Pearland Car Accident Attorney

Pearland, Texas Car Accident Statistics

Traffic accidents nationwide and in the Houston area are on the rise. The number of accidents is up, as is the rate at which traffic accidents take place. Neither local nor national trends bode well for people taking to the ever-busier roads. More than 35,000 people died in traffic accidents in the United States during 2015, a jump of 7.2 percent from the nearly 33,000 traffic fatalities in 2014. That increase was the largest rise in fatalities in about 50 years. Furthermore, the Department of Transportation estimated that traffic accidents injured more than 2.4 million persons in 2015. The DOT’s estimated number of police-reported crashes rose by 3.8 percent in 2015 from 2014, from six-million to 6.3 million. There is no way to know when or where traffic accidents will take place. They can strike anytime, on any road. You don’t have to drive on State Highway 35 or the Pearland Parkway to find them, or for them to find you—accidents take place everywhere. Whether you’re on a major route like Broadway Street Parkway or a side road like East Plum Street, accidents are always possible. If a traffic accident injured you in the Houston area, you need to consult with a Houston personal injury lawyer as quickly as possible to explore your options. For a free case evaluation to see if Texas law entitles you to compensation for your injuries, contact Trust Guss Injury Lawyers or send us an email through our online contact form.

How to Avoid Accidents

Drivers cannot eliminate the risk of traffic accidents, but they can reduce them. Strong incentives encourage you to reduce your risk of a traffic accident. After all, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has reported that somewhere in the United States, a person dies every 12 minutes in a traffic accident. Furthermore, a traffic accident injures someone every 10 seconds, and some kind of traffic accident takes place every five seconds. Simple self-preservation should lead to taking steps to avoid becoming one of these statistics. Driving safety experts largely make similar recommendations for how to reduce your risk of a traffic accident. EHS Today offers a list of typical advice:

• When entering traffic, use vigilance and exercise caution. Beware of other driver’s blind spots and avoid pulling into them. Look out for objects that might obstruct other drivers’ vision, including signs and other vehicles.
• At intersections without traffic signals, look both ways at least twice before you enter them.
• At traffic signals, watch for vehicles running red lights or trying to squeeze through on the last of the yellow. Make sure cross traffic actually stops for the signal before you proceed.
• When passing commercial trucks or even driving near semis or tractor-trailer rigs, pay attention to these vehicles‘ fairly extensive blind spots, especially on their right-hand sides and to their rears.
• Minimize distractions, such as the navigation system, stereo equipment, a cell phone—even hands-free—eating, taking your eyes off the road while talking to passengers, or taking both hands off the wheel for any reason.
• Keep your vehicle in good driving condition. This includes your engine, which you want to respond if you need to accelerate to escape a dangerous situation, but also your brakes, position lights, brake lights, and headlights. Keep your tires properly inflated, too.
• When you back up, remember your mirrors’ blind spots—turn and look to ensure that your way is clear of obstacles.
• Never follow too closely.
• Avoid aggressive driving, which increases risk to you and could actually spark road rage in another driver, endangering you and every other nearby driver.

You cannot prevent all accidents. But by exercising proper caution and remaining vigilant, you can reduce your risk of a traffic accident. Whether you drive on Pearland Parkway or go to Killen’s BBQ for a bite to eat, vigilance is your best defense. Despite your best efforts, automobile accidents remain a high risk, and you still could find yourself injured in a traffic accident. In such a circumstance, you may not at first think of sueing someone. However, after dealing with medical treatments, notifying your insurer, and taking care of other immediate concerns, you should give some thought to whether the law entitles you to compensation for your injuries. If you believe the other driver caused the accident and decide to pursue compensation for your injuries, personal injury accidents are not good circumstances for self-representation. Such complex cases tend to require investigative and legal experience that most people don’t have.