Across the United States, traffic fatalities were on the rise in 2016, as highway driving continues to account for the vast majority of traffic accidents. Highway driving is incredibly dangerous in Texas, and a Laredo auto accident attorney can help injury victims assert their legal rights. We work diligently to hold negligent drivers accountable, not only for the benefit of our clients, but also to prevent future injuries to other motorists.
The Facts About Highway Traffic Accidents
Truckinginfo reports that there were approximately two thousand more traffic fatalities in the U.S. in 2016 than in 2015. There were also increases in fatalities in the marine and railway sectors. In response, the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board said that, "We must do more to eliminate the completely preventable accidents that claim so many lives each year."
But what are the preventable causes of highway traffic fatalities? According to Business Insider, fatal crashes in Texas between 2009 and 2013 were most often caused by failure to stay in the proper lane. Other common causes of fatal accidents across the nation included reckless driving, road rage, improper or erratic lane changing, police pursuit, failure to yield the right of way, failure to obey traffic signs and driving on the wrong side of the road. All of these traffic behaviors are entirely avoidable when drivers follow safe habits.
Drunk driving continues to be a pervasive and entirely preventable cause of traffic fatalities in Texas. Even the recent launch of Uber and Lyft in Laredo has not stemmed the tide of DWI arrests. According to LMTonline, data from the Laredo Police Department showed that drunk driving arrests actually increased in 2017, despite the new availability of ride-sharing apps in the area.
Laredo Experienced Losses
Highway deaths across the nation and state of Texas are also personal to the Laredo community. LMTonline reports on two unrelated, but fatal, accidents that occurred on the same day in October 2017. The first was a rollover accident in North Laredo which went undetected for some time. Employees of a nearby warehouse eventually discovered the vehicle in a bushy area. The driver was thrown from the vehicle and had been dead long enough for rigor mortis to set in. Meanwhile, in Central Laredo, another man was killed in a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Calton Road and Springfield Avenue. He was transported to Laredo Medical Center where doctors pronounced his death.
In another deadly Laredo accident, a total of four victims were killed when a tractor trailer crashed into the back of a pickup truck. The pickup truck then collided with another car. According to KSAT, three of the victims, including a man, his wife and his mother, died in the crash. The driver of the tractor-trailer was taken to a hospital for his injuries.
There are many different causes of traffic accidents. This means that there are many different individuals or companies who may be obligated to compensate injury victims for financial losses incurred as a result of a car accident. Consult a Laredo auto accident attorney as soon as possible after any car accident to best protect your legal rights.