Chain Reaction Car Crash in Houston, TX
A chain reaction accident can turn one driver’s mistake into everyone’s problem. On November 25, 2024, a crash involving three vehicles caused two deaths and two non-fatal injuries. Two of the cars were driving northbound the wrong way on the southbound lane. A 28-year-old driver of a white Crown Victoria, who may have been intoxicated, turned right into a southbound lane and slammed into a Mercedes. The impact was enough to kill a 55-year-old man in the back seat of the Mercedes. The 64-year-old driver also died, and a 46-year-old passenger was taken to the hospital. The driver of the Crown Victoria also did not survive the crash.
While the two wrecked vehicles blocked the southbound lane, a Toyota made the same wrong turn. The third car struck the Mercedes. and slammed into the Mercedes. A total of two people were injured. Accidents such as these occur frequently in intersections with poor visibility, especially when one of the drivers may be intoxicated.
Complex Motor Vehicle Accidents and When to Call an Injury Attorney
Accidents with complex fact patterns require careful analysis to parse out the facts. Attorneys need to divvy up questions of fault and consider the extent of injuries to any party involved. Finally, a Houston accident attorney needs to consider the extent of the injuries and the impact on any survivors, including relatives and loved ones of the deceased.
Dividing liability itself poses its own challenge fit only for a qualified Houston accident lawyer. In this case, at least two of the drivers bear some responsibility for the extent of the damage. Questions of comparative negligence may leave one party in the lurch assuming they bear most of the liability. Other parties require careful examination of the extent of both the immediate and long-term injuries to make a fair recovery.
Houston Accident Injury Lawyers – Lassiter Law
The Lassiter Law Firm has recovered over $300 million over two decades for a wide range of personal injury victims. We understand car accidents, and at one point collected $200 million for a seriously injured client. Our lawyers are award-winning attorneys who have earned recognition from clients and peers alike.
We have earned recognition as National Top 100 Attorneys and have won awards from organizations as diverse as the Houston Trial Lawyers’ Association, the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, the Texas Trial Lawyers’ Association, and the American Association of
Justice. With complex accidents such as these, only the top attorneys can reliably provide thorough representation resulting in a fair reward.
Skilled Accident Injury Litigation Attorneys – A Houston Personal Injury Law Firm With Documented Success
A complicated accident such as this one involves blows coming from every direction. Since each of the three cars involved in this crash sustained distinct impacts, each of the five parties may have suffered distinct types of harm. Possible injuries from such a conflagration might lead to problems as diverse as internal organ damage, lacerations, broken bones, or whiplash.
Medical bills accumulate from the moment of the arrival of EMTs. In many cases, the initial stages are the most critical and lead to the most expensive interventions. In the case of lacerations, the patient may need blood transfusions, and first aid must be administered. Assuming whiplash or nerve damage, first responders must exercise care to avoid exacerbating any problems that might not be readily apparent.
Unfortunately, a relatively small percentage of drivers cause a disproportionate number of accident fatalities and injuries. In a case such as this, two wrong-way drivers caused two fatalities, two injuries, and untold damage to friends, family, and associates. Our attorneys have the experience and track record to notice these recurring patterns and have experience with the proper strategies to reach a favorable outcome in court for different situations
What To Do After a Chain Reaction Accident
An accident may leave drivers in a state of shock. The first consideration is the safety of all involved. This accident drives home the dangers of a crash that remains too long in the middle of the road. Note that in this crash, two individuals suffered injuries while at the scene of the crash while waiting for help to arrive.
After assuring everyone’s safety, drivers need to take other actions as soon as possible. First, contact the police and emergency personnel immediately to clean up the scene of the crash to prevent this kind of complication. Next, following a crash drivers and passengers need to understand the importance of contacting the necessary professionals. The sooner an attorney can tackle the evidence, the more time they can spend on a strategy.
The freshest evidence is the most reliable in court. Those involved need to take photographs and assess the damage while still at the scene. Furthermore, discussions with professionals such as lawyers, insurance agents, and doctors should occur as soon as
possible while still fresh in your mind. A quick assessment by all involved makes all the difference in submitting reliable evidence to both insurance companies and trial courts.
Getting Paid for Your Injuries
The fallout from some of these injuries might require a lengthy recovery period. For example, recovery from whiplash might take a few months. While broken bones eventually heal with treatment, as do lacerations, the types of injuries might disable an accident victim for longer periods or even permanently. These include internal organ damage, severe burns, and nerve damage.
In some cases, an accident such as this might lead to permanent injury resulting in loss of independence and extended inability to work. The blow from a crash might lead to nerve damage, paralysis, or even require amputation. Harm from these injuries are difficult to foresee and require experience to put forth a conjecture that a court or jury might hold reasonable.
In the case of a long-term or permanent injury, a court or insurance company needs to account for the possibility of long-term care and permanent loss of mobility or lost wages at work. The process of calculating these ramifications is somewhat fluid but is informed by similar injuries resulting from similar accidents in the past.
Our attorneys are accustomed to dealing with these kinds of serious, traumatic injuries and the resulting long-term damage. After all, consider the fallout from this chain reaction accident on Highway 6. Multiple parties required hospitalization, and two lost their lives. Car accidents are the most common serious vehicle accidents, and although one of these incidents may shatter the someone’s, a good accident lawyer can recognize the commonalities and likely has familiarity with the paths that may have worked for other clients they have handled.
Parties who sustain these kinds of injuries need compensation for lost wages, medical expenses, and pain and suffering. In addition, the possible alcohol use of the driver of the Crown Victoria could bring about punitive damages in a suit against his estate.
Even harm from short-term damage may cut deep in the meantime. Ambulance bills are a common unwelcome surprise for drivers struck by other vehicles. Simply, the processes of diagnosis and assessment require multiple doctor’s visits and the involvement of other professionals.
The injured parties in this accident inevitably need a rest period for recovery, which might impede their ability to work and engage in daily activities. In addition to temporary periods of convalescence, crashes of this type may require ongoing hospitalization and sometimes may lead to lasting pain and mobility issues.
Also, consider the role of the insurance companies in this whole debacle. Multiple companies may get involved due to the involvement of three different cars in the wreck. Any attorney handling this situation needs to have experience with complex insurance claims. Facing a case this serious, these insurance companies stand to swallow a loss. Resistance from each insurance company is inevitable, and any resulting claim will need to penetrate several layers of red tape. This case is a clear example of one where only a specialty can handle the various issues leading to recovery.
Parties who sustain these kinds of injuries need compensation for lost wages, medical expenses, and pain and suffering. In addition, the possible alcohol use of the driver of the Crown Victoria could bring about punitive damages in a suit against his estate.
However, while we discuss recovery of the parties directly involved, we often forget about those left behind. The family and dependents of both deceased parties face major life changes in the wake of this tragedy.
Imagine the shockwave that must have traveled through the networks of those who knew and loved the parties that died. Imagine the disruption, the lost companionship, the shock, and the hopelessness of losing someone close so suddenly. The families and companions of deceased victims also need consideration, and courts are generally willing to accommodate these losses when they factor in lost consortium, lost wages, and the emotional distress that inevitably follows a loved one’s involvement in a fatal crash.
The consequences of an actual death are difficult to foresee. An accident can rip away support from the family of the decedent as well as lead to emotional distress and a period of grieving. Members of the family might find themselves torn away from their responsibilities and could lose wages and alienate friends. In such cases, a good Houston accident attorney might recover compensation to help these friends and family during their period of recovery.
Chain Reaction Accident Statistics
These types of accidents are disturbingly common in the Houston area. Chain reactions happen frequently, often involving wrong-way injuries. As for Texas accidents in general, the economic loss from motor vehicle deaths has more than almost doubled since 2013.
Cases such as these involving wrong-way accidents have led to 2,033 serious injuries and fatalities since 2019 in Texas. As for accidents in general, Houston itself had over 67,600 total motor vehicle accidents in 2023. As recently as 2021, our city lost 331 lives to
roadway accidents and saw 1620 serious injuries. These types of unsafe driving maneuvers lead to 39.9% of fatalities as well as 27.7% of serious injuries, even though they only constitute 3% of citations.
Clearly, only a small percentage of unsafe drivers account for a wildly disproportionate percentage of the total damage in both Houston and all of Texas. These fact patterns occur frequently enough that an experienced attorney can identify some issues early on and formulate a strategy that will work in court assuming early access to fresh evidence.
While cars are on the road, accidents will occur. Injuries and even fatalities will inevitably happen. Unfortunately, no one can predict these calamities despite their frequency. In fact, in Houston, accidents happen 7.6 times per hour and about 184 times daily. Many, if not most Houston residents might hold the worst of these calamities unthinkable. However, simply because of their frequency, accident attorneys in Houston are prepared in case the unthinkable happens.
Contact A Houston Personal Injury Law Firm Today – Get Lassiter or Get Less
Assuming a sudden accident occurs please know that our attorneys are available to help. Our staff of award-winning attorneys have over two decades of experience representing victims in car crashes and have won over 300 million dollars for our clients. In fact, in one case we delivered 200 million dollars directly into the hands of our clients. Our attorneys stand ready to advocate for you in the event of an accident and protect your rights. We are available for free consultations through Zoom, in person, or by telephone at 1-713-843-7635. Additionally, our staff is available 24/7. We prioritize individual care and understand the importance of holistic care following the calamity of a vehicle crash.