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Distracted Drivers

July 26, 2011 By admin

Distracted drivers are the most dangerous drivers on the road. Studies have found that a driver talking on a cell phone is as impaired as a driver who is legally drunk. Unfortunately, most distracted drivers do not recognize the danger their actions present, and feel completely entitled to do as they please, no matter what the cost to other people on the road. A distracted driver can even cause a serious accident without being directly involved in the crash and without noticing the devastation in their wake. Our Texas traffic accident attorneys are dedicated to holding distracted drivers responsible for the injuries and death that they cause.

Common Distractions Leading to Traffic Accidents

Anything other than watching the road can be a fatal distraction. Common driver distractions include:

• Talking on cell phones, even hands-free devices
• Texting
• Eating or drinking
• Adjusting the stereo
• Reaching for items in the floorboard
• Reaching for items in the backseat
• Tending to children
• Personal grooming
• Reading a map
• Looking at scenery
• Rubbernecking
• Daydreaming
• Anger

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a traffic accident, please call our Texas traffic accident attorneys or submit an online questionnaire. The initial consultation with our personal injury lawyers is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, in most cases we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds. In many cases, a personal injury lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. Please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.

Defective Vehicles

June 28, 2011 By admin

When a defective vehicle causes a traffic accident or injuries it changes the nature of your case. You now have a product liability case. If the defect was the cause of the accident then drivers once believed to be at fault may be clear of blame. Sometimes vehicle defects are not the cause of the accident, but make injuries worse than they would have been. If you have been injured in an accident involving a defective vehicle our Texas traffic accident attorneys can help.

Defects Which Cause Accidents

Defects which can cause accidents include:

Faulty tires
Faulty brake systems
Defective suspension systems
Defective fuel systems
Defects leading to spontaneous acceleration
Design flaws leading to rollover
Air bags which deploy too easily

Crashworthiness Defects

Crashworthiness is a vehicle’s ability to protect occupants in an accident. Crashworthiness defects are defects which do not actually cause accidents, but cause injuries to be more severe than they should have been when an accident occurs. Common crashworthiness defects include:

Defective seat belt
Defective air bag
Defective seat back
Fuel system defects leading to fuel-fed fire
Defective door latch
Poor roof crush resistance

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Texas Traffic Accident

Defective Roadway

May 25, 2011 By admin

Defective roadway traffic accident cases are often very complex. They typically involve suing a government entity, which mean you may have a very short amount of time to take action and that different procedures must be followed than in a regular car accident. Discovering and proving a roadway defect is very important. It some cases it can clear you or another innocent driver of both financial and criminal responsibility. Our Texas traffic accident attorneys are ready to help.

Examples of Defective Roadways

Roadways can be defective in many ways. Anything from a dangerous road design to poor maintenance can cause a serious accident. Some roadway defects do not cause accidents, but cause injuries to be worse than they would have been in the event of an accident. Examples of roadway defects include:

Malfunctioning traffic signal
Missing or obscured stop sign
Missing, obscured or malfunctioning warning signs
Blind intersections
Missing or defective guardrails
Failure to use breakaway posts for road signs, light pole, or signal poles
Debris or obstacles which are not removed in a timely fashion
Poorly maintained bridges and overpasses
Excessive oil or gravel
Soft shoulder
Unmarked shoulder drop off
Inadequately marked constructions zones
Inadequate highway division
Defective road design
Potholes
Defective streetlights
Dangerous intersections which have not been corrected despite a history of accidents

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Texas Traffic Accident Lawyers

Houston Accident Claims: Loss of Consortium

December 12, 2010 By admin

A loss of consortium claim is normally brought by a spouse of an injury victim. Damages for loss of consortium are meant to compensate the spouse for the harm caused to the marital relationship. Although sexual relations can be included in loss of consortium, there are many other elements. Spouses rely on each other for so much in life and to make a family and household work. When one becomes physical, mentally, or emotionally disabled the hardship on the other spouse can be overwhelming.

Loss of consortium for spouses can include loss of:

Care
Comfort
Society
Companionship
Affection
Protection
Emotional support
Assistance around the home
Sexual relations

Parents and children of injury victims can also bring a claim of loss of consortium. Losing the care, love, advice, and protection that a parent provides is devastating to a child. No matter how hard the other parent tries to make up for it, you can never replace the participation of a parent.

We often think of personal injury cases as benefitting only the injured party, but the loved ones of injury victims are affected too, even when the victim is still alive. Loss of consortium claims cannot replace your loss, but they can help with the financial impact.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed due to someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing, please call our Houston, Texas personal injury attorneys or submit an online questionnaire. The initial consultation with our personal injury lawyers is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, in most cases we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds. In many cases, a personal injury lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. Please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.

Filed Under: Blog