The Houston wrongful death lawyers at Denena & Points are deeply saddened by the Sunday death of a beloved Houston voice coach and opera singer in our state while on her way from the Grand Canyon. The Honda in which Houston soprano Laura Botkin rode in the back seat was struck head-on by a pickup truck in West Texas that was speeding the wrong way down a street in Lubbock.
The collision resulted in fatal injuries for Laura Botkin, and serious to critical injuries for the pickup truck driver and the others in the Honda with Ms. Botkin. The tragic death of this well-regarded Houston singer and voice teacher comes right on the heels of the untimely death of nationally known Houston lighting designer Jeremy Choate due to hit and run driver Shannon Garcia.
Laura Botkin was only 27 and just embarking on a promising career in Houston. Jeremy Choate was but 33 and already acclaimed nationwide for innovative lighting designs for dance, art installations, and theater. They represent two rare talents taken from our community by a negligent wrong-way driver in one case and a likely intoxicated hit and run driver in the other case.
News accounts of Laura Botkin’s tragic and untimely death did not report the cause behind the wrong-way driver’s behavior. Our Houston wrongful death lawyers note that in a sadly large proportion of wrong-way driving wrecks, intoxicated driving is behind the tragedy. In some cases, driver fatigue or driver distraction is the cause.
All of the accidents and tragic deaths from these causes are preventable. They all result from irresponsible and reckless drivers. We all know that driving while intoxicated is dangerous. Even those who choose to drink and drive, like Shannon Garcia, know the danger. But driving when you’re fatigued or distracted is also dangerously negligent and irresponsible behavior.
The law provides victims of negligent or reckless driving with recourse for the needless harm they have suffered. Their redress takes the form of a civil lawsuit to claim financial compensation for personal injury or wrongful death damages. Victims and families should take full advantage of this recourse to hold irresponsible drivers liable for their negligence and for the needless harm and suffering they have caused.
Learn what you could do after a serious accident has harmed you or a family member. Download our Houston wrongful death lawyers’ book with in-depth information on the steps you need to take following a serious Houston accident. The book is available free to our readers on this web page.