Texas has the highest number of car accident fatalities of any state in the country. According to state officials, on average, more than 11 people died each day in traffic-related accidents on Texas roadways in 2021. With Houston being the most populous city in the state, this should give all of us great cause for concern. Serious and fatal car accidents happen in Houston and the surrounding areas every single day. Hundreds of accidents impact local individuals and families living in the city or in surrounding areas like League City, Clear Lake, Friendswood, The Woodlands, Pearland, Sugar Land, Katy, and more.
What Causes Car Accident Deaths?
While many factors can cause a fatal car crash, some of the most common contributing factors to roadway fatalities include but are not limited to:
- Drunk Driving: Despite Texas laws being on the books against driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs, close to 1,000 people die in crashes where a driver was under the influence in Texas each year. DUI crash victims account for approximately 25 percent of all people killed in auto accidents each year.
- Distracted Driving: Statistics show that certain drivers are more likely to operate vehicles while distracted than others. Young drivers, in particular, account for a disproportionate amount of fatal car accidents due to distracted driving.
- Failure to Yield: In nearly seven percent of fatal car crashes, drivers failed to yield the right of way. When drivers fail to yield, even when they have the right of way, the potential for collision increases. This cause of fatal car accidents presents a common problem at intersections.
- Tire Defects: Safe vehicles – including critical automotive component parts like tires – play a critical role in averting crashes and reducing the likelihood of serious injury. As you can imagine, one of the most important aspects of a vehicle that keeps the driver safe is the tire. That is because they are the only point of contact between a vehicle and the road and are critical to vehicle handling and braking. When tires are defective and fail, it can be because of tire tread separation, inadequate puncture repair, retreat failure, damage during mounting, and other manufacturing defects.
- Speeding: According to the World Health Organization, speeding directly increases the likelihood of a crash and the severity of the resulting consequences. This is because speeding increases the risk of loss of control of the vehicle, reduces the effectiveness of occupant protection equipment, and increases the necessary stopping distance once a perceived danger is realized. For example, every one percent increase in mean speed produces a four percent increase in the fatal crash risk.
What Injuries Commonly Cause Death in Car Accidents?
Deadly car accident injuries typically occur as the result of crash types including head-on collisions, side impacts, and/or rollovers. Common car accident injuries that lead to wrongful death include:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries: A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be caused by a blow to the head or skull penetration, which can cause torn tissue, bruising, and bleeding. In severe cases, TBIs can lead to life-long complications and possibly death. Severe TBI cases result in long periods of unconsciousness, coma, or fatality.
- Internal Bleeding: Internal injuries are so dangerous because they often go undetected immediately after a car crash. The harder an injury is to pinpoint, the harder it is to treat effectively, so internal injuries are very dangerous and often cause Texas car accident fatalities.
- Broken Ribs: A broken rib injury can become a serious and/or life-threatening injury if a major blood vessel like the aorta is punctured or torn by the broken rib because the victim could lose a dangerous amount of blood. In addition, broken ribs can cause a lung puncture which can lead to a collapsed lung or the puncture of other vital organs, including the spleen, kidneys, liver, and more.
- Spinal Cord Injuries: Everything our bodies do, including breathing, relies on the spinal cord functioning properly. Spinal cord injuries are very serious and often cause death or lifelong damage such as paralysis.
Houston, Texas Lawyers for Fatal Car Accidents
The Krist Law Firm believes in using our time-tested skills and abilities to help those who truly need it. This is what drives us to work tirelessly for justice each and every day. Scott Krist, the firm owner and lead trial lawyer, is a skilled Houston personal injury lawyer with over 30 years of experience. He has won some of the largest recoveries in the state of Texas for his clients and earned numerous honors and awards recognizing his skill as an attorney.
If you have been injured in a car accident or any other type of incident that was caused by someone else’s fault, contact our law firm. We can explain your legal rights and provide options for moving forward. When we take over your legal burden, you can focus on what matters the most — your physical, emotional, and financial recovery.