Fireball Collision in Chambers County Kills Two Teenagers

Authorities believe that excessive speed was the primary factor in a collision that killed two high school students and seriously injured two other people.

According to investigators, the vehicle was traveling at over 100mph on Farm Road 1985 when it crashed into a large tractor that was hauling farm equipment near the East Bay Bayou.

When first responders arrived at the scene, the vehicle was fully engulfed in fire. Two people, later identified as passengers, died in the crash and a third person, later identified as the driver of the car, was able to get out. The teen who survived was airlifted to a Houston hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the tractor was taken to a hospital in Beaumont with non-life-threatening injuries.

The three teens involved in the crash were well-known around the town and they were also football players. The Anahuac ISD said it will have extra counseling services available during the upcoming week for students and staff.

Passenger Injuries

Before we discuss the specific issues presented in this story, we should discuss some general issues about passenger injuries. Legally, injured passengers have the same rights as injured drivers. They certainly have the same needs. More on that below.

Nevertheless, many injured passengers don’t partner with a Sugar Land car accident attorney, assert their rights, and address those needs. Generally, and understandably, they don’t want to “blame” a person for an “accident.”

Criminal courts blame people for the crimes they commit. Civil courts don’t blame anyone for anything. Civil judges force tortfeasors (negligent drivers) to accept responsibility for their mistakes. In a perfect world, that wouldn’t be necessary, because people would immediately accept responsibility for mistakes. But we don’t live in a perfect world.

Furthermore, most car crashes aren’t “accidents.” People accidentally leave the water running. They don’t accidentally drive at 100mph and slam into large vehicles.

A final note here. The at-fault driver isn’t always legally responsible for damages, as there’s a difference between fault and liability.

Fault is like a halftime score and liability is like a final score. Insurance adjusters assign fault based solely on the evidence at the scene. Legal theories, like the commercial driver duty of care, could change that determination. So, regardless of who was “at fault,” a Missouri City personal injury lawyer should always evaluate your claim.

Speed and Vehicle Collisions

Excessive speed is a factor in about a third of the fatal vehicle collisions in Texas. Velocity increases the risk of a wreck as well as the force in a collision.

Velocity increases stopping distance. At 30mph, most vehicles move an additional six car lengths between the moment the driver sees a hazard and the moment the driver safely stops the vehicle. At 60mph, stopping distance multiplies to eighteen car lengths. Environmental conditions, vehicle weight, and other factors could increase stopping distance.

Furthermore, according to Newton’s Second Law of Motion, speed multiples the force in a collision between two objects. In other words, a low-speed fender-bender becomes a high-speed serious injury accident.

Car Crash Medical Bills

High-speed collisions in remote areas usually mean helicopter medevac. Surface ambulance trips are expensive enough. A brief helicopter ride could cost more than $40,000.

Unfortunately, that’s just the beginning of the medical bills in a car crash case. Injuries like severe burns require expensive treatment at specialty burn centers. Doctors normally perform skin grafts in these cases. That means a longer recovery time, more doctor visits, and higher medical bills.

Furthermore, burn victims and other serious injury victims need expensive prescription drugs and medical devices. Then, once they sufficiently recover, months of painful and expensive physical therapy usually await them.

These bills pile up when the victim isn’t working and can’t possibly afford to pay them. So, to ease the financial stress, attorneys content victims with doctors who normally charge nothing upfront for their services.

 Connect With a Detail-Oriented Harris County Attorney

Injury victims are entitled to significant compensation. For a free 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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