Texas gets its share of serious motor vehicle accidents every day. Unfortunately, people are injured and killed in these crashes regularly. What you may not know is that the vast majority of crashes are caused by human error and are therefore preventable. When you are hurt in an accident caused by someone else’s carelessness, then you may be able to pursue compensation above and beyond the initial insurance company offer.
Top Causes of Crashes in Texas
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the top causes of motor vehicle accidents in our state are:
- Speeding
- Failure to yield
- Driving under the influence of alcohol
- Following too closely
- Running red lights and stop signs
Sometimes a person is being dangerous and reckless, and sometimes just a little careless and inattentive. In both cases, the cause of the accident can be described as negligence, which is the basis for a personal injury case handled by our lawyers. We will work tirelessly to show how negligence caused the crash that injured you, and to show why you deserve the fullest compensation award possible.
How You Can Reduce Your Crash Risk
It can be frustrating to know that there is nothing anyone can do to completely eliminate the risk of getting in an accident. It comes with the territory of owning and operating a motor vehicle. But you can do a lot to lower your risk:
- Don’t text, talk on the phone, read, or do anything that distracts you from the task of driving. Distracted driving kills a few thousand people every year in the U.S.
- Don’t drive drowsy, which causes similar issues as drunk driving, such as blurred vision, inattention, loss of coordination, poor concentration, and poor judgment.
- Obey the speed limit. It’s easy to exceed it, but doing so creates dangerous driving conditions for everyone on the road and reduces your ability to control your vehicle. Higher speeds also involve more catastrophic injuries in the event of a crash.
- Obviously, don’t drive after drinking. Take a cab, use a ride-hailing app, take the bus, or designate a sober driver beforehand.
- Match your driving to the current conditions. If it’s rainy, high winds, or low visibility, you should reduce your speed a bit.
How To Pursue Compensation for Your Injuries
If you or a loved one was injured in a car accident in Austin or the surrounding areas of Texas, please call the experienced attorneys at Shaw Cowart, at 512-499-8900. We have worked with so many Texans over the years as they seek to maximize their injury compensation to pay for medical bills, replace lost wages, and compensate them for all the various consequences of the injury.