All posts by admin

When a reckless driver is responsible for your car crash  

Speeding and reckless drivers cause serious accidents every day. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), reckless driving contributes to a significant portion of the 6 million motor vehicle accidents that occur every year in the United States. Speeding plays a role in approximately 30 percent of all fatal auto accidents, while other types of reckless behaviors are a factor in about 33 percent of fatal accidents. If you or your loved one was injured in a reckless driving or speeding accident, a skilled lawyer from our firm can help you obtain fair compensation for the physical injuries, medical costs, property damage, lost wages, and emotional pain and suffering you endured as a result.

Types of reckless driving

For nearly 30 years, our firm has represented clients injured in a wide variety of speeding and reckless driving accidents. Our firm works with you to determine damages in a settlement and advocates for you in court if necessary.

Serious and fatal accidents involving reckless drivers often include the following factors:

Speeding — Traveling faster than 80 miles per hour or more than 20 mph above the posted speed limit

Racing — Using a public road or highway to race vehicles

Negligence when yielding — Failing to observe right-of-way rules and stop signs

Obstructed view — Driving a car, truck or other vehicle without the ability to properly use mirrors, windows and windshields to view the road, usually as a result of excess passengers or cargo

Lane violations — Weaving in and out of lanes unnecessarily or passing another automobile on a single-lane road

Fighting to help you recover damages

When you’re injured in an auto accident caused by a negligent driver, that individual’s insurance policy is supposed to cover your medical costs, property damage repairs or replacement, lost wages and other damages. Unfortunately, despite laws requiring motorists to carry minimum liability insurance of at least $25,000, some drivers take their chances and drive uninsured. Other drivers carry only the minimum coverage, which does not adequately cover the expenses for most serious injuries. Often, uninsured and underinsured motorists suffer no consequences, but their victims do. If you or your loved one suffered an injury in an auto accident caused by an underinsured or uninsured motorist, your own insurance policy may hold the key to obtaining full and rightful compensation. A skilled lawyer from our firm can help you file a lawsuit.

What is UM/UIM coverage?

Uninsured motorist/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage is a provision in your own auto insurance policy that covers you in case a driver with inadequate insurance causes you or any of your passengers bodily injury. In these cases, an injury attorney from our firm can help you file a claim with your own insurance company, as though it is the liable party. Your insurer essentially steps in and covers you in the way that the negligent driver’s insurer would have.

Types of UM/UIM coverage available

In Texas, an uninsured/underinsured motorist provision is not required for policyholders, nor is it included in what is considered “full” coverage. However, most injury lawyers and insurance agents agree that it is useful protection.

There are two types of UM/UIM coverage available:

Stackable — Stackable UM/UIM coverage can be added to or stacked on top of the negligent driver’s existing insurance. With this type of coverage, you’d be entitled to the total amount of insurance provided by both policies combined.

Non-stackable — A non-stackable UM/UIM policy only covers the difference between the two policies. For example, if the negligent driver’s policy insures up to $25,000, and your UM/UIM policy insures up to $100,000, you would only receive $75,000 from your insurer.

When we use public transportation or share the road with public transportation vehicles, we trust bus drivers and those responsible for bus maintenance to consider our safety. But bus drivers sometimes fail to properly operate their vehicles, and buses may malfunction due to lack of upkeep. Any resulting accidents can cause serious injury to many people. our firm advocates for pedestrians, passengers and other motorists who are injured in bus accidents resulting from a bus driver’s or a transportation company’s negligence. We help clients obtain fair compensation for all medical costs, property damage, wage loss, and emotional pain and suffering associated with their bus accident injuries.

About bus accidents

Because they carry so many travelers at once, buses have the potential to injure a number of people in a single accident. In fact, data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) showed 24,000 individuals were injured in 11,000 crashes. All types of buses were included in this statistic, including the following:

MARTA buses

Commercial coaches (Peter Pan, Megabus, Greyhound, etc.)

Airport shuttles

School buses

Tour buses

Church buses and vans with a capacity of more than 10 people

Prison buses

How does negligence play a role in bus accidents?

Bus drivers and bus companies can be found negligent and therefore liable for accidents and subsequent injuries, depending on the circumstances. For instance, bus drivers who are drunk when they cause accidents or who run red lights and hit pedestrians or other vehicles could be held liable. However, the bus company who hired the driver would be negligent if it failed to follow federal and state regulations for hiring personnel and performing maintenance on the fleet of vehicles and this failure caused a bus accident. If you believe your bus accident resulted from any of the following types of negligence, consult an injury lawyer to learn about your options for filing a claim:

Failure to check driving records and confirm bus license certifications

Lack of vehicle maintenance

Lack of proper driver training

Other bus company oversight

Overloaded buses

Failure of the driver to follow traffic signs and laws

Driver fatigue

Driver distraction

Driver criminal behavior