Houston Attorney for Intersection Crash Injuries from Red Light Runner

The Board Certified Houston attorneys at Denena Points, PC have more than a decade of experience winning fair financial recoveries for victims and grieving family members whose loved ones sufferedintersection crash injuries caused by red light runners. We understand the severe losses and injuries that result when a negligent driver disregards a traffic signal and impacts another vehicle (which had the right of way) at high speed in a Houston intersection.

But victims need to gather crucial evidence before it disappears or is hidden. And they need to build a strong and convincing case in order to receive the financial compensation they deserve. They’ll usually be up against powerful insurance teams with a financial incentive to discredit their claims. And few cases are as clear-cut as you might imagine They require the able services of experienced Houston attorneys for intersection crash injuries from red light runners.

A Recent NW Houston Intersection Crash reveals the Risks

For example, just recently in northwest Houston, a pickup truck traveling down Champion Forest crashed into a car on Cypresswood in the intersection. The high-speed impact forced both vehicles off the road into some trees, and mangled the vehicles so severely that rescue crews had to pull the pickup apart in order to get the two trapped occupants out. They were both carried by helicopter to the hospital for their injuries. The car’s driver was also hospitalized in serious condition. Police said one of the vehicles had run the red light, but they were still investigating which one it was. (Ryan Jones, KPRC click2houston.com, 1/5/14)

Occupants of both vehicles were seriously injured. But the driver that is determined to have run the red light will likely have to pay for the others’ injuries, in addition to not being able to obtain relief for his or her own injuries. If that driver is insured, the insurance policy might pay for the injuries up to the coverage limit, but the driver’s insurance rates will go up. Running a red light is definitely a lose/lose proposition.

The High Number of Deadly Intersection Crashes Nationwide from Red Light Runners

The U.S. NHTSA’s Traffic Safety Facts of 2008 noted that over 2.3 million reported intersection wrecks occurred that year. These crashes left more than 7,770 people dead and about 733,000 victims injured.

The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) found that in fatal wrecks involving red light runners, 22% of the drivers were unlicensed (imagine that!), and that 25% had blood alcohol content levels over the legal limit (another surprise!).

Our Houston attorneys for intersection crash injuries from red light runners mention that TxDOT maintained about 4,940 traffic signals in the State of Texas at an approximate cost of $32 million in fiscal year 2012. Signals which quite a few drivers disregarded.

The agency also funded 290 behavioral/enforcement projects under the Texas Traffic Safety Program using $46.5 million in federal and state grant funds. Some of the projects were designed to deter dangerous driving behaviors such as speeding, aggressive driving, distracted driving, or driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. (TxDOT: 2012 Pocket Facts) Any attempts to deter red light runners from a behavior which endangers themselves as much as others have apparently met little success.  Although, by comparison, the TxDOT Click It or Ticket campaign seems to have increased the number of seat belt users by about 20%.

Contact the Board Certified Houston Attorneys at Denena Points for Experienced Legal Help addressing Serious Intersection Crash Injuries from Red Light Runners

We offer a completely free initial legal consultation, with no obligation, to discuss your case and evaluate your potential for a full financial recovery from your injuries. Call us today at 713-807-9500 or just fill out online contact form to schedule your free consultation.

Texas Claims Several Top Spots on Most Drunken Cities List

But it’s a city that didn’t take a top spot that’s a surprise. Houston came in at only number 50 on the Men’s Health Magazine 2013 list of the 100 Drunkest Cities in America. And yet each year for the past several years, Harris County has been the site of the most DWI accidents and fatalities in America by NHTSA and TxDOT statistics.

The synopsis of results I read from Men’s Health did not discuss the magazine’s methodology in reaching its conclusions. It might have been something as simple as a voluntary survey: “Please respond to this survey and tell us if you regularly drink and/or drive.”

The Men’s Health Magazine list gave Bakersfield, California the very top spot for drunkenness. Our Houston car accident injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC note that San Antonio came in second. And several other Texas cities came in ahead of Houston, which we were astonished to find was only number 50 out of 100 on the Men’s Health list.

Texas Cities Claiming Top Spots for Drunkenness

2. San Antonio

8. Austin

13. Corpus Christi

17. El Paso

27. Fort Worth

21. Lubbock

Even more strangely, Dallas came in as the 16^th most sober city in the United States. This can’t be true. This writer lives in Dallas, and about 30% of the time in traffic is behind someone weaving incoherently among the traffic lanes. And they’re not texting.

New York City came in as the 3^rd most sober city. Well, I used to live there for 10 years, and I don’t think that’s true. But generally, we were at least taking the train rather than driving.

KPRC just ran an article mentioning that Harris County constables would be cracking down on drunk drivers for safety reasons during the New Year’s holiday week. Apparently, Precinct 4 just lost a couple of patrol cars and had multiple deputies injured when drunken drivers crashed into them on duty. So they have a recent, vivid reason to know just how dangerous drunken drivers can be to innocent victims.

Click the link to read about an example of the type of horrific and deadly Texas drunken driving accident that occurs almost daily. This one occurred in Austin, number 8 for drunkenness on the Men’s Health list.

Promising Results from BMW and U.S. DOT Tests of V2V Safety Technology

Continued from Part 1. The U.S. NHTSA indicates that new V2V (vehicle to vehicle) technology could help drivers avoid or reduce the severity of 4 out of 5 crashes among unimpaired vehicles and drivers. (V2V won’t help you much if you suffer a blowout, an axle breaks, or a defect in the power train stalls the engine. Although it might sound advance warnings as your vehicle goes out of control and heads into a crash with some other vehicle, a retaining wall, or a tree. And the system’s warnings of impending collisions or looming hazards are likely to go unheeded or unnoticed by the impaired or drunken driver.)

V2V safety technology could help you avoid other crashes though by:

• Sending electronic data messages to other equipped vehicles;
• Receiving such electronic data messages from other vehicles; and
• Translating the messages and data into specific warnings to drivers about looming hazards and impending crashes.

Hazards the V2V system could help you avoid include:

• Vehicles changing lanes in your blind spots,
• Possible collisions at blind intersections, and
• Impending rear-end collisions with vehicles stopped ahead that you might not have seen.

In the fall of 2012 in Ann arbor, Michigan, the U.S. DOT and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) launched a year-long study involving 3,000 trucks, buses, and passenger cars equipped with V2V and V2I (vehicle to infrastructure) WiFi systems that could connect and communicate with other similarly equipped vehicles. The test included several competing forms of the WiFi technology, to mimic real-world, real-market conditions. The test results have only just been communicated to the NHTSA, which probably hasn’t had time to fully evaluate them yet.

The Ann Arbor trial was intended to gather in-depth information regarding the effectiveness of the V2V technologies in reducing crashes as well as regarding the systems’ operability in real-world use. The DOT’s earlier user acceptance testing for the technologies found that 90% of drivers had a very favorable opinion of its safety benefits and wanted the technology in their personal vehicles. (metro-magazine.com, 8/21/12)

Another study in Europe by BMW equipped the BMW 5 Series and the BMW R1200Gs motorcycle with V2V safety technology. The BMW trial focused specifically on the safety of left turns, where many cars become involved in crashes with motorcycles. The “Turn Left Assistant” technology used a camera and a laser scanner mounted on the front of a vehicle to detect oncoming traffic. Specifically, that safety warning system was designed to prevent cars traveling less than 6 mph from crossing in front of oncoming motorcycles and other vehicles.

If the driver continued to turn in front of the oncoming vehicle, the warning system activated automatic braking and also activated visual and audio warnings. And where the oncoming motorcycle was equipped with V2V and the two vehicles could talk to each other, the motorcycles headlights would adjust to increase the bike’s visibility. If the car continued into the intersection, the motorcycle would then sound its horn. Thereafter the car would have its brakes automatically engaged. (Andy Downes, motorcyclenews.com/mcn/, 5/17/11)

These real-world trials of V2V safety technologies have found that they can help reduce the number and severity of crashes when vehicles and their drivers are unimpaired. Similar studies by both the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) and Volvo found that the owners of vehicles equipped with V2V crash avoidance technologies filed insurance claims at a significantly lower rate than the owners of unequipped vehicles.

As yet however, there is relatively little data on the true effectiveness of these V2V technologies, and other crash avoidance technologies continue to enter the marketplace. The NHTSA has yet to act on V2V to either require it in new vehicles or to make its presence or lack of same in a vehicle a marker for its five-star safety ratings. Insurance companies too have yet to take the step of reducing rates for those who possess the technology in their vehicles. And insurers, who end up paying for most crashes, will likely be the first to act if the V2V technology proves to avoid crashes and save insurance companies money.

The Promise of Vehicle-to-Vehicle WiFi Crash Avoidance Technology

We occasionally write about the promise of new crash avoidance technologies that could help us avoid needless accidents and injuries. Our Pearland car accident injury attorneys also periodically write about the ongoing problem of drivers of larger vehicles who fail to perceive motorcyclists, particularly on turns, and cause them to crash, often fatally.

Motorcycles represent only about 3% of the vehicles on the road, but they’re involved in 5% of the collisions. And those crashes involve serious or fatal injuries 80% of the time, as opposed to only 20% for cars. So something clearly needs to be done to improve road safety for motorcyclists.

Well, recent months have seen trials of a new technology that shows particular promise in preventing crashes with oncoming vehicles, particularly on turns. A new vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) wireless communications technology allows vehicles to detect oncoming traffic. This summer, the UMTRI (University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute) announced a new trial of the V2V safety technology in motorcycles.

How it Works

When the other vehicle in your path also has V2V, your V2V WiFi system could detect it even around a blind curve or corner. The Pearland car accident injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC note that where the other vehicle does not have V2V, your system could detect it ahead of you on the road even if you don’t perceive it (for instance, if it’s obscured as you start to turn). The V2V system sets off warnings in the vehicle, or in both vehicles if they both have V2V systems. Sometimes the warnings can activate braking, headlight, and other systems. These warnings could help drivers avoid an impending crash.

The V2V system, also known as a Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) system, is being tested in Europe and the United States. The primary model in use was built by Cohda Wireless of Adelaide, Australia. Cohda built and designed its own WiFi chips using higher WiFi standards, rather than using the off the shelf, consumer-grade chips others are using. The Cohda system demonstrates several advantages over the lower-grade technologies.

Cohda’s technology can connect from 200 meters away rather than 20, and it can gives its warnings more than 6 seconds away from a target rather than less than 2 seconds for other systems. The superior range and functionality provides for additional safety in busy, non-line-of-sight urban conditions and around blind corners and curves. (Ian Porter, GoAuto.com.au, 9/18/2012) Cohda also believes its technology will even function usefully as vehicles travel at or above highway speeds. A loss of functionality at increased speeds has been a limitation with some DRCS systems.

Our Pearland car accident injury attorneys report that the DSRC warning technology could also be advantageously embedded in traffic signals and other traffic signs to reduce the number of deadly intersection crashes and wrecks caused by drivers failing to slow down in time on sharp curves. Over 9,000 people die each year in the United States at intersections. That number represents almost one third of all U.S. traffic deaths annually.

The Pearland car accident injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC mention that BMW has been testing V2V safety systems in Europe since at least 2011, while the U.S. DOT is conducting a trial using 3000 vehicles in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Continue to Part 2 to read about these trials of the V2V WiFi crash avoidance system.

Your High Risk of Severe Single Vehicle Crashes on Icy Texas Roads

Continued from Part 1. The pileups and multi-vehicle wrecks have taken the headlines since ice began to blanket Texas on Thursday, but our Harris County personal injury attorneys emphasize that the majority of the accidents, including the fatal ones, appeared to be single-vehicle crashes as drivers lost control of their vehicles in the icy conditions. Trucks jackknifed. At least one partially slid off a bridge to leave its trailer dangling over the ground below. A car went off the bridge into Lake Lewisville. And a man died at Preston and Royal in Dallas when his car went off the road and smashed into fixed objects near the shopping center.

It’s certainly not the kind of driving weather we’re used to in Texas. I mean, how many of us have chains for our tires? In icy conditions in Texas, it’s best not to drive unless you absolutely have to do it. And if you must drive, drive slowly and carefully. Yet people went out clubbing during the worst of it on Saturday night. And I know others who drove all the way across the Metroplex when their power went out to find shelter when there were closer places available. My power was only out for 20 hours. But our Harris County personal injury attorneys realize that some people had their power out for over two days.

OK, a couple of days doesn’t begin to compare with some of the long-term power outages that occasionally happen in the North and Northeast during the winter, but hey, we’re not used to it in Texas. And we’re not prepared. When our power goes out, it’s usually high summer.

But maybe this bad and unusually lengthy (for Texas) spell of icy weather is a wake-up call. Prepare. And be ready to stay home and not drive until conditions get better. Ice is treacherous. It’s too easy to lose control of your car or truck and crash. And our Harris County personal injury attorneys caution that once you start to spin on the ice, you can’t get vehicle control back.

Houston largely escaped the ice, but still had cold and moisture to contend with. While roads are generally better across Texas today, sub-freezing nights are expected through North and West Texas through Friday. And the last couple of days’ cycles of slight daytime thawing followed by re-freezing have actually made the remaining icy patches slicker. Shaded areas of roads and parking lots are still mostly frozen over, which can be treacherous if you come upon the ice unexpectedly after mostly dry areas. This writer is still having to wear spiky golf shoes to safely traverse the walk between the car and the door in Dallas.

Learn the Important Steps to take after a Serious Crash and Injuries

Click the book icon on this page to download your free, in-depth guide. It provides detailed information on how to protect your rights, avoid common costly pitfalls in making your claim, and how you might build a winning case for financial compensation for your injuries and losses.

If you have questions about your specific case, don’t hesitate to contact the Harris County personal injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC for a free, no obligation initial legal consultation. Our Board Certified personal injury attorneys have more than 12 years of successful experience to help guide you through the complexities of a serious injury accident case. And we never charge you attorneys’ fees unless we win your case. Reach us today at 713-807-9500 or just fill out our online contact form to schedule your free legal consultation.

A closer look at the problem of drunk driving in the United States

Drunken driving is actually a huge problem throughout the United States. And our Houston DWI accident lawyers note that it’s an even greater problem in Texas. Texas leads the nation in drunken driving accidents. In 2011, the fatal toll in Texas was 1,213 DWI deaths. In Texas, the total cost of a drunken driving death is about $4.7 million between the emergency response, accident investigation, medical and funeral costs, and ensuing lawsuits.

After a several year period of declining accident fatalities in general and DWI deaths in particular, the United States saw an increase in 2011 and 2012 of around 5% to 7%, meaning that recently drunken driving has accounted for almost 38% of all traffic fatalities. (Overall traffic deaths only increased 3.3%.) In 2012, 10.322 were killed in DWI accidents. Basically, that equates to 28 people killed each day in U.S. drunken driving accidents, or one every 51 minutes.

IIDs and their Role in Reducing DWI Crimes

Some states have ignition interlock device (IID) laws that apply to convicted drunken drivers. These drivers have devices installed in their vehicles that test them for inebriation. If the device detects alcohol above a threshold amount, it won’t start the car. And the Houston DWI accident lawyers at Denena Points, PC caution that the device also usually conducts random tests during the course of a drive. If the in-drive test detects drunkenness, it might stop thee car or alert the authorities.

New Mexico and Arizona have passed laws requiring the installation of IIDs in the vehicles of convicted DWI offenders. Statistical data shows that the two states have reduced their DUI fatalities by 35% and 46% respectively. The reduction is largely attributed to the IID laws, so the U.S. CDC just recommended that each U.S. state pass a similar law. This initiative is also strongly supported by MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving).

TxDOT and the Texas DPS data reveals that last year, 6,882 alcohol-related injuries occurred. Our Houston DWI accident lawyers mention that there were 25,671 alcohol-related wrecks. And the 89,256 DUI arrests did not prevent these crashes and injuries. The U.S. NHTSA estimates the annual taxpayer cost of subsidizing the consequences of DWI fatalities at $6 billion.

A MADD survey of adult drivers showed that when those drivers saw another person attempt to drive home drunk, 19% did nothing, perhaps believing that any costs and consequences wouldn’t fall on them. But not only could anyone be killed or injured by that drunk driver, including the disinterested observer, the costs of their fatal wrecks are eventually figured into your car insurance, medical insurance, and tax payments.

Some Sobering Drunken Driving Statistics:

• Our Houston DWI accident lawyers emphasize that almost 50% of drivers killed in crashes who tested positive for drugs also had alcohol in their system. Johnston, L. D., O’Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., & Schulenberg, J. E. 2011).
• Around 33% of all drivers arrested or convicted of drunk driving are repeat offenders. (Fell, Jim. “Repeat DWI Offenders in the United States.” Washington, DC: National Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Traffic Tech No. 85, February 1995.) And by the time a drunken driver is arrested, he or she has usually already driven drunk about 80 times.
• Over 1.2 million drivers were arrested in 2011 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. (Federal Bureau of Investigation, “Crime in the United States: 2011”) And males are almost twice as likely as females to drive drunk.
• In 2011, 226 children were killed in drunk driving crashes. Of those, our Houston DWI accident lawyers remark that a full 54% were riding in the drunken driver’s vehicle. (NHTSA data query, 2013.)
• Drunken driving crashes are about twice as high on the weekend than during the workweek, and nighttime DWI crashes are almost 5 times as frequent as daytime wrecks.
• If all 17 million people who admitted to driving drunk had their own state, it would be the fifth largest state in the U.S. (and isn’t that an interesting idea: move all drunken drivers to their own state, where they put only their own lives at risk?). (Lacey, John et al. “2007 National Roadside Survey of Alcohol and Drug Use by Drivers: Alcohol Results.” Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, December 2009.)
• 50% to 75% of convicted drunk drivers continue to drive on suspended licenses. OK, our Houston DWI accident lawyers aren’t that surprised. The United States is largely a car-dependent culture. (Peck, R.C., Wilson, R. J., and Sutton, L. 1995. “Driver license strategies for controlling the persistent DUI offender, Strategies for Dealing with the intent Drinking Driver.” Transportation Research Board, Transportation Research Circular No. 437. Washington, D.C. National Research Council: 48-49.)
• About one out of every three people will be involved in a drunken driving crash in their lives.

Learn the Necessary Steps to Take after a Serious Injury Accident

Click the book icon on this web page to download your free guide from the Houston DWI accident lawyers at Denena Points, PC. If you have additional questions about what to do after the specific accident of you or your loved ones, just call us at 713-807-9500 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free initial legal consultation. You have no obligation to hire an attorney. And our Texas Board Certified attorneys could walk you through your legal options, potential obstacles to your claim, and an evaluation of your potential for a full financial recovery for your injuries.

Our Houston DWI accident lawyers never charge attorney’s fees unless we win your case for you. So contact us today, and put our more than 12 years of experience making successful recoveries in complex personal injury and wrongful death cases to work for your benefit.

Fast and Furious Speeding leads to Deadly Crashes

In a tragic irony, Fast and Furious star Paul Walker has died in a fiery speed-related crash in Valencia, just north of Los Angeles. Paul Walker, 40, was reportedly a passenger in a Porsche Carrera GT driven by a friend when the driver lost control of the vehicle, hit a signpost and a tree, and the car burst into flames.

The star had just left a charity event, and the news account says that attendees were trying to put out the blaze with fire extinguishers, without success. Our Harris County car accident lawyers sadly report that both occupants of the Porsche were pronounced dead at the tragic scene. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that speed was a factor in the deadly crash. (Source: Daisy Nguyen and Jake Coyle, Associated Press by way of the Houston Chronicle, 12/1/13) We grieve with the friends, family, and fans of Mr. Walker and with the family and friends of the friend behind the wheel during the crash.

The Fast and Furious film franchise was based around the culture of street racing. The Harris County car accident lawyers at Denena Points, PC note that Harris County has been a mecca for street racing for years due in part to poor enforcement. Street racing is usually responsible for numerous injuries and some fatalities each year in Harris County.

Speeding is Behind One Third of all Fatal U.S. Traffic Crashes

In an average year, speeding is responsible for about one third of all fatal traffic crashes. Speeding is the 3^rd leading contributor to traffic wrecks. In 2007, 31% of fatal crashes were caused by speeding, leading to 13,040 traffic deaths. The cost to society of speeding-related crashes is estimated to be at least $40.4 billion per year or $1,281 per second. Every minute saved by speeding costs society more than $76,000.

Around 27% of fatal wrecks in work and construction zones were caused by speeding, which may explain in part why a new law went into effect in September in Texas increasing penalties for drivers who don’t move over or slow down as they pass a TxDOT work zone.

Speeding Drivers are often also Drunken Drivers

Our Harris County car accident lawyers emphasize that the speeding drivers in fatal crashes are often also drunken drivers. Drunken driving is responsible for about 33% of all fatal crashes in the United States each year. Many of those drunken drivers were speeding and/or driving the wrong way at the time of the fatal accidents.

Fatal Katy Freeway Wreck Claims the Life of a Motorcyclist

For instance, on Saturday night in Houston, a woman behind the wheel of a white Nissan Maxima entered the Katy Freeway exit ramp and killed a motorcyclist when she struck him head-on while driving the wrong way. The Nissan driver was hospitalized with her own injuries and faces intoxication manslaughter charges. (Source: KTRK abc13.com, 12/1/13) The Harris County car accident lawyers express their deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the motorcyclist.

While this crash occurred on the fast-moving Katy Freeway, a surprising number of speed-related wrecks occur on residential roads. NHTSA data reveals that 47% of fatal crashes caused by speeding happen on roads with posted speed limits of 50 mph or less. And over 20% of speeding fatalities occur on roads with posted speed limits of 35 mph or less.

Harris County Leads the State in Traffic Crashes

TxDOT data indicates that Harris County has over twice the number of traffic crashes of any other county in Texas. In 2012, Harris County was the site of more than 77,000 accidents according to TxDOT. And our Harris County car accident lawyers at Denena Points, PC reiterate that Harris County is also the leading county in the nation for drunken driving accidents like the one on the Katy Freeway.

But surprisingly, Texas only comes in 5^th among the U.S. states for the number of speeding citations issued. On average, over 110,000 people receive a speeding ticket each day in the United States. More than 41 million speeding tickets are issued each year for total revenue of over $6 billion. Each year, more than 1 in 5 drivers receives a speeding ticket. Yet despite these daunting enforcement and speeding fine numbers, speeding remains one of the poor driver behaviors that has not declined. Speeding is a habitual driver behavior and like other habits, it is hard to break. But it’s always better to get somewhere late than not to get there at all. Remember to slow down and drive safely.

Get the Help You need after a Serious Injury Accident

Download your free guide from our Harris County car accident lawyers on the steps to take to protect your rights and build a successful compensation claim following a crash. Just click on the book icon on this web page.

U.S. government requiring seatbelts in new coach buses by late 2016

Just a couple of weeks ago, our Houston bus accident injury lawyers had mentioned that the federal government seemed to be dragging its feet on safety measures like requiring seatbelts on large coach buses. Safety advocates have been calling for seatbelts in passenger buses for more than 45 years, since a horrific bus wreck left 19 people dead in the Mojave Desert.

A federal rule issued just a few days ago will require three-point lap-shoulder seatbelts to be installed in new intercity buses and in tour buses beginning in late 2016. The new requirement does not apply to city transit buses or to school buses.

NHTSA data shows that about 8,000 people are injured each year in accidents involving passenger buses, like the intercity motorcoaches. Our Houston bus accident injury lawyers emphasize that estimates indicate that seatbelts could reduce bus fatalities and moderate to serious injuries from passenger bus accidents by about half. Around 29,000 large coach and tour buses in the U.S. transport about 700 million people on trips each year, about the same number of people as fly the friendly skies for their travel.

Around 50% of the bus fatalities result from rollovers, and approximately 70% of those killed in the rollover accidents get ejected from the bus during the crash. (Joan Lowy, Associated Press by way of ABC News, 11/20/13) The Houston bus accident injury lawyers at Denena Points, PC remark that this figure is similar to the estimated 77% of passenger car and light truck rollover fatalities resulting from vehicle ejection. Click the link to read about a recent Texas band bus crash that injured members of Willie Nelson’s band and led to several tour cancellations while they recover. Seatbelts might have helped reduce the severity of the injuries.

The new seatbelt requirement is an important step in safety. But since the average large passenger bus is on the road for 20 to 25 years, it could be quite some time before all buses are equipped with the safety belts. In the meantime, be aware of your safety. If you’re riding a bus, check the bus company’s safety record. If you get on a bus, and the driver seems impaired or too drowsy to drive, get off the bus. If the bus seems decrepit, don’t even get on. If you’re riding a bus and the driver is speeding, falling asleep at the wheel, or driving erratically, get off at the first available stop. You might also call 911.

But I’ve ridden intercity buses from time to time. My observation is that your greatest dangers might be from rowdy or impaired fellow passengers. Unfortunately, our Houston bus accident injury lawyers caution that seatbelts don’t solve all the problems you might face on a large bus.

Contact Us for a Free Legal Consultation if You’ve been Seriously Injured in a Bus Crash

The Houston bus accident injury lawyers at Denena Points, PC offer a free, private initial legal consultation to discuss the facts of your accident and evaluate your potential eligibility for a full financial recovery for your injuries. You have no obligation to hire an attorney. And if you do choose our Texas Board Certified personal injury attorneys to pursue your case, we never charge you attorneys’ fees unless we win your case for you. Put our more than 12 years of experience successfully resolving complex personal injury and wrongful death cases to work for your family’s benefit. Call us at 713-807-9500 or reach us anytime through our online contact form to schedule your free legal consultation.

Most Dangerous Wrecks: 4 Dead, 3 Critical, 4 Serious in 3 TX Rollovers

Rollover wrecks are just about the most dangerous type of motor vehicle accident you can experience, mainly because of the ever-present danger of being ejected from your car or truck during the wreck. According to government safety statistics, more than 75% of the people ejected during a wreck suffer fatal injuries. The Houston rollover accident injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC mention that the numbers also show that more than half of the victims ejected and killed in their rollover accidents weren’t wearing seatbelts. As an example of the toll taken by these most dangerous wrecks, there were 4 dead, 3 critical, and 4 seriously injured in 3 Texas rollover wrecks in just the last few days.

When a motor vehicle crash occurs, the car generally stops on impact, but you keep moving forward. A seatbelt can keep you restrained in your seat, protected from some of the impact forces by an effect known as ride-down. And passenger vehicles have built-in crush zones that are designed to cushion some of the force of the impact and extend your ride-down time. But if you’re not restrained by a seatbelt, you could be forcibly ejected from your seat to suffer the full force of the impact without any protection whatsoever. Our Houston rollover accident injury attorneys remind you to always wear your seatbelt to reduce your risk of injury or death in a motor vehicle accident, especially from a rollover.

Let’s look at what happened in three recent Texas rollover wrecks:

On Thursday afternoon about 2, three vehicles were involved in a serious rollover wreck at FM 1485 and Baptist Encampment Road just west of New Caney in Montgomery County. One accident victim was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition. Two other victims were taken by ground ambulance to the hospital. Another victim was treated at the scene of the wreck. One victim had to be freed from a vehicle that had rolled over. One of the effects of rollovers is often crushing of the vehicle to trap vehicle occupants in the wreckage. (Source: Russell, Ledbetter, yourhoustonnews.com/courier, 10/24/13) The thoughts and prayers of our Houston rollover accident injury attorneys are with all of the victims, wishing for their safe and complete recoveries.

Then  a few days later around 9 on Sunday night, Bu Tu drifted into the median on Highway 287 close to Cactus, Texas, and then overcorrected while trying to get the vehicle back on course. The loss of vehicle control sent it rolling over several times. Three children, aged 4, 8, and 14, were ejected from the vehicle. The two younger children suffered fatal injuries. The teen was critically injured. And an adult passenger was also injured. The condition of the driver wasn’t reported. Our hearts and prayers are with the family and friends of the children and the injured passenger following the tragic rollover. (Source: KFDA, 10/28/13)

Also on Sunday, all the way across Texas in south Houston, a deadly collision and rollover claimed two more lives. On Almeda Genoa, which seems to see more than its share of wrecks, the driver of a westbound pickup truck lost control of his vehicle at Lockcrest and struck a car. The pickup flipped over in the middle of the street. The impact sent the car careening into a ditch. The two men in the pickup truck died at the scene. The woman driving the car had to be extracted from the vehicle and was hospitalized from her injuries. Authorities are still investigating the accident, but indicated they believe alcohol was not a factor. The sympathies of our Houston rollover accident injury attorneys go out to the families and friends of the two men, and we wish the injured woman a rapid and complete recovery. (Source: KTRK, abc13, 10/27/13)

Learn more about vehicle safety and what steps you should take if you’re involved in a serious accident

Download our FREE report at the book icon on this page and get information on some of the key things to do to build your successful accident injury claim. Contact us at 713-807-9500 or through our online contact form if you have additional questions about your specific injury. The Houston rollover accident injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC provide a free, no obligation initial legal consultation to discuss the specifics of your wreck and evaluate your potential for a full financial recovery for your injuries. We have more than 12 years of experience investigating accidents, gathering solid evidence, and building successful cases on behalf of our clients. And we never charge you attorneys’ fees unless we win your case for you. Put our proven experience to work for you and your family. Call today.

U.S. has Higher Rates of Fatal Crashes than Similar European Nations

The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) conducted an interesting comparison study of fatal traffic accidents in the United States compared with three other countries: the U.K., Sweden, and the Netherlands. The study found that the U.S. has higher rates of fatal crashes than similar European nations having comparable levels of economic activity and industrialization.

The UMTRI study, Why is Road Safety in the U.S. not on Par with Sweden, the U.K., and the Netherlands, Lessons to be Learned, Juha Luoma and Michael Sivak, January 2013, found that differences in national cultures, as well as in structural and procedural factors like types of safety programs, may be responsible for the much higher rate of U.S. fatal crashes compared to the other three nations.

The study for the U.S. focused on alcohol-related crashes, which according to WHO (World Health Organization) was responsible for 32% of all U.S. road fatalities in 2009 and on motorcycle crashes, which caused an additional 14% of the traffic deaths. In this article, our Pearland car crash lawyersexamine their conclusions regarding fatal drunken driving accidents.

WHO data for 2012 from the four countries studied showed that people aged 15 and above had the highest alcohol consumption per capita in the U.K., followed by Sweden, the Netherlands, and the U.S. BUT the United States and the U.K. allowed the highest legal BAC at 0.8%, followed by the Netherlands at 0.5% and Sweden at 0.2%.

Comparison of data for alcohol-related accidents demonstrates that people with a BAC of 0.8% actually have twice the risk of crashing as people with a BAC of 0.5%. Our Pearland car crash lawyers note that a BAC of 0.5% can be reached by the average adult male with just about one drink, and by the average adult female with less than a single drink.

Compared to the U.S. rate of 32% alcohol-related fatal wrecks in 2009, the other three countries had far lower alcohol involvement in fatal crashes, with the Netherlands at 25%, Sweden at 20%, and the U.K. at 17%. The Netherlands’ high rate of random breath testing by authorities succeeded in reducing the number of fatal alcohol-related accidents by about 67% between 1985 and 2005.

The Pearland car crash lawyers at Denena Points, PC mention that the high rate of binge drinking in the U.K. in conjunction for the fairly low rate of fatal drunken driving accidents could be the result of more people using public transportation, or drinking closer to home.

Based upon the comparison of alcohol-related fatal crash rates in the four studied countries, the researchers recommended:

• Lowering the legal limit for BAC to 0.5% throughout the United States.
• Implementing an efficient system of random breath testing in all 50 states.
• Encouraging nationwide use of ignition interlock devices to prevent cars from starting when drivers are impaired by alcohol.

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