Motor Vehicle Lawyers

Serving Clients Nationwide

Americans are on the road every day at every hour of the day, and anybody on or about the roadway has the right to a safe trip without incident.

Those accidents involved passenger cars, large trucks, vans, pick-ups, motorcycles, bicyclists and pedestrians. Here are some of the most common causes of motor vehicle accidents in Texas.

Speeding

Most accidents involving fatalities and severe injuries occur primarily because of excess speed. Increasing speed dramatically increases the likelihood of an accident along with the chances of severe injuries or even death. Simple Texas common sense tells us that a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed is more likely to be involved in an accident than one that travels at a slower rate of speed.

Distracted Driving

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), eight people a day are killed and 1,161 are injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. Distracted driving involves participating in another activity that draws your attention away from driving. That's because when you're operating a motor vehicle, three senses are being used at the same time.

Those senses are:

• Visual
• Cognitive
• Manual

Whenever just one of these senses is diverted to another task, the likelihood of a crash increases significantly. Distracted driving can include but not be limited to:

• Texting
• Talking on a phone
• Using a navigational device
• Talking with passengers
• Eating and drinking

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) relates that 38 percent of all distracted drivers involved in fatal accidents were using a cellular device at the time of the crash. If somebody is texting and driving, five seconds is the average time that their eyes are off of the road. At 55 miles per hour, you're basically covering the length of a football field blindfolded. Most drivers don't travel the speed limit in a 55 mile per hour zone either. They're exceeding the speed limit.

Fatigued Driving

The NHTSA reports that drowsy driving is a form of impaired driving like driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

When somebody drives drowsy, the following are diminished:

• Alertness
• Focus on the task
• Reaction time
• The ability to make quick decisions

According to the NHTSA, drowsy drivers are twice as likely to make erroneous decisions than those who have rested well. What comes to issue is that the more publicized forms of impaired driving like being under the influence of alcohol or drugs are measurable. Drowsy driving can't be discerned unless a driver in an accident admits to it. Inferences can be made at accident sites that point to drowsy driving, but without an admission by the driver or the statement of a witness in the vehicle, drowsy driving just can't be pinpointed.

Aggressive Driving

Aggressive drivers operate motor vehicles without exercising due care and caution for the safety of others. They might:

• Fail to maintain a proper interval with the vehicle in front of them
• Disregard traffic signals
• Make frequent and abrupt lane changes
• Pass other vehicles where prohibited

An aggressive driver typically commits multiple traffic violations in well under a minute. The NHTSA claims that aggressive drivers are responsible for up to 56 percent of all motor vehicle accidents.

Drunk Driving

Driving under the influence is both dangerous and irresponsible. When accidents occur that are attributable to drunk driving, it's highly likely that the accident was completely preventable. The CDC reports that 28 people per day die in drunk driving accidents. Alcohol impairment was connected with 9,967 traffic fatalities in 2014 and 31 percent of that year's total fatalities. Alcohol is a depressant. It affects the central nervous system.

Aside from making a driver overly confident, it can also affect driving by:

• Reducing reaction times
• Impairing vision
• Diminishing concentration
• Interfering with sound decisions

If you or somebody close to you has been injured in a motor vehicle accident because of the carelessness of somebody else, contact the Doan Law Firm We represent injured accident victims across Texas. We'll seek maximum compensation for the damages suffered. Our aggressive but highly professional approach has won the respect of insurance defense attorneys, judges and jurors in every county that we've worked in. After any injury or fatality, contact the Doan Law Firm You can call (800) 349-0000 to arrange for a free consultation and case evaluation. You can even use our online contact form. Just complete the information and send it to us. We'll be right back with you.

Never give the opposing insurer a tape recorded or written statement. They'll only try to use it against you in the future. Contact our experienced attorneys at (800) 349-0000. After you hire us, that insurer will never bother you again.