover crashes are some of the most deadly, making up a disproportionate percentage of road accident deaths in most years. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimate that deaths in rollover accidents make up as many as 30 percent of the total, while the number of overall accidents only registers around two percent. There are many reasons for this increased lethality, though a major reason is that rollover crashes tend to be extremely sudden and violent events, which gives passengers little time to react, especially if they are not wearing seatbelts, which many are not.
Man Hit By Car After Altercation, Suspects at Large
A gas station near the corner of Pleasanton Road and East Vestal Place was the site of a hit-and-run accident on a recent night after a man ran from an argument he had been having with four other individuals. The four all got into one car, appearing to hunt down the man and strike him near a fast-food restaurant. He was transported to Brooke Army Medical Center in “serious” condition. While these suspects appear to have had intent to commit a crime, even a suspect who has not acted with malice or recklessness may still be on the proverbial hook for your injuries. Pedestrian accidents are far too common in Texas, and even if no crime is determined to have been committed, you may be able to file a civil suit for monetary compensation.
Rights and Responsibilities
Texas registered 621 pedestrian fatalities in 2018, which was approximately a one percent increase from 2017. The statistics can also track other trends: for example, that the majority of pedestrian-involved accidents, such as the one involving the man at the fast-food restaurant, happened at night when visibility is lowest and alcohol consumption is highest. There are several reasons why these accidents and fatalities happen in Texas; distracted driving and speeding are near the top of the list, especially when combined with Texas’ higher speed limits in many counties.
San Antonio Woman in Critical Condition After Street-Racing Crash
Recently, law enforcement was called to an accident on IH-35, near Posey Road in Bexar County, where a Nissan 370Z had overturned after racing another vehicle, ejecting its passenger almost 70 feet through the air. While the driver suffered minor injuries, the passenger remains, as of this writing, in a hospital in Kyle in critical condition. The driver was charged with the crime of “suspicion of racing on a highway causing serious bodily injury” – a second-degree felony – but if you have been injured due to another driver’s similarly negligent behavior, you have the right to seek compensation.
No Double Jeopardy
Texas law defines ‘street racing’ as any kind of speed contest or race, and any kind of drag race or other competition involving speed is illegal on all public roads, regardless of how abandoned they are or how high the speed limit may be. As one can imagine, this kind of behavior is most common among younger drivers – both the driver and the passenger in the Posey Road accident were around the age of 20 – but older people do engage in it as well. Street racing was formerly just a traffic violation, but in 2003 laws were passed elevating it to a misdemeanor (Class B), carrying a one-year license suspension, as well as assorted fines and up to 180 days in jail.
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