Seeking Compensation After a Texas Car Accident Caused by Speeding

Ever since personal motor vehicles have become common on Texas roads, speeding has been a serious issue. Driving at speeds that either exceed the posted speed limit or that are too fast to be safe under the conditions can have devastating results. Indeed, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speeding resulted in nearly 12,000 road deaths in 2023 alone and hundreds of thousands of injuries. Speeding is a causal factor in nearly 30 percent of fatal car crashes, and it accounts for more than 50 percent of deaths in deadly collisions where vehicle occupants were not wearing seatbelts.

If you were seriously injured by a speeding driver, or if you lost a loved one in a collision caused by a speeding driver, you should learn more about options for seeking compensation and holding the speeding motorist accountable. Our Texas personal injury lawyers can tell you more.

Risks of Speeding 

Why is speeding so dangerous? When a person is driving at high speeds, there are driving issues that can make a collision more likely. According to the NHTSA, those issues include the following:

• Higher likelihood driver will lose control of the vehicle;
• Protective elements of the vehicle for occupants become less effective;
• Stopping distance is greater (and may not be possible) when a driver perceives a hazard and must stop; and
• Crashes are more severe when motorists are traveling at higher speeds.

The above issues can be relevant when motorists are driving at speeds beyond the posted limit, as well as in circumstances when there are poor road conditions or inclement weather that necessitate slowing down.

High Speeds on Texas Roads Make Driving Especially Hazardous

The risks of high-speed crashes and injuries are particularly important to recognize in Texas given the high speed limits on many roads. As the Texas Department of Transportation explains of the state speed limit, the “law sets the maximum at 70 miles per hour, but allows the Texas Transportation Commission to establish a maximum speed limit of 75 miles per hour, or 80 miles per hour or 85 miles per hour if the highway is designed to accommodate that speed on the highways system.” At multiple points on Interstate 10 in Texas, the maximum speed limit is 80 miles per hour.

If you were involved in a speed-related collision and sustained injuries, Texas law requires you to file a lawsuit within two years from the date of the crash. You may be able to file an auto insurance claim first, then move onto a personal injury lawsuit if you cannot obtain compensation to cover the full value of your losses. 

Contact Our Texas Car Accident Injury Lawyer for Help with Your Claim

Car accidents can result from a wide variety of negligent behaviors behind the wheel, but speeding remains one of the leading causes of severe and fatal crashes in Texas. Although distracted driving caused by the use of technology has quickly become a primary cause of collisions, the risks of speeding remain clear in assessing Texas car crash causation. If you or someone you love sustained serious injuries in a motor vehicle collision caused by a driver who was speeding, you should find out more about your options for seeking financial compensation. An experienced Texas car accident and injury attorney at John Reed, Attorney at Law can speak with you today about an auto insurance claim or a civil lawsuit, and how we can help to prove that you are entitled to full compensation for your losses. Contact us today for help with your claim.

Sources:

nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/speeding

statutes.capitol.texas.gov/docs/cp/htm/cp.16.htm