When we think about car accidents and how to avoid them we usually have in mind the possibility of a crash with another vehicle. But our Board Certified Houston car accident injury attorneys point out that around one third of all wrecks, and one half of fatalities, might involve only a single vehicle.
An NHTSA extract from the U.S. FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) data shows that in 2012, Texas had 3,398 traffic fatalities. 1,880 of those deaths, or more than half, occurred in single vehicle accidents. Another NHTSA report discusses the large proportion of single-vehicle accident fatalities caused by running off the road and crashing. Some of the most common factors found to be behind these wrecks were: speeding, driver fatigue, DWI, adverse weather, and curves in the road. (Factors Related to Fatal Single-Vehicle Run-Off-Road Crashes, NHTSA, November 2009)
Another study by the NHTSA of crash causes focused on 5,471 wrecks nationwide. Of those accidents, 1,444, or 30.8%, were single-vehicle crashes. The factors behind these wrecks included distracted driving and poor driver decision-making. (National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey, Report to Congress, NHTSA, July 2008)
A Houston Chronicle report noted that in just one night, four people died in single-vehicle accidents in the Houston area alone. (Dale Lezon, Houston Chronicle, 2/14/14) One man hit a curb on his motorcycle and was fatally ejected from the bike. Another driver lost control of a vehicle at high speed while driving over some railroad tracks. Both he and his passenger were killed when they crashed into a concrete culvert. And another man died when he suddenly veered from the road and landed in a ditch. Investigators speculated that a medical condition might have led the man to go off the road. Our deepest sympathies are with the families and friends of the four victims of these tragic single-vehicle wrecks.
Some single-vehicle accidents are caused by inherent defects in the car. And if you’re injured or your loved one dies because of that flaw, our Board Certified Houston car accident injury attorneys note that you have recourse against the manufacturer in a lawsuit.
But as the NHTSA reports and the four overnight accidents around Houston reveal, many single-vehicle accidents result from driver error, driver impairment, speeding, medical conditions, road design, or weather conditions. If you’re injured in a wreck resulting from these factors and you were the driver, it might be tougher to hold someone else financially liable for your injuries.
We offer a FREE, no obligation initial legal consultation to discuss the facts of your case and evaluate your potential eligibility for a full financial recovery. Call us at 713-807-9500 or fill out our online contact form to schedule your free consultation. Put our more than 12 years of experience successfully resolving complex personal injury and wrongful deaths cases to work for your family’s benefit.