Fatal car accidents happen every day in Texas and cause grief and financial stress for families. When these deaths are caused by careless drivers, the pain is even worse knowing someone’s actions caused your loss. Let’s explain these facts and what your family can do if you lost a loved one in a crash.
Drunk Driving Epidemic in Lubbock
Lubbock is the 11th-largest city in Texas and one of the 100 most populated cities in the United States. As the city grows, residents and visitors face a higher risk of injury or death on the roads. In fact, Lubbock has one of the highest traffic death rates per person in the country[1].
Nearly 50% of traffic deaths involve impaired drivers, according to City Data[2]. On top of that, Lubbock’s drunk driving death rate is 69% higher than the rest of the United States.
Lubbock’s drunk driving death rate is 69% higher than the U.S. average.
No Deathless Days on Texas Roads Since 2000
According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)[3], at least one person has died in a car crash every day since November 7, 2000. Since then, nearly 91,000 families have suffered a sudden loss caused by a careless driver.
Data from the Texas Open Data Portal[4] shows the most common causes of traffic deaths are alcohol and drug use, speeding, and distracted driving. These actions can cause drivers to break traffic laws and react too slowly to avoid crashes.
Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs Affects Your Reflexes and Judgment
Drunk driving crashes can be very serious because an impaired driver has less control of their actions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)[5] says alcohol slows the brain and affects decision-making and muscle control. It also lowers judgment, reaction time, reflexes, and vision.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse[6] says illegal drugs and some prescription drugs can cause similar effects. These may include drowsiness or hallucinations. When combined with alcohol, drugs can increase risky driving and the chance of a deadly crash.
Speeding Is the Leading Cause of Car Accidents in Texas
Data from TxDOT in 2024 shows that speeding is a factor in up to 35% of all traffic deaths[7] in the state, making it a top cause of fatal crashes. Drivers may feel comfortable on familiar roads or think it is safe to go over the speed limit on wide highways like I-27, I-20, or I-40. Some may also experience “highway hypnosis” and lose track of how fast they are driving.
Driving too fast for posted limits or road conditions puts everyone at risk. While speeders may face fines, those costs are small compared to the harm caused by a deadly crash. Families may be able to file wrongful death claims against negligent drivers to seek compensation and hold them accountable.
Distracted Driving Accidents Are Often Caused by Texting and Driving
Texas has a hands-free law that stops drivers from holding or using a cell phone or other wireless device while driving. Under Texas Transportation Code § 545.4251[8], drivers can only use hands-free tools, like voice control, to send or get information. Still, many drivers break this law, which leads to distracted driving crashes.
While many people think teens are the main group that texts while driving, the Pew Research Center[9] found that adults do it at similar rates. An NHTSA report[10] shows that distracted driving caused 315,167 injuries and 3,208 deaths. These risky actions often include the following:
- Drifting into another lane
- Running red lights
- Crossing the center line to cause a head-on collision
- Sideswiping other vehicles
- Injuring or killing pedestrians, bicyclists, or motorcyclists
- Rear-ending another vehicle
- Causing a crash in a parking lot or during heavy traffic
Texas takes this problem seriously by enforcing the Hands-Free Law, but some cities also have their own rules against it. For example, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston all have local laws, even though Lubbock does not have a specific ordinance. These efforts aim to reduce needless traffic deaths caused by careless drivers.
Filing a Wrongful Death Claim After a Fatal Car Accident
If your loved one was injured in a car accident and lived long enough to file an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit, that claim can continue after their death. A Lubbock wrongful death lawyer can help the personal representative of the estate file a survival action. This allows the estate to recover compensation for medical bills, property loss, and other damages.
If your loved one died right away, surviving family members may file a wrongful death claim with help from an attorney. This can provide financial recovery for lost income, loss of support and companionship, funeral costs, and your grief and suffering. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 71.021, families may seek financial relief after a fatal crash.
To prove the claim, your lawyer must show that the negligent driver owed your loved one a duty to drive safely and failed to do so. Your attorney must also show that this failure caused the death. With this evidence, your lawyer can present your damages and seek full compensation.
After a fatal accident, families can file a wrongful death claim to recover damages like medical expenses, funeral costs, and lost income.
Contact the Fatal Car Accident Lawyers at Liggett Law Group for a Free Consultation
Fatal crashes in Texas are often caused by preventable behaviors like drunk driving, speeding, and distracted driving, leaving families with sudden and overwhelming loss. When a careless driver causes a fatal accident, Texas law allows families to take legal action and seek financial recovery.
At Liggett Law Group, we help families pursue wrongful death and survival claims after serious and fatal car accidents. We handle the legal process, build your case, and fight to hold negligent drivers accountable. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you do not pay unless we win your case. If you lost a loved one in a Texas car accident, contact us today for a free consultation.
Sources Cited:
[1] https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/2021/10/07/safest-city-america-lubbock-texas-crime-rates-crash-murder-rate/6010408001/
[2] https://www.city-data.com/accidents/acc-Lubbock-Texas.html
[3] https://www.txdot.gov/about/newsroom/stories/texas-streak-reaches-tragic-25-years-of-daily-deaths.html
[4] https://data.texas.gov/stories/s/Texas-Department-of-Transportation-Traffic-Safety-/dvwk-533c/
[5] https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/alcoholanddrugs.pdf
[6] https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/drugged-driving
[7] https://www.txdot.gov/about/newsroom/statewide/speeding-doesnt-save-time-it-costs-lives.html
[8] https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/?tab=2&code=TN&chapter=TN.545&artSec=545.4251
[9] https://www.pewinternet.org/2010/06/18/adults-and-cell-phone-distractions/
[10] https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving