Original publication date: 7/20/20

When cellphones first became popular in the 1990s and early 2000s, phones were capable of little more than making and receiving calls. Today’s smartphones allow us to do everything from banking to online shopping. Using a cell phone while driving is associated with a much higher risk of being in an accident. One study showed that drivers who were texting and driving are over 20 times more likely to be involved in a collision. It is estimated that almost one in five crashes in Texas are caused by a distracted driver. 

If you have been injured by another driver in a car accident, you may need to deal with a variety of issues, including receiving treatment for your injuries, being unable to work while you are recovering, and repairing or replacing a damaged vehicle. If the driver who caused a collision did not have insurance, you may be worried about how you will be able to cover your expenses and make a full recovery. Fortunately, by working with a personal injury attorney, you can determine your options for receiving insurance coverage or pursuing compensation from other sources.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

If the driver who was at fault for a car wreck was uninsured, you can usually receive coverage through your own auto insurance policy. All car insurance policies are required to include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage will address situations where an at-fault driver had no insurance, and underinsured motorist coverage will be available in cases where a driver’s insurance policy will not fully cover your expenses. Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage must be provided at the minimum amounts for liability insurance. In Texas, these amounts are $30,000 for the bodily injury or death of one person, $60,000 for the bodily injury or death of two or more people, and $25,000 for property damage.

While your own insurance policy will provide you with coverage in cases where another driver did not have insurance, receiving payments that fully address your injuries and damages can sometimes be difficult. A skilled attorney can speak to your insurance company on your behalf and negotiate a settlement that will fully cover your injuries and property damage.

The joy and excitement of obtaining a driver’s license can quickly turn into agony when a teenager is involved in an accident.

Teen drivers are often unaware of the risks and responsibilities that accompany the privilege of driving. Teen drivers are more likely to underestimate dangerous situations and their lack of driving experience can result in serious injuries to themselves and other motorists with whom they share the road.

Most car accidents involving teens are due to negligence. For instance, driving while talking on a cellphone, or while texting, speeding, or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Nobody is ever surprised to see Houston on the list of the most dangerous cities to drive. Houston with its high-speed limits, tangled web of highways, and drivers in giant intimidating trucks fails to provide safe roadways for its residents.

With Texans out driving after a year of staying home, carnage could return to the roads of Houston – a troubling trend that Houston has battled with for the past two decades. Failing to drive in a single lane, speeding, and driving under the influence of alcohol continue to be major factors for crashes in Houston.

Since 2010, the Houston area has witnessed its population grow by over a million people. The Houston-Woodlands-Sugar Land Metropolitan Statistical area (MSA) is the fifth most populous MSA in the country.

Road rage is a rapidly growing menace in the United States, especially in Houston TX. Road rage occurs when a driver expresses extreme aggression or anger intending to create or cause physical harm.

Aggressive driving and road rage are two different concepts. According to The National Highway and Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA), aggressive driving is “when an individual commits a combination of moving traffic offences so as to endanger other persons or property”. Road rage takes things one step further into a more violent and potentially dangerous territory. From January through April this year, law enforcement agencies reported 107 road rage crashes in Harris County to the Texas Department of Transportation. That’s up 13% from the 95 reported during the same time last year. Injuries are up 26%.

A car accident involving road rage can be a traumatic experience. If you are a victim of a road rage accident, what are your legal options?