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Car accidents are unfortunately a very common occurrence in our day to day lives. In 2019 there were 12,897 crashes in the state of Texas that involved a serious injury. Most collisions are the result of some form of human carelessness or negligence. If you suffered an injury in a wreck caused by someone else’s wrongdoing, that person and their insurer should be held accountable.
In order to avoid accidents, it is important that you are aware of the most common causes of car crashes. Some of the most common types of driver negligence and causes of car accidents include:
Distracted driving includes anything that takes your eyes and focus off of the road. There are many common distractions including cell phone use, eating, reading, putting on makeup, or changing radio stations. It is important that you avoid any distractions while driving and keep all of your focus on the road ahead. In 2019, there were 377 people killed in crashes involving distracted driving.
Someone who is driving while intoxicated does not have the same reflexes, judgment, reaction times or control over what they are doing as someone who is sober. Driving under the influence is illegal and doing this puts your life and the lives of others on the road at risk. There were 886 people killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes where a driver was under the influence of alcohol in 2019. This was 25% of the total number of motorists killed in crashes that year.
Drowsy driving can be almost as bad as drunk driving. Fatigue affects your reaction times and reflexes, and someone could literally fall asleep while driving and cause a crash. It is important that you do not get behind the vehicle if you have taken medication that causes drowsiness or if you did not get enough sleep.
Higher speeds mean that it takes longer to stop or react to changes in traffic. If someone is speeding, they may cause a wreck just because they could not stop their vehicle or swerve quickly enough. Speeding remains to be one of the top causes of car crashes each year.
Running a red light, failure to yield right-of-way, going the wrong way, not stopping at a stop sign, and making an illegal turn are but a few examples of infractions that could cause a crash. In 2019 there were 731 people killed in crashes occurring in intersections or related to an intersection.
Vehicle defects, such as defective tires and airbags, can cause serious wrecks or make injuries worse than they otherwise would have been. If you believe that your car’s manufacturer failed to produce a reasonably safe vehicle, you may be able to hold the manufacturer responsible for your injuries.
If you have been injured in a car accident, do not hesitate to contact the experienced and knowledgeable car wreck attorneys at the Sloan Firm in East Texas. Our team understands how traumatic being involved in a car accident can be. We want to be sure that you receive the compensation you deserve after your accident. Contact our firm in Houston and Longview today to seek assistance with representation.
Sources:
https://ftp.txdot.gov/pub/txdot-info/trf/crash_statistics/2019/01.pdf