At the beginning of this year on January 2, 2021, a 20-year veteran of the Harris County Sherriff’s Department was killed in an accident while driving his patrol motorcycle home following a funeral escort. The sergeant was involved in a crash with an SUV and was life-flighted to Hermann Hospital-Texas Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries. This grimly ironic tragedy was a capstone to 2020, a year that saw a 17% rise in motorcycle fatalities, despite a 2% reduction in overall motorcycle crashes according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
According to TxDOT, an average of one motorcyclist is killed on Texas roads every day. In 2020, there was a total of 7,481 motorcycle crashes reported to TxDOT in which 1,856 motorcyclists were seriously injured and 482 were killed. Of the 482 killed the vast majority were motorcycle drivers who were not wearing a helmet, only about 26 motorcycle passengers died in 2020, according to TxDOT.
Motorcyclists know they are at a distinct disadvantage to the other drivers in the road who are protected by the “cages” of their automobiles and trucks. Last September, Houston Police Department arrested a 26-year-old man who struck a motorcyclist with his Jeep on North Sam Houston Parkway and dragged the rider into the intersection at Ella Street. The Jeep caught fire after the crash and the driver attempted to flee but was later caught and confessed to killing the motorcyclist.
This crash is a small example of the real hazards faced by Houston motorcyclists and the real consequences of the inattention of other drivers on the road. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed by the negligence of another while riding, call the law firm of Abraham Watkins today. It is imperative that you find a law firm to manage your claim as soon as possible following an injury or death of a family member and one who knows how to navigate the legal landscape surrounding a motorcycle crash.
The law firm of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner is the longest-standing personal injury firm in Texas, and our attorneys are intimately aware of the risks faced by riders and how to best help them overcome the challenges facing anyone who was injured riding. Call us today at 713-396-3964 or 1-800-594-4884 for your free consultation.