Jump to Navigation

Sugar Land Personal Injury Law Blog

Distracted driving a growing issue on roads

Drivers in Sugar Land know that even without the burden of distraction, simple mistakes can cause severe or even deadly car accidents. But when a driver is distracted, the chances of a car accident are much higher and the choice can have life-altering consequences on those involved.

Many have lost family members to distracted driving and officials and community members are trying to do something about it. Distracted driving took the lives of two parents and paralyzed their young children after the driver of an oncoming sport utility vehicle swerved into their lane. The family was heading home to Houston from a vacation. The SUV driver, who had his wife and a 1-year-old in the car at the time of the crash, lost his wife in the accident. Police say he was trying to find a DVD while he was driving.

Mother and son die at the hands of a suspected drunk driver

Tragedy has struck a tight-knit Fort Bend County, Texas community. A mother and son recently lost their lives in an accident involving a man suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol. To make matters worse, a police officer was involved in the accident. The community has been rocked by this case of wrongful death.

The mother and her 12-year-old son were driving on Interstate 10, near Brookshire, when they needed to pull over to fix a flat tire. As the 48-year-old mother was changing the tire she and her car were struck by a truck. Soon, the woman's car erupted into flames. The horrific collision caused the deaths of both the mother and son.

Five children hospitalized after Houston school bus crash

Parents are often plagued with worries about their children's safety but have to put some level of trust into the school system as buses transport children from home to class. That's why getting word that your child has been in a car accident while on the school bus can be extremely traumatic for both parents and the child.

A recent news story covered such an incident that happened early this week. According to police, five children were hospitalized after a school bus crashed on a Houston freeway. A spokeswoman for the school district said the accident happened during the morning hours on Interstate 45.

More pedestrians killed as car accident deaths drop

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that roads in Texas and around the country are increasingly dangerous for pedestrians. The number of pedestrian fatalities in 2010 rose 4.2 percent from the year before. The number of pedestrian personal injuries from car strikes also climbed a shocking 19 percent to 70,000 while the number of auto accident deaths and injuries has declined to historic levels

There are many contributing factors to the rise in pedestrian accident fatalities and injuries. Anecdotally, more pedestrians are on local roads in an effort to avoid high gas prices and to improve the environment. Some safety advocacy groups also say that road design may be causing some of the increases in pedestrian fatalities. Many Texas cities have massive roads built to move large amounts of traffic and these roads are often not designed with pedestrian safety in mind.

Side Effects of a Traumatic Brain Injury on Texas Families

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be difficult to detect and all too often overlooked in individuals who suffer head trauma. A blow to the head during a motor vehicle accident or a bicycle-car collision can cause serious injury with long-term consequences, not only for the victim, but for his or her family as well.

A 2007 study revealed that approximately 15 percent of couples divorced within seven years of one spouse experiencing a brain injury. After the initial miracle wears off, investigators reported, couples are no longer happy with just being alive, they want more. They want their old lives and selves back, from before the traumatic brain injury occurred.

But, for some who suffer a TBI, they may never be the same. Depending on where the brain was injured and how severe the injury, the personality of someone with a head injury may be permanently changed. Sugar Land and Houston brain injury attorneys have seen the life-altering effects of TBI. Getting head injury victims and their families the treatment they need -- from physical therapy to counseling -- is part and parcel to reaching maximum recover from a brain injury.

Texas woman killed by alleged drunk driver on her birthday

Drunk drivers are responsible for countless serious Texas car accidents and pedestrian injuries every year. Despite the uncontested fact that drinking impairs a driver's ability to control his or her vehicle, drunk drivers continue to be a problem on roads and highways throughout the state.

The most recent drunk driving victim was a Montgomery County woman who had just celebrated her 45th birthday and was driving home when she saw a stranded motorist. The stranded motorist was a 23-year-old Huntsville man who said that he experienced a flat tire on I-45 just north of League Line Road. The flat tire happened in a part of the road that had no shoulder, so the man had to stop in a lane of traffic.

Car accident injures Katy child in crosswalk

Throughout time, roadways change in Katy and neighboring cities. New signs, new traffic signals and the occasional detour are just a few of the changes that can cause auto accidents when drivers are not paying attention to the road. Changes made around school grounds and play grounds can be especially dangerous as children often congregate in these areas. On Dec. 2, a Kilpatrick Elementary student was hit by a car while crossing the street in such an area.

Because of the incident, school district officials are now asking that drivers be more careful and that they be aware of the new traffic lights in the area. According to school officials, the student did not sustain life-threatening injuries in the auto accident incident. They did not say what the child's injuries were at the time.

Retired NFL players file brain injury complaint

Football fans in Texas may be interested to learn that three former professional football players have filed a complained against the National Football League. The retired players, who have played on teams all across the country, are suing for personal injury damages as well as to establish a program for monitoring brain injuries. Claims like these were filed earlier this year in federal court in Philadelphia and in state court in Los Angeles.

According to the players, the NFL knew or should have known that brain injuries from years of playing can put players at risk of developing degenerative brain diseases in the future. The players asked a federal court in Manhattan for a declaration, seeking to represent all retired NFL players in the United States.

'No will in Texas' to ban cellphone use and driving, lawmakers say

Four years ago, a Baylor University student was driving the rural roads of Texas, on her way to Waco for Thanksgiving. Sadly, she never made it. She was hit and killed suddenly by a driver who had been texting and talking on a cellphone just before the fatal car accident. While her family was awarded compensation for their loss, they will never get their loved one back.

Unfortunately, this tragic story is not unique. Many people are injured or killed each year due to distracted driving. Shedding light on these tragedies, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended earlier this week that state lawmakers ban the use of cellphones while driving. Texas lawmakers however, have expressed opposition to the idea.

Truck accident near Katy Mills kills one, injures two others

When a truck accident occurs in the Houston area, it is not always immediately clear exactly what happened. Part of the reason is that the destruction caused, particularly in the case of a tractor-trailer colliding with another vehicle, is often disastrous.

During an afternoon in late November, a two-vehicle truck accident happened near the Katy Mills Mall. Preliminary details were sketchy, except to confirm that a pickup truck collided with an 18-wheel tractor-trailer. The passenger in the pickup was killed, while the driver and the tractor-trailer driver were rushed to the hospital with serious injuries.

Subscribe to RSS Feed
Contact Form

Bold labels are required.

Contact Information
disclaimer.

The use of the Internet or this form for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent through this form.

close
Contact Information

Reed & Terry, L.L.P.
56 Sugar Creek Center Boulevard, Suite 300
Sugar Land TX 77478

Sugar Land Law Office

Reed & Terry, L.L.P
702 South Mason Road
Katy TX 77450

Katy Law Office

Reed & Terry, L.L.P
911 Front St.
Richmond TX 77469

Richmond Law Office

Phone: 281-201-0988
Toll Free: 877-543-3523
Fax: 281-491-5055