Auto Accidents

Driving while distracted by your cell phone or other devices may be as dangerous as driving with a blood alcohol concentration that’s above the legal limit, according to a study released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association.

NHTSA cites a study performed by the University of Utah, which found that talking on a cell phone while driving may be as dangerous as driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent – even if you’re using a hands-free device. Driving while texting on a cell phone may be even more dangerous, since texting takes the mind, the hands, and the eyes away from the task of driving and concentrates them on sending the text message instead.

If you or someone you love is involved in an accident with a distracted driver, the best first step is always to seek medical care for every person who may have been injured. Next, talking to an experienced Texas accident attorney can help you understand your legal rights and options after a distracted driving crash.

Although it may seem to take only seconds to send a text message or make a phone call, drivers who were distracted by their cell phones, conversations in the car, roadside attractions, or other matters caused over 5,000 deadly accidents in 2009 alone, according to NHTSA. In addition, nearly 448,000 people were injured in vehicle accidents that involved distracted drivers. Although drivers in their 30s were most likely to report having been distracted when a crash occurred, teenagers suffered the most deaths in accidents that involved distracted driving, making this a problem that involves all drivers.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently began offering a multi-pronged program to attempt to reduce the number of teens who die in car accidents each year. As part of the program, the NHTSA collects statistics on teen driving safety issues, including teen driver accidents and fatalities.

Car accidents are the number-one killer of teenagers in the U. S. Every year, approximately 5,000 teens lose their lives in car accidents. On average, about every hour during weekends and every two hours during weekdays, an American teen between the ages of 16 and 20 dies in a car accident, according to the NHTSA. Sadly, these numbers don’t even begin to consider the teens that are injured in car accidents but survive.

The NHTSA notes that the rate of death among teen drivers is high for two reasons: alcohol use and the failure to wear seat belts. About 25 percent of teenagers from ages 16 to 20 had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent – the legal limit for adults – or higher when they were involved in a fatal car accident. Additionally, 58 percent of teens ages 16 to 20 who lost their lives in car crashes were not wearing seat belts at the time. The risk of death from not wearing a seat belt is highest among teenage males and those who live in rural areas, two groups that are among the least likely to buckle up.

Educating your teens about safe driving can help protect them while they’re on the road. Unfortunately, no one can force all drivers on the road to drive smart and safely. When an accident occurs, a Texas car accident lawyer can provide detailed advice on your legal rights and options.

Texas’s Parent Taught Driver Education Program, or PTDE Program, allows student drivers to learn driving skills from their parents, instead of from a general program offered by driver training schools or by the public schools. An evaluation of the PTDE by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, however, found that parent-taught drivers are statistically more likely to commit traffic violations and to suffer more serious crashes than drivers who take a school course.

The NHTSA study reported a few benefits that come from the PTDE program. Parents and students who use the PTDE instead of a school program report several benefits, including lower cost and more personalized attention to the student driver. Also, according to the NHTSA study, PTDE students have fewer traffic violations or accidents while they are driving with a parent in the car to supervise them.

However, once the parents were no longer in the car with the students, the NHTSA study found that the numbers changed. Parent-taught drivers were far more likely to commit traffic violations than their conventionally-schooled counterparts were. Parent-taught drivers were also more likely to be involved in Texas car accidents, and the accidents they had were generally more serious, than the accidents their conventionally-schooled counterparts had. Although the NHTSA study itself did not express an opinion as to why parent-taught drivers had more tickets and accidents, the professional driver education teachers NHTSA interviewed as part of their study opinioned that parent-taught drivers fared worse because few parents have the training and experience to teach a comprehensive driver education course.

Safe driving helps reduce accidents, especially in traffic-heavy Texas cities. Unfortunately, many drivers find themselves in car accidents no matter how carefully they drive. When an accident occurs, an experienced Dallas car accident attorney can help you understand your legal options and protect your legal rights.

Immediately after a car crash in Texas, you may not feel as though you were injured. Many symptoms of an injury only appear after several hours or even days following an accident. Whiplash injuries, which are common in rear-end collisions and other types of car accidents, may take several days to show their true severity.

A whiplash injury, also known as a neck sprain or neck strain, is a soft tissue injury that occurs when the head and neck are thrown forward and jerked backward quickly, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Moderate to severe whiplash injuries may also cause damage to the discs and joints in the spine, ligaments, muscles, and nerve roots in the neck.

The symptoms of a whiplash injury may appear immediately after an accident, or they may not appear for several days. Common symptoms include neck pain or stiffness, head pain, dizziness, and pain in the shoulders or upper back. Some patients also have cognitive injuries, such as suffering from memory loss, sleep disturbances, and an inability to concentrate.

Whiplash injuries should be treated as soon as possible after they materialize. Medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, antidepressants, and muscle relaxants can help ease the pain and stiffness of a whiplash injury. Patients may also wear a cervical collar for a few days or weeks until the neck heals enough to support the weight of the head on its own. Physical therapy sessions may also be necessary to help speed recovery.

If you are in a car accident in Texas, it’s important to pay careful attention to your condition in the hours and days after the accident occurs. Even if you feel fine immediately after, you may still be injured. Seek the help of an experienced physician to treat your injuries, and consider talking to an experienced Texas car accident neck injury lawyer who understands whiplash injuries to learn more about your rights and options after a car crash.

City engineers have named the intersection of Main Street and State Highway 121 as the most dangerous intersection in The Colony, a suburb of Dallas, according to a recent report by NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. The second most dangerous intersection in the area is the crossing of Paige Road and Highway 121, just half a mile away.

Nearly 200 car crashes have occurred in these two intersections in the past two years.

According to city engineers, both intersections allow drivers to turn left on a green light, as long as they yield to oncoming traffic. However, these engineers note that drivers are failing to yield, which results in collisions. Although city engineers would like to install left turn lights with green arrows and a dedicated left-turn lane, the city is not permitted to change the intersections on its own. Rather, it must convince the North Texas Transit Authority and the Texas Department of Transportation to change the lanes and the signals.

To speed up the process, city engineers began officially documenting the crashes, discovering that 68 percent of the Paige Road intersection’s collisions occurred on a left turn, and 72 percent of the Main Street collisions involved a left turn. The city hopes that transportation officials will move quickly now that there is documented evidence of the dangers of the intersections.

Dallas car accident attorneys are concerned about the dangerous intersections in Texas that present a particular risk to drivers, even when they are driving carefully. Stay safe everyone!

Snow, ice and cold weather combined to cause several accidents in Collin County and the Dallas-Fort Worth area this month, including an accident in McKinney that claimed the life of a 21-year-old driver, according to a recent article in The Allen American.

The deceased was riding with his father on State Highway 121, when a patch of ice caused their vehicle to skid out of its lane and into oncoming traffic. The car sideswiped a passenger van, which spun around but managed to stay on the road. The car in which the young man and his father were traveling, however, ended up in a ditch. Although rescue crews rushed to the scene, the 21-year-old was unable to survive his injuries, according to the Texas Highway Patrol. Neither of the drivers was seriously hurt.

Although the car was reportedly traveling at or under the posted speed limit, the ice made the roads too dangerous to drive safely at that speed, state troopers noted. Icy roads were responsible for at least eleven other serious accidents in addition to the accident that claimed this young man’s life. At least 32 minor accidents were reported in Allen in the days immediately following the storm, but no one was seriously injured.

Texas state troopers suggest that drivers pay careful attention on slick roads by driving slowly and leaving plenty of room between vehicles to stop. They remind Texas drivers that, while four-wheel drive may help you move through snow, it will do nothing to stop your vehicle, especially if you skid out of control on ice. Driving carefully or postponing your trips altogether is the best way to prevent Texas motor vehicle crashes. When an accident occurs, however, learn how to protect your legal rights by talking to an experienced Texas car accident attorney.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) enforces regulations that govern truck drivers and other commercial motor carriers. The agency is concerned with the safety of truck drivers, who spend a great deal of time on the road. The following tips are from the FMCSA on how to avoid driver fatigue and are designed for truck drivers, but any driver can use these tips to help prevent traffic accidents.

Know the signs of drowsiness. Frequent yawning, heavy eyes, and blurred vision all indicate you’re getting drowsy, even if you don’t feel particularly tired. If you start to notice these symptoms, pull over. Being awake for 18 hours straight puts you at the same risk for a crash as someone whose blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.08, according to the FMCSA.

Get enough sleep. The human body is naturally drowsy between midnight and 6 a.m. and between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., reports the FMCSA, so it’s wise not to drive at these times. Instead, use this time to make sure you’re getting an adequate amount of sleep. If you find yourself getting sleepy while driving, pull over in a safe place and rest.

Maintain a healthy diet. Not eating can cause fatigue and dizziness or lightheadedness, while eating irregular meals may interfere with the quality of your sleep.

Take a nap. When you feel sleepy, take a nap if possible. A short nap of at least 10 minutes can help restore energy and alertness. To prevent fatigue from affecting your driving, schedule your naps so you get rest before you feel drowsy.

Avoid medications that cause drowsiness. Cold medication is especially notorious for causing drowsiness that can affect your driving, according to the FMCSA. A recent study showed 17 percent of truck drivers who were in crashes had taken cold medicine before the crash. If you must drive with a cold, the FMCSA recommends avoiding cold medication, as the symptoms of your cold are less likely to interfere with your driving than the cold medicine.

By avoiding fatigue, you can help prevent car accidents. Unfortunately, even the most careful drivers may be involved in an accident with someone who is not being as cautious. When a car accident results in injury or death, an experienced Texas personal injury lawyer can help you understand your legal rights and options.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that as many as 100,000 car accidents each year are caused by driver fatigue. Fatigue can cause a condition known as “road trance.” In road trance, a driver’s alertness and reaction times are slowed. These drivers may not be aware of objects or people in their path until it is too late to prevent a crash.

Driver fatigue has several possible causes. These include poor sleep, lack of exercise, and driving for long periods of time without rest. The Texas Department of Insurance notes that it is possible to stave off driver fatigue before you even get in the car by getting proper sleep before a road trip, eating a light, well-balanced meal, stopping to rest or switching drivers every few hours, and avoiding long trips at night.

You can also prevent fatigue-related accidents in Texas by recognizing the symptoms. Symptoms of driver fatigue include an eye burning sensation, heaviness, or inability to focus; back tension, muscle twitching, or a feeling of heaviness in the muscles; wandering thoughts; and excessive yawning or shallow breathing.

If you start to experience these symptoms, stop for a rest. Get out of the car and walk around, or take a nap of no more than twenty minutes, if possible. Other ways to combat fatigue while driving include keeping the car cool and well-ventilated, changing radio stations frequently, actively looking for road signs, and talking to other people in the car. Try to avoid driving at hours when you would normally be asleep, and never drive under the influence of alcohol or medications that make you drowsy.

Being completely alert and attentive while driving helps curb car accidents in Texas and throughout the nation. Make preventing driver fatigue a habit.

A car accident in Texas can happen at any time. Even if you are driving carefully, other drivers may not be taking the same precautions. The Texas Department of Insurance offers a number of tips for drivers who are involved in car accidents. If a Texas vehicle collision occurs, here’s what you should do:

1. Safely move your car out of the way of traffic as soon as possible. If you can’t move your car or if someone is injured, call 911 immediately. Also call 911 if you are a victim of a hit and run driver. Your insurance company may refuse to pay for damage caused by a hit and run driver unless you report the incident to police.
2. Trade names, addresses, phone numbers, and insurance information with the other driver(s). If there are any witnesses to the accident, trade names and contact information with them as well.
3. If the other driver refuses to give you his or her insurance information, you can request a copy of the police accident report, which should contain this information. If the police did not investigate the accident, you can report the other driver’s refusal to trade insurance information to the police.
4. Contact your insurance company to file a claim as soon as possible. Many insurance companies include a toll-free number for reporting claims on your insurance card. You may also contact your insurance agent, who will be able to contact the insurance company or will tell you how to do so. Cooperate with your insurance company by submitting any required forms, appearing promptly for any required medical examinations, and sending copies of the police accident report to your insurance company.
5. If you develop symptoms of injury, such as neck or back pain, do not ignore them. Seek medical help. These symptoms may not appear immediately after the accident, but may take a few days to show up.

While these suggestions as to what you can do after an auto accident should be helpful, everyone is responsible for their own actions after a collision. Make the right choices and be safe!

A 26-year-old man from Red Oak lost his life in a car accident on the North Central Expressway on New Year’s Eve, according to a report released by The Dallas Morning News.

The driver was approaching Southwestern Boulevard when he attempted to change lanes and lost control of his pickup truck and collided with a nearby car carrying two passengers. Both the car and the pickup truck struck the Expressway’s retaining walls.

The driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was partially thrown from his pickup. Paramedics were unable to save his life, and he died at the scene, according to police. The passengers in the other car involved in the accident, along with a passenger in the pickup truck, suffered injuries in the Texas car crash and were taken to Baylor University Medical Center.

Car accidents are an unfortunate fact of life for most drivers. According to the Safe Car Guide, car crashes are responsible for a staggering 94 percent of transportation-related deaths and 99 percent of transportation-related injuries. The World Health Organization estimates that, for every person who dies in a car accident each year worldwide, 13 people are hospitalized for car accident injuries.

Although you can reduce your risk of an accident by driving carefully and using safety belts, you cannot always predict or control the behavior of other drivers on the road. Texas law gives its motorists certain legal rights and options after an accident. If you’re injured or lose a loved one in a car, truck, or motorcycle accident, an experienced Texas personal injury attorney can help you learn what your rights and options are and help you take the next step after a car crash in Texas.

Winter weather can drastically change driving conditions, surprising motorists and increasing the rate of car accidents. The Texas Department of Transportation recently released a list of safe winter driving tips to help Texas motorists avoid collisions this winter. You can decrease your risk of a winter car accident by practicing the following safety measures:

• Before you go out, check the local road conditions on the news or online to see what conditions you will encounter.
• Clean any snow or ice off your car before you drive. Make sure all your lights are cleared of ice or snow so that other motorists can clearly see you.
• Leave extra room between your vehicle and the one in front of you.
• Accelerate and brake slowly, paying attention to how much traction you have.
• Bridges, shaded spots, and overpasses may have ice even if the roadway is clear, so approach these areas with care.
• Use non-freezing windshield wiper fluid, as well as snow tires or chains if needed.

If you find yourself stranded during the winter, the Texas Department of Public Safety has a toll-free hotline you can call for roadside assistance. The number is 800-525-5555.

Driving safely in winter weather can add an extra measure of protection when you’re traveling with your family. Unfortunately, other motorists may not take the same precautions, or you may be surprised by unexpected road conditions. When a car accident occurs, Texas law gives you certain legal rights and options, particularly if you or a loved one was injured in the crash. If you are involved in a car collision in Texas this winter, consider talking to an experienced Texas car accident lawyer who can help you decide which steps to take.

It’s no big secret that most auto accidents are caused by driver error. Reckless driving practices, such as speeding or failing to yield to traffic signage, are known factors in contributing to auto accidents. Unfortunately for motorists in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Dallas, statistics show that the worst drivers in America live in their cities, placing all motorists in even more danger while on the road than they truly have to be.

Fox News reported on Allstate Insurance Company’s annual ranking of America’s best drivers, where Fort Collins, Colorado was awarded this year’s title of America’s Safest Driving City. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the America’s Best Drivers Report examined accident frequency in the country’s 200 largest cities, and concluded that Dallas is one of the most dangerous cities to drive in. Unfortunately, the biggest fault that Allstate cited for accident causation was human error, an entirely preventable grouping of mistakes that ultimately injures and takes the lives of far too many motorists each year.

Reckless driving practices are indicative of negligence while behind the wheel in Dallas just as they are throughout the rest of the country. Motorists who choose to disobey traffic rules are not only more likely to injure themselves by being involved in an accident, but place all other vehicles on the road in harm’s way as well. In the event that an individual is injured in a Dallas car crash, the circumstances surrounding the accident need to be carefully examined in order to determine whether or not negligence contributed towards the accident, as well as to whom that negligence can be attributed to.

Negligent parties deemed responsible for Dallas car accidents run the risk of being held liable for their actions in a Texas court of law. While speeding or running a red light may get a motorist from one location to another faster than obeying all traffic laws would, the timing is insignificant when you take into account the irreparable damage that a Texas auto accident can potentially cause, not only to personal property, but to the physical well being of motorists as well.

Car accidents in Texas take place for a variety of reasons. However, at the heart of all accidents is a certain degree of negligence displayed by at least one motorist. Traveling at speeds faster than posted limits, making a left hand turn against a red light, and failing to yield at stop signs are some of the many reckless actions that can lead not only to Texas car accidents, but serious cases of personal injury as well. According to a recent myfoxdfw.com news report, a 38-year-old motorist is responsible for causing an early morning, Dallas head-on collision on Stemmons Freeway.

Reportedly, the wrong-way driver traveled southbound for nearly seven miles on the northbound side of the freeway before colliding with a vehicle driven by a 26-year-old woman. Both drivers escaped the accident with only minor injuries. An investigation is underway to determine exactly what caused the accident, although police speculate that the 38-year-old man involved in the crash may have been under the influence of alcohol.

In a scenario like the one mentioned above, the cause of the accident was relatively cut and dry. One motorist was clearly traveling on the wrong side of the road, and is therefore responsible for the resulting accident and subsequent injuries. However, many Dallas auto accidents are not always as transparent. In some cases, multiple motorists may be deemed responsible for an accident. In other cases, no motorists at all may be declared at fault, particularly if the city or local municipality failed to properly upkeep the road which played a determining role in the incident. A local city government can even be held liable if construction equipment is left strewn haphazardly about and serves as a cause of an accident.

In Texas, negligent parties determined to be responsible for causing an accident can be held liable for their actions in a court of law. Damages that may be obtained include those related to the incident, namely hospital bills, physical therapy fees, and property damage.

The injuries we sustain during a car accident can vary greatly in terms of the amount of damage caused to both our vehicles and our physical beings. Unfortunately, driver inattention is an issue that results in far too many auto accidents each year in Texas. According to a DallasNews.com article, it may have been driver inattention that led to a fatal Dallas car accident that took the life of an Army veteran.

Reportedly, the 59-year-old man was stopped in the middle of the road, his emergency lights flashing as an indication that his vehicle was not mobile. Around 1AM, a Dallas police car, on route to a nonemergency call, struck the man’s vehicle from behind, pushing it into a nearby residential yard. The posted speed limit where the Dallas car crash took place is 40 mph, but it was determined that the police vehicle was traveling slightly faster than that, with recorded speeds of 45 mph.

Though conscious and responsive after the crash, the man was transported to Methodist Charlton Medical Center before succumbing to his injuries during surgery. At this point, little explanation has been offered as to what caused the officer driving the police cruiser to strike the immobile SUV. Dashboard cameras from the squad car do show the SUV’s emergency flashers clearly visible in the distance moments prior to the crash.

Dallas car accidents are often the result of the negligent actions of another. Fortunately, for accident victims and their families, compensation may be sought in a court of law from those parties deemed responsible for contributing towards causing a Texas car crash. Our condolences go out to the family and all other individuals affected by this tragedy.

Summer is a great time for family road trips. Unfortunately, highway driving poses risks. By following a few safety rules provided by the Texas Department of Transportation, you can help protect yourself and your family against the risk of a Texas auto accident.

1. Obey the speed limit. On most Texas interstates, the maximum daytime speed limit is 70 miles an hour, and the nighttime speed limit is 65 miles an hour. To stay safe, remember that the speed limit is merely a guide to the fastest safe speed. Always adjust your speed to accommodate the road conditions. If it’s raining or there is heavy traffic or road construction, slow down to keep yourself and your passengers safe.
2. Keep right. Some Texas multi-lane highways have signs reading “Left Lane for Passing Only.” When you see such a sign, remember that the left lane is not a “fast” lane, and stay out of it unless you are passing another vehicle. Once you’ve passed and moved a safe distance from the other vehicle, merge back into the right lane.
3. Move over. If you see a stopped emergency vehicle with its lights flashing, move at least one lane away from the emergency vehicle. If you cannot move over, slow down until you are traveling at least 20 miles per hour below the posted speed limit. Texas law states you may be fined up to $200 if you fail to slow down or move over for a stopped emergency vehicle.

Although observing traffic safety rules can both prevent costly traffic tickets and reduce the risk of an accident, there is always a chance another driver may collide with you while you’re on the highway. Stay safe this summer!