Wayward Dog Involved in Fatal Car Crash
Few details were available after a man slid into a pole while trying to avoid a dog on the highway.
The crash happened in November 2024 along the 13500 block of FM-529. Authorities said the driver was headed westbound when he tried to avoid a dog that was on the roadway. The driver veered left and right, causing his vehicle to go off the road, and hit a utility pole. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
An investigation continues into the crash and authorities believe the driver’s speed also played a role in the incident.
Speed and Vehicle Collisions
Excessive speed is a factor in about a third of the fatal car crashes in Texas. Velocity increases the risk of a crash and the force in a collision.
Velocity multiplies stopping distance. Most drivers need less than a second to recognize a hazard, take their feet off the accelerators, put their feet on the brakes, and safely stop their vehicles. During that brief period of time, at 30mph, most cars continue moving forward for about six car lengths. At 60mph, stopping distance multiplies to eighteen car lengths.
Curves add another dimension. When speeding drivers negotiate curves, they usually oversteer. Then, they overcorrect as they try to regain control. This overcorrection has the opposite effect and often causes their vehicles to fly off the roads.
Speed also multiplies the force in a collision, according to Newton’s Second Law. Basically, speed transforms a non-injury fender-bender into a serious injury collision.
Low-speed collisions and high-speed collisions both cause serious injuries. The injuries are simply different. In each case, a Sugar Land car accident lawyer obtains the financial compensation these victims need and deserve.
Pets and Car Crashes
Unrestrained pets, be they on a road or in a vehicle, are also one of the leading causes of car crashes in Houston. Note that we said “unrestrained” pets. Negligent owners are legally responsible for these wrecks, at least in most cases.
Owners have a legal duty to control their animals. Texas has some of the strictest animal restraint laws in the country. Many local municipalities impose additional restrictions.
If pet owners violate safety laws, and those violations substantially cause injury, a Missouri City personal injury lawyer could obtain compensation as a matter of law. This rule (negligence per se) only applies if the tortfeasor (negligent owner) received a citation.
Although they’re generally legal, unrestrained pets inside vehicles are a leading cause of distracted driving. An unrestrained pet combines all three forms of distracted driving, which are:
- Visual (eyes off the road),
- Manual (hand off the wheel), and
- Cognitive (mind off driving).
Hand-held cell phones, which are normally legal to use in Texas, also combine all three forms of distracted driving.
The ordinary negligence doctrine usually applies in these situations. Texas law requires motorists to drive defensively and avoid accidents if possible. An unrestrained pet makes it impossible to do these things.
Compensation in a car crash or other personal injury claim usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering.
Connect with a Diligent 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:
abc13.com/post/driver-killed-crash-trying-avoid-hitting-dog-fm-529-northwest-harris-county-hcso-says/15599330/
