Houston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Some fatality accidents are more difficult to write about than others. The most painful involves the loss of young life - as was the case last week with a car driven by a recently licensed teenager carrying several passengers. According to eyewitness accounts, the car was filled with a driver and three passengers.

One was a 13-year-old passenger seated in the back that had not used his seat belt and strapped himself in. It seems maybe the other back seat passenger, a 15-year-old girl, had not belted herself either. Instead, she allegedly leaned forward to change the radio station and in so doing bumped the driver's arm - causing him to lose control of the SUV.

The 13 year old was thrown from the vehicle and died as a result.

Now several charges are pending against the young driver. First, he ultimately held the responsibility for ensuring that all of his passengers were securely fastened in and remained that way throughout the course of their excursion. Of course, he is charged with a failure to maintain control of the motor vehicle.

But it is another charge that may come as a surprise to parents of new drivers. Recent restrictions placed on new drivers in Texas require that they may have no more than one passenger (who is not a family member) under the age of 21 in their vehicle for the first year after their driver's license has been issued.

In this case the young man had three. Time and again studies have shown that passengers they consider to be their peers easily distract young drivers - and the combination is often deadly.

This is a very tragic accident, and my heart goes out to the family of the 13 year old and also to the young driver and other passenger who will carry this accident with them forever.

Parents - know where your child is heading and with whom, and please spend time when you drive asking all passengers every time "are you belted" and help you child establish safety as a routine. Young drivers need all the help we can give them.

Continue reading "New Drivers are at Risk" »

Houston police officers are conducting separate investigations into two homicides where two Houston drivers were shot inside their cars early Thursday morning.

In one shooting, HPD was called to investigate an accident in south east Houston that occurred about 1:15 in the morning. On arriving, police found a driver dead inside a car.

According to reports, police suspect that the driver was going south on Sharondale when an unknown perpetrator shot through the back of the car striking the driver in the head.

Only one hour later, on the other side of town, officers responded to another car shooting in North Harris County.

Harris County Sheriff's deputies investigated the shooting which occurred about 2:15 in the morning. They found a young man inside his car who had been shot. Apparently, the victim had called 911.

Unfortunately, the victim died at Houston Northwest medical Center.

It did not appear that anything was taken from the victims or that there was a clear motive to these tragic events.

Let us hope, that authorities are successful and finding the perpetrators.

If you have any information helpful to the police please call HPD or Harris County Sherriff's Department or Crime Stoppers.

Continue reading "Two Houston Drivers Shot within One Hour" »

Have you heard of the latest craze to separate Americans from their hard earned money? It's called 'gas savers' - and they come in the form of everything from pills that you pop in your tank to products that 'polarize gas molecules'!

To date, in my opinion, none have proven reasonably effective - but that doesn't stop companies from continuing to make outrageous claims of increased gas mileage and people from buying their products. Let us consider some of these facetious products - as a way to forewarn vehicle owners.

In a search of the internet numerous websites can be found that offer 'sophisticated' devices for improving gas mileage - with equally complex explanations about how they work. For instance, there are a variety of intake systems and throttle spacers that will use 'dyno-proven techniques and innovative engineering to accelerate efficiency'.

For you do-it-yourselfers there is an electronic ionizer that can be installed in minutes. You may be put-off somewhat because of their claims - after all, even the company that sells them states that they are 'technically complex' and use 'corona chemistry' to operate effectively.

And what about those biopills that mix with gas to increase mileage? Forget about it!
That is not to say that there are not great ways to save on gas - it's just not something you'll buy and put in your tank.

One of the easiest tips for saving gas is to insure your tires are properly inflated as under inflation can account for a 10% decrease in miles per gallon. Other fuel savings tips include, don't drive aggressively (the biggest gas user), drive slower, and use your cruise control on the highway.

Yesterday several people tested a new electric car and the reviews were fairly favorable, in the next few years expect to see prices of electric cars drop and use more accepted.

Also try driving less, carpooling, combining trips and taking the first parking spot you see instead of driving around for ten minutes to locate one close to the entrance.

Continue reading "Gas Saving Gimmicks- and Other Tips" »

Tornadoes struck the Dallas area and did damage to several schools in addition to flipping several cars. Tornadoes while dangerous are not an everyday occurrence in Texas, and sometimes folks just don't know what to do when they are confronted with a tornado.

FEMA offers the following recommendations for what to do during a tornado.

If you are in a structure (home, small building, school or hospital):

Then:
Go to a predesigned shelter such as a safe room or basement or the lowest level of the building. If there is no lower level go to the center of an interior room away from corners, doors windows and walls. Put as many walls between you and the outside as possible, get under a desk or table to protect yourself.

If you are in a car trailer or motor home:

Then:

Get out of the vehicle immediately and go to the lowest floor of the study were near by building. Mobile homes offer little if any protection from tornadoes.

If you are outside with no shelter:

Then:

Lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head but be careful for flooding.
Do not get under an overpass or bridge. You are safer and a low flat location.
Never tried to outrun a tornado in an urban or congested area in a car or truck. Instead, leave the vehicle immediately for safe shelter.

Watch out for flying debris. As flying debris from tornadoes causes the most fatal injuries.

Continue reading "Tornadoes Flip Cars Near Dallas" »

With over 50,000 of us killed on our nation's highways each year, several hundred of these in the Houston, Conroe and Galveston area, the issues of driving safety can not be voiced too many times.

Driving safety tips that will help a driver avoid accidents on the road that could lead to property damage, injury and loss of life. Some tips are obvious and others more subtle but all are important reminders for both new and old drivers alike.

The easy reminders such as don't drink and drive or keep your vehicle at speeds within the speed limits and appropriate for conditions. But, let's consider some of the less obvious ways to prevent a catastrophe.

First, a driver should always be on lookout for stopped or stalled vehicles ahead of them on the road. Recently a woman was killed in an automobile accident because she failed to stop in time to avoid a stalled car ahead of her on the road.

This is also one of the leading causes of 18-wheeler accident in Texas, mainly because a big rig takes quite a bit longer to stop than a car.

While we're on the topic of watching for things in the road - a driver should practice avoiding collisions with and/or because of animals.

Vehicle/animal accidents are a common occurrence across Texas and particularly in the hill country around Austin where deer are so plentiful. Most animal collisions occur at night or early in the morning when the game starts moving, so follow these tips to help minimize your chances of this type of accident.

First, use high beams that may reflect off the animals' eyes. Also, don't swerve radically, but try to brake and prepare for impact. Some times accidents with deer are unavoidable when they dash out in front of you. Many ranchers in central Texas have special bumpers to avoid damage to their trucks.

With deer season rapidly approaching, be prepared for deer on the roadway.

Continue reading "Watch out for Animals" »

In a very unusual incident in Texas, some time ago, reports have a teen hitting 10 vehicles in a mere 10 minutes span. The girl was driving a Mercedes and in a rush to reach a dance, she hit a 9-year-old boy.

On realizing her action, she may have panicked and in the next 9 minutes she hit nine other vehicles before reaching her destination.

In this scene, she hit an elderly lady too. The boy was seriously injured and was immediately transported to the hospital. He received severe leg fractures and a spinal cord injury.

The lady involved was a pedestrian and received a head injury. The girl was immediately taken for testing concerning alcohol after which it was confirmed that she was not drunk. It was however found that she does not possess a valid license.

Reports indicate that in order to flee away from the scene she sped up the car and hit another truck parked nearby which raised her panic level furthermore. The incident happened at 9:00 o'clock in the evening which is the peak traffic time.

Underage drivers are not experienced and sometimes just do not know the right thing to do in a car accident. We really cannot judge a 16 year old as an adult. The noteworthy thing is that parents should not allow their young children to take control with out taking the time to discuss what to do if they are involved in an accident.

Dealing with legal issues at young ages brings down the morale of kids and may affect their future. Bobby Bowden the great Florida State football coach has a quote I would like to share with you. He said something like "if you do not teach your son respect for authority, the law will".

The moral of this story is to spend time with your children and discuss what they should do in an car accident- whether or not it's their fault.

Continue reading "Teen Drivers Need Parental Guidance" »

In all of my blog entries I have never spoken about the hazards of driving a sport utility vehicle - or SUV. Let's consider the statistics of driving them. People believe that the bigger the vehicle the safer - a belief that has some truth behind it.

However, in 2003 alone there were 4500 deaths contributed to SUV accidents. The main cause of this seems to be that SUVS are 3 times more likely than other vehicles to roll on impact thus crushing the roof and the passengers inside.

Other statistics include:

Sales of Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) have skyrocketed in the United States, accounting
for over 25 percent of all new-vehicle sales in 2004.

This represents almost 14 percent of all registered vehicles in the nation,
This means there are more than 22 million on the road.

New SUV fatality statistics show that over 12,000 people died last year in rollovers, with SUVs averaging the highest rate at nearly 62 percent.

Many buyers ironically cite safety issues for their decision, claiming that they feel more protected because they are larger, heavier and higher than cars. Unfortunately, when it comes to rollover accidents - the leading cause of death on America's highways - SUVs are among the riskiest vehicles driven today.

Rollover is 27% more likely in an SUV than a passenger car.

Safety belt use is lower in rollovers than in other crashes/

Rollover crashes increased in 2005 by 2.1% SUV's are believed to be more dangerous due to their larger size and higher center of gravity compared to sedans.

More than 61% of fatalities that occur in SUV's are a result of rollover crashes and many times the rollover sequence is started by a tire blowout accident.

Continue reading "How Safe are SUV's ?" »

Nothing beckons the open road like a motorcycle. In a recent driving vacation, with family in tow, I reminisced about the freedom of hopping on a hog and taking off - wind blowing by you. But motorcycles may very well be the most dangerous vehicle on the road. Here is why.

As recently as 2006 approximately 4, 935 people were killed in all types of accidents.
Approximately three-fourths of these motorcycle accidents involved collision with another vehicle, which was most usually a passenger automobile.

2. Approximately one-fourth of these motorcycle accidents were single vehicle accidents involving the motorcycle colliding with the roadway or some fixed object in the environment.

3. Vehicle failure accounted for less than 3% of these motorcycle accidents, and most of those were single vehicle accidents where control was lost due to a puncture flat.

4. In the single vehicle accidents, motorcycle rider error was present as the accident precipitating factor in about two-thirds of the cases, with the typical error being a slide out and falls due to over braking or running wide on a curve due to excess speed or under-cornering.

5. Roadway defects (pavement ridges, potholes, etc.) were the accident cause in 2% of the accidents; animal involvement was 1% of the accidents.

6. In the multiple vehicle accidents, the driver of the other vehicle violated the motorcycle right-of-way and caused the accident in two-thirds of those accidents.

7. The failure of motorists to detect and recognize motorcycles in traffic is the predominating cause of motorcycle accidents. The driver of the other vehicle involved in collision with the motorcycle did not see the motorcycle before the collision, or did not see the motorcycle until too late to avoid the collision.

Drive safely - no matter what type of vehicle you take onto the road.

Continue reading "Motorcycles are the Most Dangerous Vehicle on the Road" »

I'd like to think that all types of drivers read this blog and take my safety advice to heart. Certainly we have discussed safe driving tips at length. Here again is a short summary of driving safety suggestions for you and your family to consider to help avoid an auto accident.

1. First and foremost - DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE. This is the leading cause of accidents.
2. Do not ingest any type of illegal substance and drive. Like alcohol - it impairs your judgment and ability to commandeer a vehicle.
3. Do not drive distracted. By that we mean do not drive and put on your makeup. Do not drive and eat. Do not drive and TEXT. Do not drive and manipulate technology such as IPODS. Do not parent while behind the wheel. Keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel.
4. Do not tailgate.
5. Always wear your seatbelt.
6. Make sure all of your passengers have on seatbelts.
7. Do not horseplay in a car.
8. Use your blinkers to let other drivers know your intentions.
9. Pass with care but do not pass on two lane highways.
10. Keep your vehicle in good working condition - regular checkups.
11. Obey all traffic signs and laws.
12. Be a defensive driver.
13. Do not drive aggressively.
14. Do not speed.
15. Be respectful of the awesome responsibility that is inherent in the privilege of driving.

Continue reading "Safe Driving Tips" »

Continue reading "Be Careful in a School Zone!" »

A pickup truck rams in to a local Houston business and the driver flees the scene. Police are searching for a female who allegedly jumped out of a pickup truck and ran after crashing in to an automotive parts store in Southeast Houston.

Reports indicate that the truck accident left a hole in a wall of the Scott Street Auto Parts store on Dreyfus Street. The Houston truck accident happened about 2 AM on Thursday.

There is no description of the female driver the authorities or searching for but one would have to suspect that by leaving the truck behind the police will have a decent chance of locating the suspect.

This is another of a long line of hit and run accidents plaguing Houston recently.

Continue reading "Houston Crash and Run Accident" »

A child was injured in a bus crash in Houston yesterday morning. According to Fox 26 news the bus was involved in an accident with an SUV in Northwest Houston this morning.

The SUV and bus accident happened at the intersection of Wheatley and Wilburforce Street. Reportedly, the bus driver was also injured in the accident.

The bus was carrying children for a day care center and other information regarding the identity of the victims and information about the injuries are not available at this time.

Recently, Texas passed a statute requiring seatbelts on new buses, unfortunately the law does not apply to every bus in Texas. Many have lobbied for quite some time to require seatbelts to protect our most precious assets in buses.

Continue reading "Houston Bus Accident Injures Child" »

Sometimes the sheer audacity of drivers and their wanton disregard for the laws of the road is breathtaking. I refer you to the following news story as testament to this statement.

In a large city suburb a man was recently stopped by local law enforcement because it appeared that he was weaving and not in control of his vehicle. As a result the officers discovered that the gentleman was driving on a suspended license. His license had been suspended for a previous incidence of driving while intoxicated.

Let me dissuade you of the notion that the story ends here. It was further discovered that the man had been texting while driving under the influence - and he was driving in this condition with four children in the car.

Oh, yes, and he was speeding.

The potential for disaster in this case is so strong that one can only wonder if somewhere along the line there was a little divine intervention that prevented total disaster. Drinking, texting, speeding, children, suspended license - what more could be added to this catastrophic mix?

Although I'm no psychologist - from where I sit it seems this guy had a death wish of sorts and was looking for a drunk driving accident. Unfortunately, it appeared that he didn't care if he took a few people out with himself.

Continue reading "Sometimes you Have to Wonder" »

Valuable tips for teenagers as they take to the roads.

Parents - you cannot remind your teenagers often enough about certain dos and don'ts of driving.
Other than harping on them - the best you can do is hold your breath when they get in the car and hope you've hammered home safe driving suggestions that will ensure your child returns to you in good condition. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Don't be a risk taker --Car crashes are the leading cause of injury and death for people ages 15 to 20.

2. Don't forget to buckle up--About two-thirds of teens killed in vehicle crashes were not wearing safety belts.

3. Do NOT speed (this point cannot be repeated enough) --One-third of teen fatalities involve speeding.

4. Don't be a rowdy rider-- Adding one teen passenger to a vehicle increases a 16- or 17-year-old driver's crash risk by about 50 percent.

5. Forget the cell phone --Talking on a cell phone while driving or texting can double or triple reaction time.

6. Don't fiddle with your music machines --Research shows that adjusting the radio is the most common distraction for drivers between the ages of 16 and 20.

7. Cut out late-night cruising --Teen crash rates at night (9 p.m. to 6 a.m.) are twice as high as daytime rates. Obey parental curfews.

8. DON"T DRINK AND DRIVE --Of 16- to 17-year-old drivers killed in crashes, one in six would have been considered legally intoxicated by adult standards.

9. Don't give in to peer pressure -- Make good choices and don't be afraid to "speak up."

10. Try not to be overly confident -- Inexperience and overconfidence can lead to crashes when new drivers encounter unfamiliar or unexpected situations.

Continue reading "Teen Driving Tips" »

It is not often that I am a passenger in someone else's car - more confident in my own driving ability and secure in the knowledge of what are considered the best driving habits. However, I did allow a colleague to take the wheel recently and my critique of this person's shortcomings only redoubles my belief that - a. most people practice poor driving habits and b. I feel safest when I am driving myself.

No doubt, this stems from my extensive Houston personal injury practice and seeing what poor driving can do to innocent victims. It would give me some measure of comfort to succinctly relate this experience here and await any comments from my 'sympathetic audience'.

On the day in question there were off and on torrential rains - not my favorite type of weather in which to drive. My associate and I headed for the court house and the driver chose to use the highway but did not slow down for the rain.

People cannot always bring their cars to a maximum speed on an open road thanks to Houston congestion and are therefore less likely to suffer serious injury in the case of an accident. Too, the presence of traffic signals tends to regulate the flow of traffic to a much greater extent than highway signs. However, as I was not the driver it was not my place to choose the route.

Once on the open road my companion proceeded to drive as if they had never had a lesson in their life! Between tailgating, speeding and constant lane switching I was on the edge of the seat!

Never have I breathed a greater sigh of relief than when this car's ignition was turned to off! What is my point? If you are a passenger in a car that is being driven in an unsafe manner - speak up- be assertive! Honestly, I know I've said it before - but the life you safe may be your own!

Continue reading "Be An Assertive Passenger" »

Millions of people in America and so also in Texas opt for insurance for financial coverage during troubled times. While general health insurance can cover medical expenses of burn injuries, there are also specific burn injury damages what are not covered by health insurance.

Having a good insurance coverage can greatly address the financial problems faced by burn injury victims due to high costs of treatment and restoration works; often ranging from $250,000 to $300,000 and sometimes exceeding 1,000,000.

Opting for an insurance plan and getting the bills actually covered can be two different things, many insurance companies ask for repeated forms and information in a effort to slow down the claims process and hang on to the money longer. Doctor's offices frequently complain of excess paperwork and improper denial as well.

Also there is the problem for burn victims of the insurer raising premiums as much as 35% a year in a lame effort to "run off" the burn victim due to high price of the premiums after a large claim. That is one of the reasons America needs insurance reform.

Also health insurance only covers part of the medical bills but provides no compensation for the human losses such as pain, disfigurement, disability or lost wages. An experienced and proficient Texas burn injury lawyer can address these damages.

Severe burns lead to permanent scarring of the body and may also result in multiple surgeries. Such occurrences can even prevent people from returning to work or normal life.

Experienced representation for burn victims can help the burn victim who may never regain their old vibrant life. and justice calls for substantial compensation to fill the void that has occurred in his or her life.

Continue reading "Burn Injuries, Insurance Claims and Role of Texas Lawyer" »

Automobiles have changed for the better - for most part. Sometimes, the improvements have come with their own pitfalls, though. For instance, originally cars had no device that would keep a driver or passenger from flying forward (or elsewhere) if they collided with another vehicle or otherwise lost control.

It only took tens of thousands of gruesome deaths before the automobile manufacturers found a way to keep people from flying out of cars and trucks - they installed lap belts.

Helpful, yes, but this only solved half the problem as they soon found out because when people wore their lap belts in an accident then part of their body remained motionless while the other half still had a tendency to jolt forward. THIS - while an improvement - created other problems for accident victims.

Finally, somebody got the bright idea to create a shoulder harness that would work in tandem with the lap belt to help minimize a person's jostling in a collision. Now THAT helped. In fact this new seat belt was credited with saving thousands and thousands of lives.

However, there were still too many scenarios in which a victim was gravely injured in an accident so auto manufacturers went back to the drawing board and designed the 'air bag' which inflates on impact and further minimizes human injury.

Still, anywhere from 20 to 50 thousand people die each year in automobile accidents and tens of thousands more are irreversibly injured. The word carnage comes to mind here.

WE have had the technology to go to the moon for over 30 years now and video conference from cell phones- it not it time to invest more in saving lives?

Continue reading "Is it Time to Invest in Safety?" »

GPS devices for the automobile are undoubtedly one of the greatest inventions to come along over the last twenty five years.

Certainly they have come in handy for the stereotypical driver who refuses to stop for directions - instead driving around lost for hours - or the not uncommon driver who simply can't read a map! In fact - for many they're nothing short of a godsend!

A GPS device receives global positioning system signals to determine the device's location nearly anywhere on the planet. They provide longitude and latitude information as well as a variety of other services.

Some contain maps, offer traffic information and other local data such as shopping and restaurants, and even audible turn by turn directions to a specified location.

Today GPS technology has virtually flooded the market. Where it once was only available in certain vehicles - now people can choose from a variety of companies that manufacture and market them to the general public including the more popular TomTom and Garmin. But GPS technology is also available as an app on many cell phones and GPS software can be purchased for laptop and desktop computers.

With all the different GPS devices available for purchase today if you are in the market you would be well advised to consider some of the consumer report and product reviews available.

All of the more popular GPS devices also have gotten some of the best reviews. A couple versions of the TomTom and Garmin vie for the top spots. The Magellan rounds out the number 5 spot.

Frankly, for the peace of mind and safety they offer drivers - You may want to consider a GPS devise and one that "talks" to you so you can keep both eyes on the road.

Continue reading "GPS a Safety Device?" »