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Houston Personal Injury Law Blog

Rules are in place to prevent truck driver fatigue

On behalf of Law Office of Richard J. Presutti, P.C. posted in trucking accident on Friday, June 14, 2019.

Houston is relatively close to Louisiana and forms part of the Interstate 10 corridor, a thoroughfare that runs across the United States. There are therefore a lot of truckers on the roads who frequently cross state lines to conduct business. These truckers may be subject to federal rules, including rules governing how long they can stay on the road before being required to take an extended break.

For example, with respect to truckers hauling property, drivers may only be on the road for 11 hours before having to take a 10-hour break. A related rule is that truckers must take their 10-hour break after being on the clock for 14 hours. Unlike the 11-hour limit, the 14 hours continues to elapse while a driver is stopped for a restroom break or to fill up the vehicle with gas. Weekly limits also apply, after which a driver must take a 34-hour break.

Determining fault and liability in a multi-car accident

On behalf of Law Office of Richard J. Presutti, P.C. posted in car accidents on Friday, May 31, 2019.

When someone is injured in a car accident caused by another driver's negligence, the negligent driver can be held liable for the injured party's damages. But first, the court must determine who was at fault for the accident and the victim's injuries. This can be difficult in many two-car accidents, but it is especially tricky when more than two vehicles are involved.

Recently in Houston, a woman was killed in a three-car accident. According to news reports, the woman was traveling through an intersection heading east on Harwin near West Sam Houston Parkway when a northbound car collided with her vehicle. A second vehicle then collided with her car.

4 ways to avoid a road rage crash

On behalf of Law Office of Richard J. Presutti, P.C. on Monday, May 20, 2019.

When you read news stories about driving trends these days, you are more likely to hear about distracted or drunk driving than road rage. But that does not mean that road rage crashes aren’t still a big problem in Houston. Maybe you have been targeted by an out-of-control driver trying to injure you (or at least scare you) for something “wrong” you supposedly did.

You can’t predict if a road-rage driver will ever force you into a car crash, but you can take steps to reduce your risk. Here are four tips for preventing road rage:

Can I recover compensation if I was partly at fault?

On behalf of Law Office of Richard J. Presutti, P.C. posted in car accidents on Thursday, May 16, 2019.

Most of the time when this blog discusses car accidents, we talk about cases where one party caused the crash through negligence, while the other party was completely blameless. Issues of liability are relatively straightforward in these cases. For example, when a drunk driver crashes into a sober driver who is legally stopped at a stop light, and the sober driver is injured, we can see that the drunk driver caused the accident through negligence and therefore should be held liable for the sober driver's damages.

Many accidents are not so simple, and many personal injury cases are not so straightforward. In many accidents, more than one party contributes to the accident. Can injured people recover compensation if they were partly at fault for their accident? Under Texas law, the answer is sometimes yes.

Car drivers at fault in most car-motorcycle collisions

On behalf of Law Office of Richard J. Presutti, P.C. posted in motorcycle accidents on Friday, May 3, 2019.

May is National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, in which the National Safety Council and other organizations educate the public about the unique dangers faced by motorcyclists. While many of this month's activities are geared toward motorcycle riders, the organizers also hope to attract the attention of car and truck drivers. It is crucial to traffic safety that other drivers are made aware of the two-wheeled vehicles sharing the roads with them.

Researchers say that most accidents involving a car-motorcycle collision are caused by car drivers who violate a motorcyclist's right of way. According to some reports, this is the case in as many as two-thirds of car-motorcycle collisions.

Statistics show sharp rise in truck and bus accidents

On behalf of Law Office of Richard J. Presutti, P.C. posted in trucking accident on Wednesday, April 17, 2019.

Safety features in passenger cars have been getting steadily better over the years, and inventions such as airbags have saved countless lives. However, there's only so much an airbag or a seatbelt can do when a car collides with a much larger and heavier vehicle. That is why trucking accidents are so dangerous. A collision that might have led to minor injuries if it were between two cars can easily lead to catastrophic or fatal injuries if one of the vehicles involved is a tractor-trailer truck or a large bus.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 4,889 large trucks and buses were involved in accidents in 2017, the most recent year for which statistics are available. That number represented a 9% increase over the year before. The number of these crashes that was fatal rose by 8%.

Tips for driving safely in heavy traffic

On behalf of Law Office of Richard J. Presutti, P.C. posted in motorcycle accidents on Monday, April 15, 2019.

It can be safe to say that no one likes driving in heavy traffic. When there are many cars on the road at the same time, there is a greater chance for an accident or even a catastrophic pile up if one driver is not careful.

If you routinely drive in heavy traffic, below we have six key safety tips to keep in mind:

Pedestrian fatality rates were especially high in 2018

On behalf of Law Office of Richard J. Presutti, P.C. posted in bicycle and pedestrian accidents on Friday, March 29, 2019.

One look at the way U.S. cities are built and it becomes clear that they were designed for automobile traffic. It makes sense, given that cars are how most of us get around. But a city environment favorable to cars should at least be accommodating to pedestrians. Unfortunately, pedestrian travel here in Texas and across the country is not only inconvenient; it can be deadly.

The Governors Highway Safety Association recently released a report showing that in 2018, pedestrian fatalities were the highest they have been in nearly three decades. All told, some 6,227 people were killed after being struck by automobiles. Nearly half of those fatalities occurred in just five states: Texas, Florida, Georgia, Arizona and California.

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Law Office of Richard J. Presutti, P.C.

Law Office of Richard J. Presutti, P.C.
525 North Sam Houston Parkway
Suite 600
Houston, Texas 77060
Phone: 281-810-9509
Fax: 281-260-6842
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