We are all glad that Governor Abbott has relaxed the quarantine and that many people are returning to jobs, stores, and restaurants. But we Texans have not driven much for the past few months, are antsy, and maybe even a little rusty. There were many more vehicles on the road this morning as Mr. Berenson drove to the office and saw many vehicles driving way too fast — almost like they wanted to be on the track of the Texas Motor Speedway. Unfortunately, we can unfortunately expect an increase in car and truck wrecks in the coming weeks. Statistics from Austin were just revealed that show that serious injuries from vehicle crashes actually increased during the last two months when driving was curtailed. So we wanted to give you ways to keep safe while driving to prevent you from being the victim of a Fort Worth car accident.
Here we are in the middle of a terrifying global epidemic. The death rate is spiraling. We have been ordered to stay home, for the most part. Yes, it’s frustrating. But some people somehow continue to drive around like normal.
It’s not just that they are probably spreading the coronavirus. They keep speeding, running red lights and stop signs, and texting while driving — and causing car and truck wrecks, engaging in road rage, and hitting pedestrians.
So even though many less people are allowed to be driving on DFW roads, personal injuries and wrongful deaths continue to happen. And we wonder if the quarantine is making some people drive even more recklessly than usual, as if nothing had changed.
For example, here are just a few of the crashes that happened here in the past week:
As you walk in Fort Worth, Dallas, or another city in North Texas, you had better be extra careful. The number of pedestrian deaths in Texas has soared according to a new study. A shocking 619 Texans who were on foot perished last year. This is an all-time record. The latest victim died on Wednesday evening in north Fort Worth as she crossed a street. This post explains what families of the deceased should do if, God forbid, the unthinkable happens to someone they love.
It was exciting that school began last week but every year, a lot of people forget how much potential danger lurks. That’s because roads are more congested in school areas and people won’t put down their cell phones, even as kids are darting across the street. School buses pick up and unload over one million kids in Texas. So the need to be hyper-vigilent as we drop children off or make our morning and afternoon drives has greatly increased. Here are some helpful tips that will help stop these preventable car accidents with children.
March may be rushing in like a lion today, but soon it will be spring and more people will be outside walking. Maybe you and your spouse or friend will head down the street getting some exercise. Or maybe you’ll just be walking into the grocery store. Unfortunately, far too many people are being crashed into and seriously hurt. This post explains who is responsible if this should unfortunately happen to you or a family member, who pays for damages, and how a pedestrian hit by a car in Texas can win his case.
These are often very serious injury or even deadly cases. And they happen a lot. Last year this number rose by another four percent to the highest in the past 28 years. That’s shocking. This week, a driver hit a man standing on the side of the road in East Fort Worth, killing him, then fled and a drunk driver in the Houston area ran over a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
There are many reasons but in the last few years we see more caused by distracted driving and SUV’s/pickups.
1. Cell phones: trips to emergency rooms blamed on distracted driving have jumped a whopping 83 percent to almost 18,000 since the iPhone was introduced in 2007. It seems like everyone is driving while talking on the phone or texting.
Government statistics show that about about 2/3 million drivers are using their cellular devices while driving at any given moment. The head of the National Traffic Safety Administration called this a deadly epidemic. I’m sure this number is a lot higher because people don’t want to admit that they they do this.
Distracted driving is an accident just waiting to happen to someone crossing the street or walking through a parking lot.
I filed a lawsuit last week against a school district whose loaded school bus driver crashed into my client’s vehicle.
The Texas Supreme Court just revisited the maximum damages that an injured person or the family of the deceased can receive in these cases.
The Texas Tort Claims Act places a $100,000 cap on the maximum damages if a local governmental vehicle (like a city or school bus) is involved.
The Supreme Court refused to raise that limit, even though different facts and statutes could have changed the results.
A Fort Worth woman was crossing the street downtown in 2010 when she was fatally struck by a Fort Worth Transportation Authority bus.
It was driven by a woman who worked for two independent contractors, not the local government agency.
A self-driving Uber struck and killed a pedestrian on Monday. It unfortunately won’t be the last time this happens.
The 49 year-old woman was walking her bike across the road in Tempe, Arizona when the SUV ran over her. A “driver” was behind the wheel of the SUV but the vehicle was set to the autonomous mode. The person sitting in the driver’s seat was supposed to safeguard against this type of collision but it clearly didn’t work.
This horrific accident highlights an important question: is this new technology ready to hit public streets?
I am a big fan of vehicle automation because it takes human error out of the equation. Self-driving cars may one day finally put an end to drunk, distracted, speeding, and tailgating car accidents. But those advantages are too far down the road at this point.
As I discussed in a previous post, these cars should not be raced onto our roadways without thorough testing and strict safety regulations. We aren’t there yet. Continue reading
Our client was seriously injured riding his bicycle in Fort Worth several weeks ago. The police officer was not able to get his side of the story as he lost consciousness and did not awake until he was in the ER where he spent the next four days so the police report blames him.
To combat this error, I had a staff member immediately take our client to the pound so we could secure his bike. I took it to my bike shop and the head mechanic confirmed that my client had been rear ended, not hit as he cut across a busy road as the other driver told the police. I got a written report that the only part of the bike that was damaged was the rear wheel which I emailed to the insurance adjuster with color photos and what the police report should have stated. Today my client gave the driver’s insurance company a statement with my assistance. I am going to file suit if the company does not accept liability by Monday and pay its driver’s entire insurance policy limit.
On a similar note, we were hired today to represent a man who was crossing the street earlier this week when he was run over.
These two cases are reminders of how dangerous North Texas roads are for bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorcyclists. Last year, 65 people cyclists, 496 motorcyclists, and 678 pedestrians tragically died in collisions with vehicles, up a huge 21% from the previous year. I know this all too well, having represented thousands of injured people including those riding bikes.
I’ve spent more time on my bicycle this year, riding 75 miles on Sunday, and ran on streets for years when I was training to run many marathons. I ride and used to run on the Trinity Trail and off road as much as possible and encourage others to do so. Here’s a great link to Dallas-Fort Worth trails and roads that cyclists and pedestrians can more safely ride and walk on.
Fort Worth Injury Attorney Blog