3 Major Causes of Car Accidents
Involvement in a car crash can seriously disrupt your life. Every year around 10 million people are involved in car accidents. If you were involved in a crash recently, you can see you’re not alone.
It’s important to recognize the potential causes of car accidents, along with the possible outcomes a crash can present. The top three reasons that people get in a car accident are distracted driving, speeding, and driving under the influence.
If you’re involved in a car accident because of any of these reasons, it’s important to stay calm, get medical treatment if needed, and to reach out to a skilled attorney so that you get the representation that you need and deserve.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is something we all tend to do, but should take care to avoid. It’s defined as any activity that takes a person’s attention away from driving. A distracted driver could be texting, using a phone, eating, talking to passengers, grooming, using a navigation system, reading, watching a video, etc. If you are performing a visual task, such as reading a map or texting, you are three times more likely to be involved in an accident.
Distracted driving could also lead to death. While checking your phone, on average, you take your eyes off of the road for five seconds at a time. If you are driving at 55 mph, and you take your eyes off the road for those five seconds, you actually drive a distance equivalent of a football field—blind.
In Houston, Texas there are laws to prevent distracted driving, especially visually manual tasks. The laws against distracted driving in Texas include:
- Ban on all cell phones (handheld and hands-free) for bus drivers
- Ban on all cell phone (handheld and hands-free) for novice drivers
- Ban on texting for novice drivers
- Ban on texting for bus drivers
- Ban on the use of handheld phones and texting in school zones
If you are caught breaking one of the above bans, you could potentially be fined between $200 and $500.
If you are involved in a car accident while performing an act that could constitute as distracted driving, you could be held responsible for the damages. The use of a person’s cell phone could be seen as negligence or recklessness. A simple reading of a text message could end up costing you thousands of dollars.
On the other hand, if you are on your cellphone while you get hit by a driver, you could be considered as engaging in “contributory” or “comparative” negligence. If you are considered to be engaging in contributory or comparative negligence, there is the possibility that you could lose any potential forms of compensation. It is very important that you seek an attorney immediately. We want to make sure that you get the compensation that you deserve. We do not want you to be punished for something that you did not cause.
Speeding
Speeding is another huge cause of car accidents. In fact, speeding contributes to about a third of all car accidents in America. Texas has the highest speed limit in the nation, where the speed limit is 85 mph. However, if you’re driving down I-45 between Houston and Dallas you’ll find the speed limit to be 75 mph.
While speeding tickets on average don’t tend to be given out on the interstate, higher speeds have a higher likelihood for fatal accidents. 47 percent of speeding occurs on roads 50 mph or less, and more than 20 percent of speeding occurs on roads 35 mph or less.
In Texas, if you are pulled over for speeding, your ticket price will reflect how far over the speed limit you are going. For example, if you are going over the limit by 10-14 mph, your ticket will typically be around $195. However, if you’re going over by 15-19mph your ticket price will typically be around $240.
If a speeding driver hits you, make sure a police officer comes to the scene to write a detailed police report. The police report will be a huge factor in determining the money that the insurance company could grant you.
Drunk Driving
Driving under the influence is a huge problem in Houston. If a drunk driver hits your vehicle, you are probably in a lot of pain: emotional, physical, or both. It’s important that you get the justice that you deserve. You should fight for compensation for the injuries resulting from the crash. In many cases, with the help of an experienced lawyer, injured individuals can figure out a fair settlement from the other driver’s insurance company.
If a drunk driver injures you, it’s essential to have a police officer come to the scene. A police report and DUI conviction will be critical in this case. In 2013, 10,076 people died in drunk driving crashes in the U.S., which equates to one fatality every 52 minutes. You should not be thought of as another statistic. We want to make sure that you get the justice you deserve. Too many lives have been affected as a result of drunk driving accidents. If a driver under the influence has hit you or someone you know, please contact us immediately.
The injury attorneys at The Law Offices of Hilda Sibrian™ provide knowledgeable counsel to those who have been involved in car accidents in Houston. Seeking fair compensation is crucial, and we’ll be ready to put our skills to work for you. For a free case review, reach out to us online or call our Houston office today.
