Texas Injury Lawyers Blog
While driving, there are few scenarios scarier than seeing another car driving the wrong way and coming straight for your vehicle at full speed. Although these collisions are rooted in a number of potential causes, at-fault parties must be held accountable for their carelessness when they take place. When these Texas wrong-way accidents occur, they often have devastating and fatal consequences for all who are involved.
For example, according to a recent news report, a toddler died from his injuries following a major wrong-way car accident. The toddler and his aunt were driving along the road when an oncoming sedan approached while driving in the wrong direction of the street. The sedan collided with the car the toddler and his aunt were operating and resulted in the crash. The sedan driver died from blunt force injuries. The toddler was not in a car seat when the crash took place but was wearing a seat belt, and his aunt was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Like every other state, Texas requires vehicles to drive on the right side of the road. There are only very narrow exceptions in which vehicles can be on the wrong side of the road. Passing another vehicle, traveling on a one-way road, avoiding an obstacle on the street, or traveling on a road with more than just two lanes of traffic are the only exceptions available for being on the wrong side.
Wrong-way accidents are more common than you may think and can result from many different causes. Most commonly, distracted driving in some form is often what results in these collisions. For example, drowsy or fatigued drivers could drift across the center lane, resulting in a wrong-way accident. In addition, drivers who operate their vehicles under the influence of alcohol or drugs could swipe into the opposite lane and directly into oncoming traffic. Sometimes, it’s just as simple as being distracted by a phone or something else in your car that causes the driver to take their attention off the road. Often, aggressive driving can also result in these crashes when drivers recklessly attempt to pass cars ahead of them when there isn’t enough room to do so or when road conditions make it hard to see.
When drivers cause wrong-way car accidents, they are both guilty of causing the other party’s injuries and violating established Texas law. By proving these elements, it can often be enough to bring a claim of negligence per se against the at-fault party so that you can recover damages from your injuries or other property damage from the accident.
Do You Need a Texas Personal Injury Lawyer?
If you or someone you know has been recently injured in a Texas car accident, contact the attorneys at Carabin Shaw. Our dedicated team of lawyers has worked on all kinds of personal injury cases involving car accidents and regularly help our clients obtain the compensation they deserve following a major collision. To schedule a free consultation today, contact us at 800-862-1260.