In early October, a man died after crashing into a tree because he swerved to avoid colliding with another vehicle. The accident, which happened in Austin near an I-35 exit, shows that crashing into another car is not the only way for serious injuries to occur. In some cases, another driver can be found at fault for your injuries even if he or she was not directly involved in your collision. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you establish liability in these often complicated cases.

When Can Another Driver Be Liable For a Single-Vehicle Crash?

In many single-car accidents, the driver of the vehicle that crashed is considered responsible, and there may not be a possibility of pursuing compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. However, this is not always the case. If the actions of another driver initiated the chain of events that led you to crash, they may be liable for your injuries. Possible situations when this could be the case include:

• Another driver swerving into your lane on the interstate
• Another driver pulling out in front of you at an intersection
• Another driver approaching you head-on while driving in the wrong direction or making an unsafe passing maneuver
• Another driver coming to a sudden stop in front of you
• Another driver stalling or parking their vehicle in an unsafe location

If you are injured after trying to avoid another driver, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. You may worry that your own car or health insurance is your only option for helping to cover your expenses, but contacting an attorney early on can help you determine whether a personal injury claim may be a better option. We will also help you gather evidence of the other driver’s negligence, possibly including video footage and witness testimony of the time surrounding the accident, which is crucial in these cases in which there may be no physical evidence of another driver’s involvement.

After a recent head-on car accident in San Antonio that resulted in injuries, one of the drivers involved confessed to being distracted because she was scrolling through Instagram. Reading social media while driving is one of many examples of a distraction that can lead to a serious accident, and in Texas, it can not only result in civil liability in a personal injury lawsuit, but also criminal charges.

Texas Prohibits the Use of Social Media While Driving

Under Texas law, drivers are not permitted to read, write, or send an electronic message while their vehicle is in motion. While texting may be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of an electronic message, the law makes it clear that any readable data transmitted through a wireless device in order to communicate with another person is considered an electronic message, which includes an email or a social media post, like those found on Instagram. A driver in violation of this law can be fined at least $25 for a first offense and can be charged with a Class A misdemeanor if the offense causes someone else’s death or serious injury.

Pursuing Compensation from a Distracted Driver in Texas

If you have been seriously injured in a car crash due to another driver’s social media use or another distraction, it may not be enough to know that he or she could be facing criminal charges. In order to recover from the damages you have suffered, you should consider hiring a personal injury attorney who can help you file a lawsuit. It is important that you receive treatment for your injuries as soon as possible and that you collect any evidence you can from the scene of the accident, including photographs and witness testimony, as this can strengthen your case for compensation.

Police officers often spend a significant portion of their day on the road, and as a recent Texas car crash demonstrates, this can put them at risk of injury. A Houston officer suffered a leg injury when another driver failed to yield the right of way at an intersection and collided with the officer’s vehicle. In the case of an on-the-job car accident such as this, an officer may be entitled to both workers’ compensation benefits and compensation through a personal injury lawsuit against a third party.

The Limits of Workers’ Compensation in Texas

Police officers and any other employees who are injured while driving on the job may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits if their employer offers them, regardless of who was at fault for the accident. However, employers in Texas are not legally required to have workers’ compensation insurance, so these benefits may not always be available. Even when they are, they can only cover reasonable medical expenses and a portion of the employee’s weekly wages if he or she misses more than seven days of work due to the injury. In many cases, injury victims must look elsewhere to receive full compensation for their damages.

Personal Injury Lawsuits for Work-Related Injuries

If your work-related injuries were caused by the negligence of someone other than your employer, you can pursue compensation through a personal injury claim against the third party. In the case of an on-the-job car accident, this often means filing a lawsuit against the other driver, especially when you know or suspect that the driver was speeding, distracted, under the influence of alcohol, or otherwise responsible for the crash.

In Bexar County, a man was recently arrested for causing an accident involving six vehicles, resulting in one death and several serious injuries. At the time of the accident, the man was driving 40 miles per hour above the posted speed limit and had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.24, which is three times the legal limit. This tragic case is yet another example of how dangerous both speeding and drunk driving can be for everyone who uses Texas roadways.

The Effects of Speeding and Drunk Driving in Texas

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, 3,610 people lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes in 2019. Of that number, nearly 25 percent died in an accident involving alcohol, and nearly 20 percent died in an accident involving speeding. This is not to mention the thousands who were seriously injured.

In Texas, intoxication manslaughter, defined as causing the death of another person while operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, is a second-degree felony that can result in a sentence of imprisonment for up to 20 years, a suspended driver’s license, and up to $10,000 in fines. However, this money is paid to the state and does little to directly help victims and their families.

Though you hope it never happens, you are probably aware that it is possible to get into a car accident any time you are on the road. However, most people do not expect to be the victim of a car accident while they are in the comfort of their own homes. Unfortunately, it is all too possible, as a recent accident in Austin illustrates. In late September, a driver crashed into a home near I-35 and 183 and then fled, abandoning the vehicle and leaving property damage and one person with minor injuries.

What Causes a Driver to Collide With a Home?

As unlikely as it seems, 60 drivers crash into buildings every day in the United States, and when it happens, a number of contributing factors may be involved. Some of the most common include:

• Drunk driving: An intoxicated driver whose judgment is severely impaired may lose control and swerve off of the road into a home or other building.
• Driver error: A driver may crash into a home if he or she accidentally presses the accelerator instead of the brake, or if he or she accidentally drives forward instead of in reverse.
• Driver fatigue: A driver who falls asleep at the wheel can drive off of the road and into a home.
• Defective vehicles: A malfunctioning car can operate in a way that the driver does not expect, making it difficult to avoid crashing into a home.
• Busy roadways: Homes located near high-traffic areas like I-35 may be more susceptible to a vehicle collision.

Any of these situations could involve the negligence of the driver or another party, which means if you are injured or your property is damaged as a result, you may be entitled to compensation.