Houston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

There were a number of fatal accidents in the Houston area over a recent 24 hour period, according to reports:

One occurred on the East Freeway in the early hours of Monday morning. According to witnesses a man on foot could be seen fleeing across a parking lot when a pickup truck struck him. The driver of the pickup did not stop and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Only a few hours before another pedestrian accident resulted in death. In this case a woman walking in the early evening hours when she stepped in front of a vehicle traveling at a normal rate of speed for the area. The woman was struck and transported to the hospital where she later died from her injuries. The investigation is ongoing.

In another - what could be termed bizarre - incident a young man was actually standing in a moving traffic lane when he was struck by a large SUV and then struck a second time. Shockingly, neither driver stopped to check on the condition of the pedestrian - both fled and the pedestrian died at the scene. The police are asking for witnesses or anyone who knows anything about the case to come forward with their information.

In the span of a single day - three people on foot were struck and killed in our city and in three of the cases the drivers are now considered hit and run suspects. They stand to face severe criminal penalties if they are caught and successfully prosecuted.

Meanwhile, pedestrians must take more caution when walking in Houston area traffic.

Continue reading "3 Fatal Houston Accidents in One Day" »

With great regularity we are introduced through the media to the 'oldest living person' in the state, country and world. But have you ever wondered about the 'oldest working vehicle'? What type of vehicle would it be and where would it be located?

Well, I won't keep you waiting long for the information. According to a very recent news article the oldest running vehicle in the world is an 1884 De Dion Bouton Et Trapardoux Dos-A-Dos Steam Runabout. This gem has been owned by the same family for 81 years but even more remarkable than that discovery is the fact that it has had the limited number of only four owners in nearly 130 years.

The car tops out at a speed of 38 m.p.h. Surprisingly, it has a steam-powered engine that can travel for 20 miles on a single tank of water. And this should bring a smile to your face - it was a participant in the first ever auto race. In fact, it was the only vehicle to actually show up for the event at all!

Finally, there were only 20 De Dions ever manufactured - and of those there are still that are operable (you don't see specs like that with today's auto manufacturers). If you're interested in owning one of them, though, it's going to set you back a cool 2 and a half million bucks.

At those prices I think I'm going to have to stick with the family sedan. However, I'm eyeing with renewed interest. Imagine if I could keep the old Ford up and running - and pass it on for a few generations - it's hard to believe but the car could actually increase in value!

Continue reading "The Oldest Running Car" »

Consumers have more tools than ever at their fingertips to help them make good vehicle buying decisions.

One of these is the car or truck history report - you just have to know how to read them! The goal is to become as educated about the potential purchase's history as possible and that sometimes requires the individual to be able to 'read between the lines' as well as on them.

First, car shoppers should know that it is not possible to discover all the problems a car may have simply by taking a short test drive.

The vehicle history report will provide a combination of information from a state's Department of Motor Vehicles as well as any police reports that may include the VIN number of that car or truck.

Why would that be important? Because a police report will track whether or not the vehicle was in an accident - the extent of the damage and the previous owner's insurance information - which will allow you to do further research on your own.

Here are some things to be on the alert for:

*multiple owners - could be an indication of problems because it's cheaper to sell (and even take a loss) than to repair.

*previous ownership locations - has the vehicle suffered through harsh weather conditions and, if so, how often?

*odd markings on the vehicle report itself - maybe an indication that something was erased or changed. That is not only a problem - it's illegal.

Don't make a vehicle purchase before thoroughly researching the history of the car or truck.

Continue reading "Vehicle History Reports May Show Car Accidents" »

What follows is a good news-bad news scenario. A major study done right here in Texas reveals that the amount of time Americans spend 'stuck in traffic' has been linked directly to the economy. With fewer Americans working - fewer of us are sitting in traffic jams right now.

That just makes sense. Conversely, the more people who are working - the more cars there are on the road during peak rush hours. Frankly, there are probably thousands of people who used to complain about rush hour traffic who would gladly return to those vexing times.

The researchers of the traffic study predict that rush hour traffic will return to challenging levels within the next 3 to 4 years (in other words, the economy should be on the upswing in the next few years). But the problem is a bit more complicated than returning jobs - it seems the transportation infrastructure is no longer adequate to sustain the projected levels of commuters. Not only are our roadways 'crumbling' but other 'components' are equally as troubling. For instance, there are currently tens of thousands of bridges across the United States that are in a state of deterioration - and with federal and state funding for repairs all but drying up - there seems to be little hope that this problem will disappear anytime soon.

Those involved in the 'transportation industry' have come up with a few suggestions - none of which seem honestly viable. First, reconfigure the work day so that the times people begin and end their job are staggered - which should thin out traffic or...

Use public transportation.

Continue reading "Congestion Leads to Auto Accidents" »

In Texas we have the rule of yielding the right-of-way to others in certain circumstances. And there are certain circumstances in which giving the right-of-way is required. All drivers in Texas should know and understand the rules, which determine the right-of-way.

The first right-of-way requirement is for intersections controlled by signs and signals and the rule is very simple if there are signs or signals follow them.

The second situation involves driving on a single or 2 Lane Rd. you must yield to vehicles traveling on a divided street or highway or vehicles driving on the roadway with 3 or more lanes. In effect smaller roads yield larger roads.

The third situation is if you're coming off an unpaved road that intersects with the paved road you should yield to the paved road traffic.

The next situation is where there are intersections that are not controlled by signs or signals and generally you should yield to the right.

Another situation is turning left -if you are turning left you should yield to vehicles coming straight through from the other direction.

When entering or crossing the road from a private roadway or driveway you shall yield the right-of-way to all approaching vehicles and pedestrians.

There are many other situations where right-of-way rules apply in Texas and it is imperative that each license driver knows the rules of the road in order to protect themselves, their families and the other drivers around them.

Much of the material taken for this post came from the Texas drivers handbook which is readily available from the Texas Department Of Public Safety or you can visit the state of Texas DPS website at www.txdps.state.tx.us.

Continue reading "Right Of Way Rules In Texas" »