Fatal Wreck on North Freeway During Morning Commute

Few details were available after a multi-vehicle collision on a rain-slick freeway killed one person.

Preliminary information from Houston Police indicates that one person has been pronounced deceased as a result of the crash. Emergency units responded to the accident at 5:24 a.m. in the morning. Both the left and right shoulders, along with all main lanes, are currently blocked. Heavy rain is falling in the area, although it is unclear at this time if weather played a role in the cause of the accident.

Car Crashes and Bad Weather

TV news reporters often assert that rain or another kind of adverse weather, like heavy fog, “caused” a vehicle collision. In court, bad weather is usually a contributing cause, as opposed to a substantial cause. To a Sugar Land car accident lawyer, there’s a world of difference between a substantial cause and a contributing cause.

Many causes, such as porous airport security and weak cockpit doors on airplanes, contributed to 9/11. However, al-Qaeda terrorists substantially caused it. Similarly, bad weather and other environmental factors often contribute to car crashes. Driver error, normally excessive speed, substantially causes them.

Heavy rain affects visibility and traction. As a result, during heavy rain, motorists have a legal responsibility to slow down and be more careful. In many cases, a driver could be traveling below the posted speed limit and still be “speeding” for negligence purposes. The posted speed limit is a presumptively reasonable speed under ideal conditions. Heavy rain obviously isn’t an ideal condition.

If negligence, or a lack of care, substantially causes a crash, a Missouri City personal injury lawyer can obtain compensation for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering.

Heavy rain also affects the evidence in a car crash case. It washes away physical evidence, affects the way witnesses see a crash, and hampers the efforts of first responders. More on these things below.

Excessive speed is a factor in about a third of the fatal car crashes in Texas. Velocity multiplies the risk of a wreck as well as the force in a collision.

Evidence in Vehicle Collision Claims

Compensation is available if a Missouri City personal injury lawyer proves negligence by a preponderance of the evidence, or more likely than not. The victim has the burden of production and persuasion. The evidence must be strong enough to establish the basic elements of a case (production) and convince jurors to award maximum compensation (persuasion).

Evidence in a car crash case usually includes the police accident report, witness statements, and medical bills. As mentioned, adverse environmental conditions often affect the police accident report and witness statements.

In these situations, attorneys often partner with accident reconstruction professionals. These individuals assess seemingly random bits of evidence, like the tortfeasor’s (negligent driver’s) speed at the time of the wreck, and put these bits of evidence together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Therefore, jurors only see the finished product. They don’t have to put the pieces together by themselves.

Work With a Compassionate Fort Bend County Attorney

Injury victims are entitled to significant compensation. For a confidential consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney in Missouri City, contact the Henrietta Ezeoke Law Firm. Virtual, home, and hospital visits are available.

Source:

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