Houston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Walking along highways is not a safe choice. Vehicles are usually traveling at no less than 55 or 60 miles per hour and often much faster. In an accident the driver is protected by the car or truck while a pedestrian has no safety net whatsoever.

In many places it is illegal to walk alongside highways - this is true because of the fact that it is a gravely dangerous action. Of course, it's one thing if your vehicle breaks down or you run out of gas and you must pull over and then walk for help. Otherwise - I would definitely discourage it.

The reason this topic has been broached in this blog is that the nephew of international celebrity was walking alongside a highway in Florida to draw attention to a charitable cause. He was struck and killed and while few details are available the following information is known.

First, the man has made this 900 mile trek on several occasions and for the same cause over the past few years with no incident. However, reports suggest he was walking at night on an unlit highway. Although someone claims he was on the correct side of the white edge line - that is not a barrier.

A person driving down the road only needs to look away for a moment and their car or truck will drift over to the side - and into the path of the walker before they even have an opportunity to 'correct'. And with texting and cell phones you never know.

Don't walk along the highways - it is simply too dangerous.

Continue reading "Walking Along Highways can be Dangerous" »

With thousands of new drivers added to the rolls of the 'licensed' each year - it might be valuable to devote a blog to offering safety advice just for the teen driver...so teenagers - this one's for you!

*No matter how much you may be tempted - do not get in a race with another driver. There are better ways to 'strut your stuff' and there's nothing macho about injuring or killing yourself or another innocent person in an attempt to show off.

*Do not drink and drive. Oh sure, there are stories floating around about how to get liquor even though you're underage and in the back of your mind it probably sounds cool to get a six pack and hang with your pals while cruising for chicks (am I hopelessly out-of-date?) but every year kids are killed from engaging in this very activity.

Underage drinking is against the law - and so is underage drinking and driving.
*Pay attention when you're driving. That goes for when you're driving through the school parking lot, or at the mall or on the highway or any city street. Foot and vehicle traffic is dynamic. That means it is ever-changing - by the second - and in a moment's notice something that wasn't there could suddenly be.

*Keep the music down - so you can hear oncoming emergency vehicles, trains and other cars. Put the cell phone down so that you are not dividing your attention between your lap and the road. Pick a station on the radio and leave it there or just let the ipod do the picking.

Continue reading "New Drivers Need Parental Guidance" »

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" »

One person is confirmed dead and other reports have 2 dead in a car accident early this morning on Highway 59 in north Houston due to a SUV crashing into a pole on the highway.

The car accident happened about 3:15 AM, according to authorities.

Harris County Sheriff's office conducted the investigation and reports indicate victims died at the scene.

The vehicle involved in a car accident was a mid size SUV, which was northbound on 59 when for some unknown reason the driver ran into a guardrail and came to rest after hitting a pole alone the highway.

There were no witnesses to the accident.

Initial reports had at least one dead and another report has both a driver and passenger killed in the one car accident. No names have been disclosed at this time.

As in most fatal accidents, the roadway was closed to investigate the car accident and also allow emergency medical providers access to the wreck.

Houston in the last few weeks has been averaging almost 1 fatal car accident a day and it is my hope that that statistic changes for the better.

Continue reading "Fatal Car Accident Closes US 59 in Houston" »

According to officials, a local teenage woman was texting when she ran into the intersection and struck a fire truck. The teenager was taken to Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital for treatment of her injuries.

Officers blamed the car accident on the teen because she was texting on her cell phone around the time of the accident, according to reports.

Texting is a huge problem in the United States as far as auto safety goes. Studies have shown that a person reading a text message gives up the equivalent of three car lengths of attention to the roadway. Sending a text message gives up even more safety distance.

Groups such as Focus Driven have popped up to make the public aware of the dangers of texting and driving. Oprah Winfrey also has worked with Focus Driven to raise awareness of the dangers inherent in cell phone use while driving.

Many states have adopted measures to limit texting while driving and many cities have also adopted text message bans in their municipality to reduce car wrecks.

It is time that our state legislature take the initiative and strengthen Texas law to make our roadways safer and to protect our young drivers who are most likely to be endangered by text messaging while driving.

As a parent of children approaching driving age I believe it is imperative that we educate our children not only not to text and drive but not too ride with a student to is texting and driving.

Continue reading "Texting blamed for Houston car accident " »