Every year, the Texas Department of Transportation collects information from the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Reports and produces a series of Texas Motor Vehicle Crash fact sheets. The most recently available statistics are from 2008, and can be found on the Texas DOT’s website. The information about traffic accident injuries and fatalities contained in the various reports is sobering.
Texas motor vehicle accident facts
· More people were killed on Texas roads in 2008 than in 2007, but the difference was fairly small – seven people. In 2008, 3,468 people were killed in traffic accidents while 3,461 were killed in 2007.
· In 2008, somebody died every day on a Texas road; there were no days without a death that year.
· A total of 84,508 people were seriously injured in 61,954 Texas motor vehicle crashes in 2008.
· A total of 242,698 people were injured (all types of injuries) in traffic crashes in 2008.
· Texas drivers are driving more than last year. In 2008 a total of 245.264 billion vehicle miles were traveled, 1.46 percent more than in 2007.
· Rural crashes (1,877) account for more than half of all traffic fatalities (54.1 percent) in Texas.
· Single-vehicle run-off-the-road crashes were responsible for a surprising 32 percent of all motor vehicle traffic accident deaths in 2008. A total of 1.116 people were killed in these type of crashes.
· 829 people were killed in crashes related to an intersection or taking place in an intersection in 2008.
· Head-on collisions took the lives of 510 people in 2008.
· The deadliest day on Texas roads was August 8, 2008 when 32 people were killed in traffic accidents.
· There were two deadliest 2008 months in Texas; August and October tied for top honors with 320 deaths each.
Average traffic crash statistics
Did you know that in Texas in 2008…
· One person was killed every two hours and 32 minutes
· One person was injured every 2 minutes and 10 seconds
· One reportable crash happened every 72 seconds
· 56 percent of those killed in a motor vehicle accident were not using the appropriate restraint (i.e. no seat belt) when they died.
Additional motor vehicle accident statistics
· Motorcycle riders: 529 motorcycle riders (drivers and passengers) were killed in 2008, and 56 percent were not wearing a helmet when the crash happened.
· Pedestrians: Five percent more pedestrians were killed in 2008 than 2007, a total of 438.
· Cyclists: 48 cyclists were killed in 2008, a 4 percent decrease from the previous year.
· Drunk drivers: 975 people were killed in alcohol-related traffic accidents in 2008. These fatalities account for 28.1 percent of all people killed on Texas roads that year. The most common time for an alcohol-related crash to occur was between 2am and 3am, with Saturday being the most common day for such an accident.
Do you need help after a serious car or truck crash? Please contact The Crim Law Firm, P.C.. Our experienced motor vehicle accident lawyers will meet with you and discuss your case for no cost or obligation.
For more information please visit www.thecrimlawfirm.com, www.personalinjurylawyerdallastx.com
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The Crim Law Firm Settles Car Accident for $350,000
J. Stephen Crim, II of The Crim Law Firm, P.C. filed suit on behalf of a man who suffered serious injuries in a violent head-on car crash that occurred at an intersection in Houston, Texas. According to court records filed by Mr. Crim, the client’s vehicle was proceeding through a green light when the defendant driver failed to yield the right of way causing an immediate collision. The record reflects that the client suffered severe injuries, extensive medical bills and lost wages as a result of this accident. The favorable settlement of this lawsuit shows the advantages of involving The Crim Law Firm as soon as possible after a car accident. As a result of the firm’s early involvement in this case, attorney J. Stephen Crim, II was able to secure and preserve actual accident scene photographs, eye witness testimony, and other important evidence. The insurance company apparently knew that if the car accident case went to trial that the victim of the accident was sure to win on the merits of a jury trial.
As typically the case, the insurance company did not wish to compensate the victim of the accident to make him whole, so Mr. Crim had to fight on the victims’ behalf. Insurance companies always try to pay as little as possible for the business bottom line. Accordingly, many claimants may not be made truly whole without adequate legal representation. Moreover, insurance companies often argue for tort reform as a means not make whole the victim of a personal injury accident such as a car crash incident. This is merely an attempt to avoid compensating the victims of serious auto accidents and preventing them from being made whole when they have a legitimate claim with the insurance company. Since insurance is mandatory in the state of Texas, the victims of an auto accident deserve to be made whole by the insurance companies when the victim suffers serious injuries to person or property. For these reasons it is important to have proper legal representation when dealing with insurance companies.
For more information please visit www.thecrimlawfirm.com or www.personalinjurylawyerdallastx.com
As typically the case, the insurance company did not wish to compensate the victim of the accident to make him whole, so Mr. Crim had to fight on the victims’ behalf. Insurance companies always try to pay as little as possible for the business bottom line. Accordingly, many claimants may not be made truly whole without adequate legal representation. Moreover, insurance companies often argue for tort reform as a means not make whole the victim of a personal injury accident such as a car crash incident. This is merely an attempt to avoid compensating the victims of serious auto accidents and preventing them from being made whole when they have a legitimate claim with the insurance company. Since insurance is mandatory in the state of Texas, the victims of an auto accident deserve to be made whole by the insurance companies when the victim suffers serious injuries to person or property. For these reasons it is important to have proper legal representation when dealing with insurance companies.
For more information please visit www.thecrimlawfirm.com or www.personalinjurylawyerdallastx.com
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
What if I am involved in a car crash with an uninsured driver?
Uninsured motorist insurance coverage pays for damages caused by a driver with no insurance. In many situations, that driver may have had insurance at one time, but let it expire. Underinsured coverage pays for damages caused by a driver with less insurance than is required to make you "whole."
It's important to protect yourself first by checking to see if you have uninsured/underinsured coverage on your policy, as your state may not require it. You can always add uninsured or underinsured coverage to your existing policy.
If you're in an accident, make sure you get contact information from the other driver, including insurance information, and give it to your own insurance company.
In the case of an uninsured driver, your insurance company may require a signed statement from the uninsured driver stating that he or she has no insurance. Then you may make a claim with your own company for all of your damages. In the case of an underinsured driver, you'll be compensated for your damages by the other driver’s insurance company up to their policy limits, and then make a claim with your own insurance company for the balance.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage may put you at odds with your own insurance company, especially if you disagree on whose fault the accident was or the extent of your injuries. The company may reduce your compensation if it decides you were at fault, even in a minor way. If you are in conflict with your insurance company, talk with The Crim Law Firm, we are experienced in uninsured or underinsured claims.
For more information, visit www.thecrimlawfirm.com
It's important to protect yourself first by checking to see if you have uninsured/underinsured coverage on your policy, as your state may not require it. You can always add uninsured or underinsured coverage to your existing policy.
If you're in an accident, make sure you get contact information from the other driver, including insurance information, and give it to your own insurance company.
In the case of an uninsured driver, your insurance company may require a signed statement from the uninsured driver stating that he or she has no insurance. Then you may make a claim with your own company for all of your damages. In the case of an underinsured driver, you'll be compensated for your damages by the other driver’s insurance company up to their policy limits, and then make a claim with your own insurance company for the balance.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage may put you at odds with your own insurance company, especially if you disagree on whose fault the accident was or the extent of your injuries. The company may reduce your compensation if it decides you were at fault, even in a minor way. If you are in conflict with your insurance company, talk with The Crim Law Firm, we are experienced in uninsured or underinsured claims.
For more information, visit www.thecrimlawfirm.com
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
New State Laws January 1st, 2010
Starting January 1st, 2010 more than two dozen State Laws went into effect. These laws will effect everyone from teenages to smokers. Some of the news laws include: Teens 16 to 18 years old who use tanning beds must start providing permission slips, new college students who want to live on campus must prove they have been vaccinated against bacterial meningits, and retailers may only sell cigarettes that extinguish themselves if left unattended. Also there will be a new state wide hand held cell phone usage in school zones and that does include texting messaging - carrying a 500-dollar fine.
Here's a look at other new laws taking effect January 1st, 2010:
Cigarettes: All cigarettes sold in Texas must be "fire safe," or the type that self-extinguish, under a law approved in 2007. Retailers had all of this year to sell their inventory that was not "fire standard compliant" but must stop selling them Friday or face a fine of up to $100 per pack, said Jerry Hagins, a spokesman with the Texas Department of Insurance.
Fire safety: Smoke detectors must be able to alert hearing-impaired Texans living in rental properties, if tenants request it of their landlord. The Americans With Disabilities Act does not require that landlords install visual smoke alarms, although it does require that Texans have access to reasonable accommodations.
Help for renters: Tenants whose utilities are wrongly disconnected by landlords will find some relief. Landlords had faced strict penalties only if the case went to court. The new law changes that, shoring up tenants' rights.
Tenants also will have the right to break a lease, without facing fines or additional charges, if certain sex crimes or domestic violence occur on the property. Current law lets domestic violence victims end a lease only if the cases are documented and if the offender is on the same lease. Now, victims may terminate a lease even if the offender is not on the same lease, and parents of children who are victims of sexual abuse may end a lease in certain circumstances.
Property values: Homeowners in neighborhoods that have been riddled with foreclosures might find some relief. A new law requires appraisal districts to consider properties that have been foreclosed on when determining a home's value. Homeowners in Texas have complained that appraisal districts have excluded foreclosed properties and those with distressed resale values when setting some home values.
Prenatal care: State health officials say that as of Friday, health-care providers must test pregnant women for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B during their first prenatal visit. They also must do a second HIV test during the third trimester or when the woman is admitted for delivery, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The goal is to protect babies by treating the woman during pregnancy or the baby after delivery.
For more information please visit www.thecrimlawfirm.com
Here's a look at other new laws taking effect January 1st, 2010:
Cigarettes: All cigarettes sold in Texas must be "fire safe," or the type that self-extinguish, under a law approved in 2007. Retailers had all of this year to sell their inventory that was not "fire standard compliant" but must stop selling them Friday or face a fine of up to $100 per pack, said Jerry Hagins, a spokesman with the Texas Department of Insurance.
Fire safety: Smoke detectors must be able to alert hearing-impaired Texans living in rental properties, if tenants request it of their landlord. The Americans With Disabilities Act does not require that landlords install visual smoke alarms, although it does require that Texans have access to reasonable accommodations.
Help for renters: Tenants whose utilities are wrongly disconnected by landlords will find some relief. Landlords had faced strict penalties only if the case went to court. The new law changes that, shoring up tenants' rights.
Tenants also will have the right to break a lease, without facing fines or additional charges, if certain sex crimes or domestic violence occur on the property. Current law lets domestic violence victims end a lease only if the cases are documented and if the offender is on the same lease. Now, victims may terminate a lease even if the offender is not on the same lease, and parents of children who are victims of sexual abuse may end a lease in certain circumstances.
Property values: Homeowners in neighborhoods that have been riddled with foreclosures might find some relief. A new law requires appraisal districts to consider properties that have been foreclosed on when determining a home's value. Homeowners in Texas have complained that appraisal districts have excluded foreclosed properties and those with distressed resale values when setting some home values.
Prenatal care: State health officials say that as of Friday, health-care providers must test pregnant women for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B during their first prenatal visit. They also must do a second HIV test during the third trimester or when the woman is admitted for delivery, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The goal is to protect babies by treating the woman during pregnancy or the baby after delivery.
For more information please visit www.thecrimlawfirm.com
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