Car Crashes Contribute The Majority of Personal Injury Lawsuits In Texas
"The reason there are so many personal injury lawsuits in Texas is because Texas has so many bad drivers," according to The Woodlands and Houston area personal injury attorney Jennifer LeMaster. Texas drivers are the 7th worst in the United States. The southern portion of the United States has the dubious distinction of claiming 5 of the top ten states with the worst drivers in the country.
One of the surprising aspects of car wrecks is how few experienced Houston area drivers don't know the driving rules or they fail to follow the rules. Part of the reason for this ignorance of driving rules is that Texas only requires an applicant for a driver's license to correctly answer 70% of the test questions. That leaves a potential 30% error rate which is probably a permanent feature of the driver.
What Are The Most Commonly Missed Questions On A Written Driving Exam?
- In which direction does a driver turn a steering wheel if the car starts to skid?
- How does a driver handle a tire blowout?
- How does a driver handle a situation when the right-side tires stray off the roadway onto the grass or dirt?
- What is expected of the drivers entering an intersection that wishes to turn left?
- When is a driver allowed to pass a slower car?
- What direction does a driver turn the wheels when parking on a hill?
- Who has the Right-of-Way when two vehicles approach a four-way stop at the same time?
- When is it safe to enter an intersection?
Almost all car accidents in Houston and in Texas are caused by driver error. Relatively few accidents are caused by mechanical failure, weather, or road hazards. There has been a lot of research conducted trying to identify the causes of car wrecks. Different studies can produce slightly different results because a car accident can have multiple causes, such as alcohol and speeding. However, one study has identified several major categories of causes and their percentages.
Causes of Car Accidents
Failure to Remain in Lane
33% of all car accidents were the result of drifting outside marked lanes or leaving the road entirely. Distractions from cell phones, activities inside the car, billboards and other factors are contributors.
Rear-End Crashes
26% of all car accidents were the result of inattention and/or driving too close to the car ahead. Many Houston area car wrecks are rear-end crashes.
Entering Blind Areas
12% of all car accidents were the result of turning into traffic or entering an intersection when the driver's vision was partially obscured by another car or object.
Loss of Control
11% of all car accidents were the result of loss of control. This category contains many possibilities but includes speeding, speeding around curves, aggressive maneuvering, not slowing down for water on the road (hydroplaning), and failure to react properly to a surprise situation (faulty evasive action). Loss of Control probably contributes to more personal injury lawsuits in Houston, Texas, than any other category.
Falling Asleep
7% of all car accidents were the result of the driver falling asleep. Sadly, 21% of all fatal crashes are attributed to fatigued drivers. The researches stated that people are poor judges of their fatigue and sleepiness. Many personal lawsuit claims are the result of this cause of car crashes.
Rolling Right on Red
6% of all car accidents or car-pedestrian accidents were the result of the driver checking the traffic from the left and then moving before re-checking the right for pedestrians and others.
LeMaster & Ahmed PLLC, Attorneys at Law and personal injury attorneys, encourage anyone who has been injured to fight back. They know the personal injury negotiation tactics used by the opposing lawyers and adjusters. Injured individuals deserve a fair and equitable settlement for their injuries, their pain and suffering, their physical rehabilitation, their loss of income, and the impact their injuries will have for the rest of their lives.
