Last month, this blog discussed the case of Ethan Couch, a 16-year old who drove while intoxicated and killed four people in Tarrant County. Couch’s defense attorneys argued that Couch suffered from “affluenza,” or the inability to know right from wrong due to growing up in a wealthy home where…
Articles Posted in Alcohol and Auto Accidents
Texas Father Killed and Family Injured After Teenage Drivers Run a Stop Sign Near the Texas Motor Speedway
In a recent tragic case, a father is dead and the other family members were critically injured when a car plowed into their car near the Texas Motor Speedway in northern Fort Worth. The accident happened in the early evening, when a Dodge four-door sedan ran a stop sign and…
Comparative Negligence in Drunk Driving Accidents in Texas
On December 16, 2011, Sarah Patton filed suit against the Texas Department of Transportation in Jefferson County District Court on behalf of the estate of Pamela Freeman, who was killed in a car accident (Case No. B191-484). The complaint alleged that the Texas Department of Transportation acted negligently by allowing…
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Issues Updated Safety Ratings and Releases 2012 Traffic Fatality Statistics Revealing Texas as State With Highest Increase in Traffic Fatalities
Traffic Fatalities Increased in 2012 The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released its 2012 Fatality Analysis Reporting data. Unfortunately, after six consecutive years of declining fatalities on U.S. highways, the data indicates that highway crashes and deaths increased in 2012. Specifically, fatalities increased to 33,561…
New Traffic Laws in Effect in Texas
As of September 1, 2013, several new traffic and driving laws went into effect in Texas. It is important for all Texans to become acquainted with the new laws, as individuals who break these laws may face fines, or even prison time. Fortunately, although the laws became effective September 1,…
Houston Innovation Reduces Fatality Rate In Wrong Way Crashes
There always seems to be a series of fatalities across the country on New Year’s Eve, caused by someone driving on a freeway traveling in the wrong direction. During 2012, Houston had several wrong way crashes that occurred back to back on I-45 near the Woodlands. In August 2012 alone,…
MADD Issues Safe Driving Tips for Memorial Day Weekend in Texas, Nationwide
This week, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) issued a list of safe driving tips as part of the organization’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving for the upcoming holiday weekend. Although the long Memorial Day Weekend was established to honor the nation’s military heroes, it is also a time when more…