Car accidents are the most common cause of personal injury cases in Texas. Many of these cases can happen any time of day or night, and car crashes often involve situations that are out of your control because of reckless driving, alcohol, or other negligence by the other driver(s) or another legal entity (the manufacturer, your mechanic, or other responsible party).
When the accident and subsequent injuries were not your fault, you have the right to seek compensation from the person or company that is ultimately responsible for the accident. But, first, let’s look at the most common causes of car accidents in Texas, which lead to a traffic crash every two minutes and three seconds.
Distracted Driving
You might have noticed the campaigns about distracted driving that have popped up all over. That’s because texting and driving are the most common cause of car accidents in Texas. Distracted drivers cause more than 96,000 accidents every year in Texas, with 191 serious injuries and 14 fatalities.
Driving While Intoxicated
Accidents caused by drunk drivers are another common cause of car accidents, with an incident happening every 20 minutes in Texas. More than 3.000 DWI accidents take place every year, with the drivers impaired by alcohol and drugs. They aren’t only experiencing impairment to their vision, but also to their judgement and reaction time.
Falling Asleep at the Wheel
When a driver operates a vehicle while tired or falling asleep at the wheel, his/her reaction time is affected in much the same way as intoxication. Fatigue has been linked to poor judgement and lack of focus. From a personal injury perspective, it’s difficult to prove that fatigue directly affected the accident and subsequent injuries.
Excessive Speeds
Speeding is another common cause of car accidents. Excessive speeds can lead to a poor reaction time when cars and other obstacles get in the path of the vehicle. With speeding, the possibility of injury is greater, with airbags and seat belts not as effective, which is not good news for those involved in speed-related accidents.
Reckless Driving
Failure to yield or an inability to stay in one’s lane can both be part of reckless driving that regularly result in car accidents in Texas. Reckless driving is the “willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property”. It could also involve driving too fast or too slow, passing in unsafe zones, ignoring road signs, faulty evasive action, following too closely, or tailgating.
Road Rage
Road rage causes car accidents and fatalities in Texas. It’s another form of driver impairment, with anger and violence the common side effects. While there are no laws regarding road rage in Texas, it would fall under Reckless driving.
Teen Driving
The lack of experience and other factors with teen driving lead to nearly 300,000 accidents involving teenagers every year. Teen drivers may be more distracted, but they also may drive faster, and with less caution. The unfortunate side-effect is a car accident.
Vehicle Failure
Car accidents can also be caused when improper maintenance or even manufacturing defects cause the vehicle to fail. The source of the faulty part of failure will affect the severity of the accident. Your personal injury claim will be directed at the person or company responsible for your vehicle’s failure.
Road Damage or Dangerous Roads
Dangerous road conditions are linked to about 20% of all car accidents every year. Damage to the road or even dangerous road conditions may not always seem like a huge factor when compared with other common causes of car accidents. However, when road damage is combined with drivers operating vehicles at top speeds at all hours of the day and night and in varying weather conditions, the danger can become exacerbated.
Next Step: Schedule Your Free Consult at Hanna Law Firm Today!
At Hanna Law Firm, our knowledgeable and caring team of legal experts is ready and willing to take on your personal injury case. We’ll fully vet your case and fight to get you the compensation you deserve. We’ve got the experience and technical knowledge you need, but we’re also dedicated to supporting your needs every step of the way.
We’re dedicated to your success, which is why you’re so important to us. We help you to understand the process and how to best approach your personal injury case. Our goal is to minimize the stress and confusion of the process, while clearing the way and negotiating on your behalf. We put our years of experience to the test as we stand full behind you with our support of your personal injury case. Reach out to your Odessa lawyer at Hanna Law Firm to learn how we can help you with your car accident case and further explore your legal options.