HOUSTON VEHICLE CRASH STATISTICS

In a morning recent posting, I addressed the Houston Chronicle's article on crash statistics for Houston highways. With more than 500 deaths occurring on Houston highways each year, Houstonians owe it to our fellow Houstonians to become more aware of the dangers we face on a daily basis when we traverse the roads around town. The Chronicle's in depth article listed several top crash events that resulted in a large percentage of the annual fatalities. They include the following:

1. Collisions that occur on the same roadway;

2. Collisions involving pedestrians;

3. Overturned vehicles, or rollover accidents;

4. Vehicles striking trees;

5. Vehicles striking curbs and careening out of control;

6. Vehicles hitting concrete traffic barriers;

7. Vehicles leaving the roadway and driving into culverts;

8. Vehicles hitting the guardrails;

9. Vehicles hitting parked motor vehicles;

10. Vehicles hitting utility poles; and

11. Vehicles hitting other fixed objects.

The cause of the crashes must be investigated on a case-by-case basis. But if you are involved in one of these crashes, you will need someone looking after your best interests. Contact your insurance company as soon as possible. If they cannot help you on any of your claims, look for a qualified attorney to give you advice. If another vehicle or party is involved, they may be way ahead of you if you sit on your rights.