Houston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Conroe is a small suburb outside of Texas. According to the most recent census data, it has a population of about 40,000 people with a median age just shy of thirty years old - evenly split among males and females. It is a predominantly white population that falls between the ages of 18 and 61. In other words, most of the people in the community are of driving age.

All of this is relevant because - despite its small populace - Conroe is known for the fact that its vehicle fatality statistics soar above state averages. The basic following data was taken from a site that devoted solely to the number of vehicle accidents and fatalities in Conroe Fatal car crashes and road traffic accident statistics for 2009

Fatal accident count: 9
Vehicles involved in fatal accidents: 16
Fatal accidents caused by drunken drivers: 3
Fatalities: 11
Persons involved in fatal accidents: 36

These seemingly small numbers are misleading to the causal reading and the data becomes important when considered both in light of the total number of state drivers and fatalities and : over a ten year period juxtaposed against statewide figures. In that case - Conroe becomes an anomaly that requires serious consideration with regard to what is the root cause of the vehicle mortality rate and how it can be decreased. As a Conroe car accident attorney I see the aftermath of a drunk driving accident both on the victim and the drunk driver.

Conroe has taken some important steps in improving safety in our community recently and should be applauded for such efforts. The recent road construction through Conroe surely has contributed the serious car accidents in Conroe.

When it comes to Conroe - looks can be deceiving. On the surface it appears to be a safe little community - It certainly is one in which the citizens are very friendly and always ready to help-but drive with caution when passing through this town.

Continue reading "Conroe Car Accident Statistics Show Cause For Concern" »

There are over a dozen little bergs and suburbs in the greater Houston area. Conroe is one of these - and rests about 40 miles north of the heart of Houston itself - and is actually the seat of Montgomery County itself. A recent census shows that there may be over 50,000 people who reside in the area.

Other recent statistics may not be as interesting. One resource states that in Conroe nine fatal car and truck accidents occurred and - of these - eleven people died in the same year as that census. Altogether 16 vehicles were involved and 3 of the accidents were caused by drunk drivers.

Continued research revealed that only the year before that - 11 fatal accidents had been caused by drunk drivers. So in one year there was an approximate 70% drop in drunk driving fatalities but a chart provided by this site chronicled the number of deaths in Conroe at the hands of drunk drivers next to the number of deaths in the state of Texas as a whole for the past twenty years.

It was shocking to find that the number of fatalities per 100,000 is significantly - extremely even - higher than the state figures.

I have included a link to the site for this information. It is alarming at best - and begs for authorities to reexamine their current efforts at curbing intoxicated driving.

Continue reading "Conroe DWI Accidents" »

Some days there are more injury and fatality accidents than others on local Houston roads.

Yesterday seemed to be one of those days. In one accident that occurred in the early morning hours - a man was driving the wrong way along the East Loop and was killed when he crashed head-on into another vehicle.

The driver of the second vehicle is in critical condition. No indication as yet of whether or not alcohol played a role.

In a second accident at nearly the same time on another part of the Loop a female lost control of her vehicle while crossing some railroad tracks. Her car rolled several times and because she was not wearing a seat belt she was ejected from the vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene and, in this case, alcohol has not been ruled out having played a role in the crash.

Meanwhile, on the West Loop a police officer was chasing a vehicle that had refused to pull over.

Gunshots rang out from the fleeing car causing the officer to swerve and then lose control of the cruiser. It ended up crossing the median before coming to a stop as it struck a tree. The police officer received minor injuries.

What can we learn from these accidents? Drinking and driving don't mix. Wearing a seatbelt can actually save lives and even the most seasoned drivers can lose control of their vehicles at a moment's notice.

Continue reading "Houston Area Accidents" »

As Houston and other areas experience controlled power outages the risk of any Houston auto accident goes up substantially.

We learn early on that we can rely upon red and green lights for traveling safety to our destination. That is not the case when the lights may be out. After recent hurricanes, Texas personal injury lawyers saw an uptick in car accidents due to power outages.

If you are driving and suspect that the lights may not be working you have to use extra caution at intersections. You must assume that the other driver thinks his light is green because it is not red. It is much better to give someone the right of way who does not really have the right-of-way then to get into a bad traffic accident.

Use the extra caution get home to your family safely and realize in the over all scope of things five extra minutes in transit is no big deal.

In a recent news report comes a tragic story of a 19-year-old Houston area woman who was killed in a car accident on the way home from the Renaissance Festival.

According to reports , a young woman driving a small to midsize car may have fallen asleep at the wheel and ran off the road. The car crashed into a drainage ditch and severely hurt the driver who is 21, in addition to killing the passenger.

This tragic accident will undoubtedly be extremely traumatic for the family of the deceased and also the driver of the car. My heart goes out to the families of these young people.

A 2003 study about fallen asleep while driving included that young people aged 15 to 21 are the most likely segment of the population to have trouble falling asleep at the wheel.

One factor that several studies have identified is very helpful in preventing situations where a person inadvertently falls asleep at the wheel is rumble strips. Rumble strips serve as a wake-up mechanism when a driver gets out of the designated lanes. You can recall instances where you hear a humming noise when you move too far to the left or right and encounter strips of the highway that alerts you to correct your path.

Continue reading "Tragic Conroe Accident Takes Teens Life" »

As astonishing as it may seem, reports indicate that Montgomery County under a no refusal initiative made 28 arrests for driving while intoxicated or boating while intoxicated.

A "no refusal" initiative means that drivers who were pulled over on suspicion of being intoxicated while driving and two refused a field sobriety or breathalyzer test were taken to a mobile laboratory for a blood test.

According to a twitter site, the average blood alcohol content of the 28 arrests were 0.15 or almost twice the legal limit of 0.08.

Given the busy weekend and the proximity to Lake Conroe, the arrests for DWI were in line with the arrests made last year. In 2008 there were 51 arrests for DWI over Memorial weekend.

An abnormally high percentage of fatal car accidents involve alcohol in Texas and across the United States.

Texas has more alcohol related fatal auto accidents than any other state in the United States. Montgomery County is to be commended for their no refusal initiative. Every step we take to reduce drivers impaired by alcohol from taking the wheel saves lives.