Posted on April 14, 2017 in Uncategorized

Texas is not known for its safe roads. In fact, it is becoming known for its car and pedestrian accidents that lead to far too many injuries and deaths. While the state has a bad reputation, certain highways, local roads, and intersections are more dangerous than others. Certain cities even have a disproportionate number of particularly dangerous roads and intersections.

Dangerous Texas Intersections

Using data from the Texas Department of Transportation, a Texas data visualization company found the 279 most dangerous intersections in Texas, each of which witnessed at least 48 crashes between 2012 and 2015. In addition to determining the number of crashes, injuries, and deaths at the intersections, the partnership developed a danger score for each intersection. The higher the danger score, the more dangerous the intersection.

The top 10 most dangerous intersections in Texas are:

1. Bissonnet St and Sam Houston Pkwy in Houston, danger score of 1,124;

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 Posted on April 06, 2017 in Uncategorized

According to a study recently published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology, laundry detergent packets have led to a rise in chemical burns in children’s eyes. From 2012 to 2015, popular detergent pods increased the number of eye chemical burns in young children by more than 30 times. In the three-year period, more than 1,200 three- and five-year-olds suffered burns to their eyes because of puncturing the wrapper that contains the liquid detergent. The concentrated chemicals meant to remove stains can squirt into the child’s eyes or get on their hands, which they then wipe on their face and eyes. While there were 12 ocular burns to toddlers in 2012, there were 480 in 2015, demonstrating that this is a fast growing and serious problem.

Detergent Pods Incredibly Dangerous

While many cleaning products are harmful to children and anyone’s eyes, the researchers of this study stated that these detergent pods are particularly dangerous. The laundry detergents “are among the worst chemicals that the eye can be exposed to,” stated Dr. R. Sterling Haring from Johns Hopkins University. The detergents are alkaline chemicals and are what the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration labels corrosives since they cause visible and irreversible destruction to materials and tissue. While these types of chemicals in diluted forms can be great cleaners, in concentrated forms they can cause more severe burns, even worse than those caused by acids.

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 Posted on March 29, 2017 in Uncategorized

A deadly head-on collision took place around 7 p.m. on Friday, February 3rd in Fairfield, Texas. A teenager driving a Cadillac Deville on Highway 84 tried to pass another vehicle when he collided with a Chevrolet Cruze in the lane moving the opposite direction. The accident took place in a no-passing zone. Two passengers of the Chevrolet were pronounced dead at the scene and the driver of the Chevrolet is in stable condition. All three were wearing their seatbelts. There were five occupants in the Cadillac, none of whom were wearing seatbelts at the time. The driver and three passengers of the Cadillac are in serious condition, while the remaining passenger is in stable condition. The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating the crash, and as of now, charges have not been filed.

Head-on collisions often lead to serious injuries and fatalities. Individuals who are hurt or lose a loved one in this type of crash should work with an experienced attorney as soon as possible.

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 Posted on March 27, 2017 in Uncategorized

When it comes to avoiding car wrecks on our Texas roadways, there is only so much drivers can do to protect themselves and their fellow passengers from experiencing accident and injury. Prevention efforts can go a long way, which is why statewide and nationwide authorities, along with transportation advocates, harp so strongly on the need for drivers to remain alert, aware, and prepared before venturing out to travel the highways.

Road Rage Red Flags

One aspect of our daily travels that we cannot control is another driver’s behavior. This is especially the case when it comes to aggressive driving, commonly referred to as road rage. Aggressive driving is an indicator that the person behind the wheel is in an impulsive state, possibly intoxicated, under the influence of various drugs or emotionally unstable on some level. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), road rage incidents are the product of disagreements between drivers, which sometimes result in physical assault.

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 Posted on March 22, 2017 in Uncategorized

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tells us that in the year 2015 alone, an estimated 13,941 lives were saved due to seat belt usage. The usage rate throughout the country further backs this statistic up: The latest reported national seat belt use rate sits impressively at 88.5 percent. Still, the United States Department of Transportation reports that an astounding number of drivers – around 27.5 million – neglect to buckle up when they get behind the wheel.

Making Your Seat Belt Work for You

If you are among the 88.5 percent of drivers across the nation who chooses to buckle up for safety, you can give yourself a pat on the back, as you are instantly safer than those 27.5 million drivers who do not. If you are wearing your belt incorrectly, though, you may actually be placing yourself at just as much risk for injury as those who neglect to wear their seat belt entirely. How can this be possible? Your belt is engineered and designed to protect you according to certain specifications, so when you wear it the wrong way, you are preventing the design from doing its job.

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 Posted on March 20, 2017 in Uncategorized

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that nearly 1,500 people are killed each year due to hit-and-run car accidents. This number is significantly dangerous for pedestrians, who often account for a large portion of hit and run collisions. In fact, the same report shows us that 6 in 10 fatally injured victims of such accidents are pedestrians. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that a staggering amount of pedestrians – more than 150,000 – were treated in emergency rooms for non-fatal crash-related injuries over the course of a single year. This sad evidence makes it clear that cars strike pedestrians, and they strike them very often.

Pedestrian Accident Causes and Risk Factors

There are multiple causes for life-altering hit-and-run accidents. Some incidences that involve car-to-car collision are deliberate fraud schemes, leaving victims to fend for themselves while the offender attempts to pull an insurance scam, while most pedestrian hit-and-runs are due to risky or illegal driving behaviors, such as speeding or driving while intoxicated. No matter what kind of hit-and-run you are involved in, the result is always devastating.

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 Posted on March 15, 2017 in Uncategorized

In early February, an elderly driver was pulling into a parking spot when she confused the gas pedal for the brake. The woman drove forward and collided with a daycare center located in Cibolo, Texas. Six children and the driver were moved to area hospitals while a seventh child was treated at the scene and released to a parent. Many of the children’s injuries are unknown, though four were released from the hospital by the afternoon. It has been reported that one child sustained rib fractures.

Unfortunately, as drivers age, various medical conditions can increase the risk of the older driver causing an accident. Individuals hurt in these accidents may need to file personal injury claims against the older driver’s insurance or file personal injury claims in court.

The Facts about Elderly Drivers

As of 2014, the Federal Highway Administration calculated there were about 24.4 million licensed drivers at least 70 years old across the country, as reported by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The number of elderly individuals who have kept their licenses has increased in the past decade as the baby b+oomer generation ages. However, while there are more elderly drivers, there is not necessarily a significant increase in accidents involving them. Older drivers have a lower rate of police-reported crashes per capita compared to other age groups. Unfortunately, statistics from the IIHS also show that the more miles people over the age of 65 drive, the greater likelihood of a crash.

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 Posted on March 13, 2017 in Uncategorized

Car crashes can wreak havoc on your back. Back injuries can be minor, requiring pain management and rest to recover. They can also be catastrophic, causing limited or complete paralysis. If you are in an accident, do not ignore back pain, as it could be a sign of:

• Whiplash;
• Muscle sprain or strain;
• Broken vertebrae;
• A compression fracture;
• A herniated disc;
• Displaced vertebrae; or
• A partially or fully severed spinal cord.

Signs of a Back Injury

Small symptoms can be signs of a major problem. If you have any of these feelings following a crash, go to the emergency room or see your physician as soon as possible:

• Sharp pain in your back, neck, or shoulders;
• Difficulty rotating your head;
• Generalized pain in your lower back;
• Pain that moves down your buttocks or legs;
• Pain that moves through your shoulder and arm;

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 Posted on March 08, 2017 in Uncategorized

Last month, more than 20 vehicles were involved in a serious crash on I-35 near San Antonio. At least two 18-wheel semi-trucks were involved. Investigators believe the cause of the accident, which involved multiple independent collisions, was the heavy fog in the area and numerous vehicles speeding. Some individuals were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and others were treated at the scene. There were no reported fatalities.

When multi-vehicle accidents like this occur, it is safe to assume that there will be a number of insurance or personal injury claims filed. One of the main issues insurers or the courts must address involves determining liability for the collision. If more than one driver was responsible, an insurer or court will need to apportion responsibility, which can greatly affect a victim’s ability to recover compensation.

Determining Liability

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 Posted on March 06, 2017 in Uncategorized

Recently, a video was released of an in-home caretaker physically abusing her 94-year-old patient in Texas. The video shows the caretaker yelling at the patient regarding feeding the dog and repeatedly hitting her on the head before ordering her to go to bed. The video is a shocking display of abuse. But what makes matters worse is that the patient’s situation is not unique. According to the National Council on Aging, one in 10 individuals over the age of 60 suffer a form of elder abuse, including physical violence.

Elder abuse can lead to civil and criminal lawsuits in Texas. If you know of a friend or loved one who has been physically or sexually abused, do not hesitate to reach out to the New Braunfels personal injury and elder abuse attorneys of the Bettersworth Law Firm. We have years of experience helping our elderly clients receive the care they need and holding those who hurt them responsible.

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