Fellow Houstonians, have you noticed that our freeways have become even more crowded over the past few years? We all know 610 between I-10 and the Southwest Freeway has been bumper-to-bumper for seemingly 24/7 since the Reagan Administration. And the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) confirms it’s the most crowded stretch of freeway in the state. But the congestion has spread to other Houston-area freeways, according to TXDOT, which recently compiled a list of our state’s most heavily traveled roadways.
Five more Houston freeways make up the TXDOT Top 10:
#3 US 59 Southwest Freeway from Loop 610 to 288 just south of downtown
#5 I-10 from N. Eldridge to the Sam Houston Beltway
#6 I-45 from the Beltway north to Loop 610
#9 I-10 Katy Freeway from the Beltway to Loop 610
#10 I-45 North from the downtown I-10 interchange to Loop 610.
So it’s not hard to understand that if you’re in a wreck on 288 on your way to Angleton, even with modern safety advances in your car, there’s a much greater risk of being killed or severely injured than if you’re in an accident on Westheimer near Kirby. The dangers of freeways include high speeds, commercial trucks, drivers who change lanes without signaling, and road construction zones – which are bound to grow in number after the toll Hurricane Harvey took on our freeways. Toss in all our distracted drivers – even if it’s illegal to text and drive now – and it’s a wonder we aren’t all out pricing Sherman tanks!
Terry Bryant Accident & Injury lawyers provide legal help for drivers and passengers who have been injured in freeway collisions anywhere in the Houston Metro area.
Personal injury claims help injured accident victims win payment for pain, suffering, medical costs, property damage, and/or lost income after a vehicle crash on a Houston freeway due to someone else’s negligence. Certain surviving family members of a deceased freeway crash victim can win damages through successful wrongful death claims.
If you or a family member has been injured in a freeway crash, you should speak with a lawyer as soon as possible to protect your full rights to compensation. The success of your legal claim depends on the steps taken the moment after an accident occurs.
Speeding and Speed-Related Aggression the Top Cause of Houston Freeway Wrecks
Again, we see so many speeders on our freeways it has become an epidemic. It’s like everyone’s trying to carve out their own little private section of road. And it is no surprise that speeding causes further devastation in a freeway accident. Another aspect of freeway wrecks is they usually involve several vehicles, further complicating your accident case. Aggressive driving, a distracted driver, or an inattentive tailgater may also be responsible for crashes on roads like the Gulf Freeway.
Injuries after a wreck on a perilous Houston freeway can be catastrophic, and even deadly. Below are some common types of injuries associated with freeway accidents.
- Traumatic brain injury
- Broken bones
- Brain and spinal cord injury
- Internal organ damage
- Burns
- Permanent scarring
- Disfigurement
- Facial injuries.
Freeway Construction Zone Accidents and Wrecks with 18-Wheelers
There will always be construction work zones on our freeways. Many drivers don’t pay attention to those orange signs (or care about the extremely large fines for speeding through a freeway construction zone). Those are some of the most dangerous places to work – and also to drive through. Negligence by other drivers causes too many injuries and deaths in construction zone freeway accidents.
And a serious wreck on a Houston-area freeway with any 18-wheeler is especially dangerous. High speeds and the sheer weight of a big rig (up to 80,000 pounds!) can devastate any passenger vehicle. This is why truckers – and their employers – must carry higher liability limits on their insurance policy. Most times, the total value of insurance damage claims and injury lawsuits of a truck-on-auto wreck can be five times or more than auto-on-auto wrecks.
What to do after a Freeway Accident in Harris or Surrounding Counties
Depending upon the severity of your crash on 59, I-10, 45, the Beltway, or another Houston freeway, you could be facing tens of thousands of dollars in medical expenses, if not much more. You’re probably out of work and don’t know when you’ll go back. Maybe you or a family member needs multiple corrective surgeries or extended recovery at a post-surgical care facility. Medical bills can break the bank, and even bankrupt your family. And the pain you suffer can be excruciating and seem never-ending.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a freeway accident in or around Houston, or anywhere else along the Gulf Coast or beyond in Texas, the Houston vehicle accident attorneys at the accident and injury law office of Terry Bryant have decades of experience handling cases for injured freeway wreck victims. Contact our seasoned accident attorneys for a free, no-obligation, consultation.
To schedule a free consultation with the accident and injury law office of Terry Bryant, contact us today by filling out our online contact form or giving us a call at 1 (800) 444-5000 or locally in the Houston area at (713) 973-8888.
