Houston has one of the dangerous roads in the country. Every year, 640 people die on Houston roads and 2,850 people are seriously injured. This high crash rate is the result of an expansion of highways and an increase in traffic on the roads.
Driving while distracted or intoxicated puts other drivers at risk of catastrophic collisions. After a horrific accident, lives are lost and families struggle to heal.
Hiring an attorney is crucial and will be the first step in recovery. Auto accidents usually involve insurance companies, law enforcement agencies, and at-fault parties.
It is important to have an experienced attorney at your side so that you can recover what you deserve. When a tragic event like this occurs our attorneys will step in and help.
Joe I. Zaid & Associates will fight for your rights and recover what you deserve so that you can pay for medical bills, time lost from work, expenses for long term disabilities, and any other damages.
We are passionate attorneys committed to helping victims and their families get justice after a car accident.
Houston’s Most Dangerous Intersections
Below is a list of Houston’s most dangerous intersections based on accident frequency.
- Sam Houston Parkway at Westheimer Road
- Main Street at South Loop
- Beechnut Street at Sam Houston Parkway
- Bissonnet Street at West Sam Houston Parkway
- Hardy Road at Sam Houston Parkway
- Westpark Tollway at Sam Houston Parkway
- Bammel Road at Sam Houston Parkway
- I-45 at Sam Houston Parkway
- Greens Road at I-45
- NASA Parkway and I-45
- Beltway 8 at I-45 North
- 610 East at I-10
The chances of an auto accident increase if you are in one of these intersections.
Common Causes of Auto Collisions
Driver error accounts for 90% of auto accidents in Harris County. This driver error frequently involves five kinds of impairment:
- Alcohol
- Distraction
- Drugs
- Fatigue
- Medical conditions
Drivers have a duty of reasonable care for other drivers on the road. They must drive with caution and avoid accidents as much as possible.
Unfortunately, these five driving impairments listed above can make fulfilling this duty of care nearly impossible.
Sometimes an accident can occur where a driver had no control over the accident. These include:
- Defective vehicles
- Dangerous road hazards
- Weather conditions
Steps You Should Take After a Car Accident
The aftermath of an accident may involve several parties and many may sustain injuries including yourself.
You may be wondering what to do before the authorities arrive at the scene. Protect your rights and health by following these steps after being involved in an accident.
- If you are able to, drive your vehicle to a safe location away from oncoming traffic. If you are injured or if it’s dangerous to move your car, exit the vehicle and move to a safe location away from oncoming traffic.
- Call 911
- Sign the traffic citation
- Get the police officers’ names and division
- Exchange information
- Look for witnesses
- Take photos & videos of the scene
- Request a copy of the car accident report
- Go to the hospital even if you are not experiencing any symptoms.
- Hire an attorney
Why You Should Hire a Car Accident Attorney
Many people think that all attorneys are expensive and complicated. Many also believe that they can handle the case on their own. While this may be true, handling a case on your own puts you at risk of taken advantage of by insurance companies.
Even if you had a minor accident, hiring an attorney gives the best outcome so that you don’t have to pay out of pocket.
BEWARE of insurance companies. They are not there to help you. They only want to close the case as soon as possible and offer a very low amount of settlement in return.
This is where an experienced lawyer comes in so that they can negotiate with the insurance companies and get you the compensation you deserve.
You can focus on recovery and not be stressed out about all the bills you will need to pay. Our attorneys will fight for your rights and make sure that you are able to pay for all your damages as well as future expenses.
How We Deal With a Car Accident Lawsuit
We provide a FREE consultation. Our team wants to hear your unique story and find out how we can proceed with your case. No out of pocket expenses and we only get paid if we win your case.
Don’t wait any longer! Get a free case evaluation and learn more about your options.
We will try our best to answer all the questions you may have. We want to provide the best legal advice for you and your family.
Once you sign up with us, our legal team will begin to collect all the necessary information for your case.
We will speak with insurance companies, law enforcement, and any other parties responsible to get all the information ready for the documentation.
We will keep you in the loop and speak with you about our investigation and review the best options for your recovery.
Each personal injury case is unique so we want to help you get the best possible outcome.
After a thorough investigation, you will get all the facts so that we can give you the best representation.
We aren’t afraid to go to trial if we need to. Our attorneys have fought major corporations and huge insurance companies and have won.
As a matter of fact, Joe has worked alongside insurance companies for over 10 years giving him the insight he needs to advocate for his clients.
Who is Liable?
Our firm will help process the aftermath of the accident. Many car accidents can be handled out of court with an attorney negotiating with insurance companies. However, there are some cases that may need a team of qualified legal professionals to handle a case if liability cannot be determined.
In a commercial vehicle collision, the victim will be taken advantage of by insurance companies and other legal representatives. Our firm is experienced in working with crash victims in extreme circumstances.
We will help you navigate through this difficult process and recover the compensation you deserve.
First Party Liability
Drivers that did not follow a duty of care on the road may be held liable for your damages.
Intoxicated drivers are negligent and will usually cause a car accident. To hold a drunk driver liable for your injuries you will need to prove that they were negligent by a preponderance of the evidence. Circumstantial evidence of impairment includes:
- Unsteady balance
- Erratic driving
- Bloodshot eyes
Third-Party Liability
Texas is one of the countries with the lowest auto insurance requirements. As a result of this, drivers can be dangerously underinsured.
Texas has a dram shop law that holds bars, grocery stores, restaurants, and other commercial alcohol providers liable for damages if these providers:
- Sold alcohol to people under 21 years of age.
- If they sold alcohol to a person who was clearly intoxicated.
Social hosts may also be held liable for damages. Moreover, Uber drivers, taxi drivers, or other commercial operators can be held liable if they were negligent in any way. Employers are also held liable for their employee’s negligent acts. Employees also apply to unpaid volunteers, independent contractors, and owner-operators.
Owners of a vehicle are also held liable if they allowed an incompetent driver to use their vehicles.
Evidence of incompetency include:
- A driver with a learners permit driving unsupervised
- No valid drivers license
- A poor driving record
Furthermore, commercial negligent cases such as U-Haul wrecks work differently because of the Graves Amendment.
What if You Are Liable?
Even if you are partially at fault for the accident do not assume that you do not deserve compensation, you can still partially obtain compensation.
Modified comparative fault follows the 51% rule. If you were 49% at fault for the accident, you can still recover damages.
Damages You Can Collect
Damages you can collect in a car wreck case include:
- Noneconomic losses (pain & suffering)
- Economic losses
- Medical bills
In extreme cases, you may be able to collect compensation for punitive damages.
How Much Settlement Will You Get?
The amount you collect depends on many factors, these include:
- How serious your injury was
- The total cost of your medical bills
- Whether you need future medical care
- Missed work and loss of income
- Whether you can go back to work in the near future
- If you have long-lasting impairments, disfigurement, or disabilities
- The pain and suffering you experienced
Speak To An Attorney Today!
If you or a loved one were involved in an accident, our attorneys are here to help and recover what you deserve. You deserve justice and will not rest until you are fairly compensated.
We are available 24/7. Call us now at (281) 990-5200 or fill out our free consultation form. We are also available via live chat for any questions you have regarding your case.