Coastal Bend injury lawyers on the curiously hazardous stretch of Highway 73 near Labelle Road. You might remember the 79-vehicle pileup in January caused by a dense back of smoke and fog that sent several people to hospitals with injuries. News reports were filled with witness accounts of the horror of descending into sudden blackness, experiencing crashes with unseen objects, and hearing all the voices calling out in the dark in pain and distress.
Only a few short weeks after that dramatic pile-up, Highway 73 near Labelle Road experienced another sequence of catastrophic wrecks, one after another. Our Coastal Bend injury lawyers suspect that part of the blame for the wrecks probably lies with the week’s unusually wet and stormy weather. Yet part of the blame might lie with the speed of the vehicles traveling Highway 73 at that point.
3 of the wrecks occurred within an hour of each other. At least one of the wrecks resulted in fatal injury for a driver. And the normally quiet area has now seen 4 road fatalities within a week according to the Labelle-Fannett Volunteer Fire department Chief, Charles Sonnier.
Chief Sonnier, in an interview with Kiii TV3, said that he would like to see changes to Highway 73 in that area, especially with the increased traffic to and from Port Arthur. He cautions drivers for their own safety to watch their speed and obey set speed limits. Rescue crews echoed the sentiment, asking drivers to slow down and take care, particularly in inclement weather. The sense is that something is wrong with the highway and speed conditions in the area.
Our Coastal Bend injury lawyers note that TxDOT seems to indicate that drivers are to blame for the unusual numbers of injuries and wrecks on that stretch of Highway 73. TxDOT said that Highway 73 meets all the applicable safety requirements in terms of speed limits. TxDOT also pointed out that the highway also has a newer surface.
Our concerned Coastal Bend injury lawyers feel that the numbers speak for themselves. They indicate a troubling trend of increased injury and fatality accidents in the area. Somehow that stretch of Highway 73 presents an unusual hazard of crashes and injuries to drivers and their passengers. Whether the speed limit needs to be adjusted, the highway needs additional lanes to accommodate increased traffic from Port Arthur, or other changes need to occur, is a matter for traffic and safety experts.
If you’ve been injured on that stretch of Highway 73 and you have questions about who you could hold accountable for your injuries or what to do after a car accident, download our free book on the essential elements of a successful car accident injury claim. Learn the steps to a successful financial recovery following your car accident injury. The book is free to our readers. Just click and download.