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Copy of a Texas Traffic Crash Report & Annual Rate of Traffic Accidents
Our Houston car accident attorney, Charles J. Argento, knows just how important documentation of a crash is to each of our client’s cases. That is why an integral part of each case begins with obtaining an official crash report.
Texas Transportation Code §550.062 requires any law enforcement officer who in the regular course of duty investigates a motor vehicle crash resulting in property damage over $1,000, injuries, or death to submit a written report of that crash to the Texas Department of Transportation within ten days of the crash date.
If you have been hurt or lost a loved one in a vehicle collision in Texas, our Houston personal injury attorney will take the liberty of requesting your traffic crash report on your behalf to help support our cause.
If you would like to obtain a copy on your own, here is what you need to know.
How Can I Obtain a Copy of My Texas Crash Report?
All Texas traffic collisions that require a police report to be filed can be requested online with the Crash Records Information System. The cost for the report is $6 for a regular copy, and $8 for a certified copy, which will serve as an official document for a legal proceeding.
Why Do I Need a Copy of My Texas Crash Report?
When a Texas police officer whether local or state responds to the scene of a traffic collision, he or she will document each party involved in the crash, their driver’s licenses, registration, and insurance information, the names and contact information of any witnesses, the damages that occurred, and any injuries or fatalities that were sustained.
More importantly, they will offer a professional opinion on how the crash occurred, and who may be at fault for the collision.
These details are necessary to help build each of our client’s cases. Without a police report, it becomes your word against the other driver and that will not go very far in proving fault.
A police report will pinpoint the time, date, and complete details of the crash, so we can begin building a compelling personal injury case that allows our clients to face the at-fault party’s insurance company with confidence.
Yet Again, Annual Rate of Traffic Accidents Rises
Each year, cars come fully stocked with more and more safety features designed to prevent occupants from being injured or killed in traffic accidents. Despite the fact that passenger vehicles offer greater protections to passengers than ever before, the rates of roadway fatalities have risen sharply over recent years. Read on to learn about the increase in roadway deaths, and the reasons many experts believe these fatalities are occurring.
Third straight year of rising roadway deaths
Each year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) compiles data gathered from law enforcement agencies across the country on the number of local roadway fatalities, as well as their perceived cause. While, for decades, the annual rate of traffic deaths fell, the past three years have witnessed a dramatic rise in the number of fatal injuries in traffic accidents. The NHTSA recently reported that 37,461 Americans died in traffic accidents in 2016. This is a 5.6% increase in the number of deaths from 2015’s total. Since 2014, deaths occurring on or near a roadway have increased by 14.4%.
Pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists at particular risk
Certain categories of roadway occupants appear to be even more at risk than drivers of cars or trucks. non-vehicle occupants—a term used to describe pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists—have suffered a greater rise in fatality rates than motor vehicle occupants. Ten years ago, non-vehicle-occupant fatalities made up 25% of all fatalities on or near roads. As of 2016, these deaths account for 33% of all traffic fatalities. At particular risk are pedestrians. In 2016 alone, 5,987 pedestrians were killed on the road, which was a 9% rise over the total number of pedestrian fatalities in 2015. Over the past three years, pedestrian deaths have risen by 22%.
Many experts attribute the rise in non-vehicle occupant deaths to increases in distracted driving. When drivers are using their phones while driving, they are more likely to glance up at the road only briefly. These short scans don’t allow them to notice smaller objects in the roadway, such as pedestrians, resulting in a greater number of pedestrian accidents. With the help of an attorney, these injured pedestrians can use evidence of a driver’s distraction to support a personal injury lawsuit based on that driver’s negligence in causing the accident.
Have You Been Hurt in a Texas Traffic Collision? Contact Charles J. Argento Today
If you were injured in a car accident in Texas, contact our experienced personal injury attorney in Houston at Charles J. Argento today to schedule a free consultation by calling 713-225-5050 or by contacting us online to discuss your case to learn more about your legal rights and options to pursue the negligent driver’s insurance coverage for your full financial recovery.