Distracted Driving Accidents in Houston, TX
Did you get into a car accident caused by distracted driving in Houston, TX? If so, you likely have the option of filing a legal claim against the responsible party for compensation. Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers can help you secure money damages for your pain and suffering, medical expenses, other financial losses, and much more.
Our top-rated personal injury law firm gets our clients unparalleled results, including the largest accident recoveries in the history of the state. Our Houston distracted driving accident lawyers have obtained billions of dollars in compensation for our clients. If you hire us, we’ll ensure your case is a top priority from the beginning.
Call (888) 603-3636 or contact us online today for further information. We provide a completely free consultation to review your distracted driving accident case.
Table of Contents
- How Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers Can Help After a Distracted Driving Crash in Houston
- What Is Distracted Driving?
- How Common Are Distracted Driving Accidents?
- What Damages Can I Recover Following a Houston Distracted Driving Accident?
- How Valuable Is My Houston Distracted Driving Accident Claim?
- We’ll Fight for Compensation Based on All of Your Distracted Driving Accident Injuries
- What if I’m Being Blamed for My Distracted Driving Accident in Houston, Texas?
- What’s the Time Limit To File a Lawsuit After a Distracted Driving Collision in Texas?
- Schedule a Free Case Review With an Undefeated Houston Car Accident Lawyer
How Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers Can Help After a Distracted Driving Crash in Houston
Being involved in a car accident is often a stressful, overwhelming situation. You might have incurred substantial financial expenses on top of the mental, physical, and emotional consequences of your injuries – impacts that can also affect the rest of your family. If this describes your experience, you deserve to be compensated in full.
Look no further than Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers to help with your legal claim against the at-fault party. Our undefeated Houston car accident attorneys are nationally recognized for their work, and we routinely get our clients multi-million dollar settlements and jury verdicts. Simply put, we have a track record of success that no other law firm in the area can match. We’ll be able to help with your case by:
- Fully calculating the value of your claim
- Internally investigating your accident
- Identifying the liable party or parties involved in your case
- Determining your best legal course of action
- Working with leading experts as needed to strengthen your claim
- Negotiating with the opposing party
- Taking care of all the necessary paperwork, communications, and procedures
- Filing a lawsuit and taking your case all the way to trial if need be
Reach out to our law offices in Houston, Texas, today to get started. Your initial case review is free of charge – and with our contingency fee payment structure, you only pay us attorney’s fees if we successfully handle your case.
What Is Distracted Driving?
Anything that takes your attention away from the road in front of you can constitute distracted driving. While distractions have always been present, the issue has become much more prevalent due to the rise of smartphones and other similar electronic devices.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are three primary categories of distracted driving:
- Visual distractions, which take your eyes off the road
- Manual distractions, which take your hands off the steering wheel
- Cognitive distractions, which take your mind away from driving
Using a cell phone while driving can involve all three categories, which is part of why it’s so dangerous to do so.
How Common Are Distracted Driving Accidents In Houston, TX?
Statistically speaking, distracted driving is one of the leading causes of motor vehicle accidents in Texas. The state’s Department of Transportation (TxDOT) publishes an annual report on the most common contributing factors to crashes. The 2022 report states that:
- There were 12,843 accidents caused by a “distraction in vehicle” across the State of Texas in 2022
- From that total, 2,600 accidents led to injuries, 83 led to fatalities, and another 1,816 were considered “possible injury crashes”
An additional 90,353 accidents were due to “driver inattention.” While this phrase is not defined in the document, it’s reasonable to assume that many of these crashes involved distracted driving to at least some degree.
Learn more about car accident statistics in Houston regarding:
- Alcohol-related crashes
- County breakdown fatalities involving speeding
- Fatalities in roadway departures
What Damages Can I Recover Following a Houston Distracted Driving Accident?
Under Texas personal injury law, you can recover two primary types of damages, economic and non-economic. Taken together, these “compensatory damages,” aim to make up for your financial losses as well as the other, less quantifiable consequences of your accident.
Examples of damages you can recover include, but are not limited to:
- Pain and suffering
- Medical bills (future and current)
- Mental anguish
- Diminished earning capacity
- Disability
- Loss of quality of life
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Rehabilitation and therapy
- Loss of consortium
- Emotional distress
- Lost wages
Punitive damages, also called exemplary damages, may be available if your case goes to trial – but they are rarely awarded. To be eligible for punitive damages, you must demonstrate by “clear and convincing evidence” that the at-fault party acted egregiously.
How Valuable Is My Houston Distracted Driving Accident Claim?
Many factors could play a role in how much your distracted driving accident claim is worth, such as:
- The amount of financial expenses you’ve incurred
- The nature of your pain and suffering
- Whether you will make a full recovery
- The terms/conditions of any relevant insurance coverage
- The severity of your injuries
- Whether you will be able to return to work
- Whether you share any blame for the accident
- The strength of the supporting evidence in favor of your claim
The skill and experience of your attorney might also play a role in the value of your claim, as a capable lawyer can represent your interests effectively during the settlement negotiation process. They can also hire expert assistance as needed to help evaluate and prove your claim.
We’ll Fight for Compensation Based on All of Your Distracted Driving Accident Injuries
Car accidents can result in life-changing harm. Our distracted driving accident attorneys in Houston can help if you’ve sustained any of the following types of injuries:
- Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Internal bleeding
- Back injuries
- Organ damage
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Soft tissue injuries
- Nerve damage
- Road rash
- Lacerations
- Amputations
- Leg injuries
- Whiplash
- Chest injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Learn more about your legal rights and options after a car accident by calling our law firm for a free consultation. We can help regardless of the types of injuries you’ve suffered.
What if I’m Being Blamed for My Distracted Driving Accident in Houston, Texas?
You might still be able to recover compensation even if you share some of the blame for your distracted driving wreck. To assess the issue of contributory fault, Texas follows a “modified comparative negligence” standard with a 51% recovery bar.
Under state law, you may be assessed a percentage of responsibility for your accident. If this percentage is 51% or higher, you cannot get damages. Otherwise, you can still receive a monetary award, but it can be reduced proportionately. For instance, sharing 25% of the blame means your damages can be reduced by 25%.
Hiring a lawyer can make a big difference in the outcome of your case if you’re being blamed. An attorney can respond to allegations of shared fault and work to minimize the percentage assigned to you.
What’s the Time Limit To File a Lawsuit After a Distracted Driving Collision in Texas?
Under the Texas statute of limitations, you only have a limited amount of time to take legal action after a car accident. By default, you will have just two years from the date of your crash to file a lawsuit against the opposing party. If you miss this time limit, you’ll likely lose your ability to recover compensation.
However, exceptions do exist to the two-year statute of limitations. To best protect your interests, contact us as soon as possible after your accident for legal help.
Schedule a Free Case Review With an Undefeated Houston Car Wreck Lawyer
If you were involved in a distracted driving accident in Houston, Texas, you may be entitled to significant monetary damages from the at-fault party. Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers, the firm with the largest accident recoveries in state history, is here to be at your side every step of the way.
Our award-winning, record-setting Houston car wreck lawyers can put the full force of our resources and attention to work for you as soon as you’re ready. And remember: since we work on a contingency fee basis, you can hire us without paying a cent upfront.
Call us at (888) 603-3636 to schedule your free consultation.
We handle all types of car accident claims, including: