Category: Vehicle Accidents

ATV Accidents Can Cause Serious Injuries

May 6, 2020
Evans & Herlihy

ATV accidents can cause serious injuries, but they still attract riders because they can get you to remote spots and are fun to use. All those benefits disappear, however, the moment a severe ATV accident happens. Whether you were working, hunting, or having fun, if you hit another rider or object, or flip the ATV over, your world may change forever. If you or a family member is severely injured in an ATV accident, you may feel like your life has shattered. In addition to having to earn an income and run a household, a spouse, child, or close family member may have suffered head, neck, or spine injuries that could leave them disabled and require your assistance. You need help not just medically, emotionally, and financially, you need[...]

Safe Driving Tips as We Enter the “100 Deadliest Days”

June 19, 2019
Evans & Herlihy

For teenagers, summer is synonymous with freedom, fun, and hanging out with friends. Days are longer, schedules are flexible, and curfews may be relaxed. As the parent of a teenager, you can enjoy this phase of your child’s life while being smart and aware. It’s your job to set rules and educate your kids about how to drive safely. In 2016, 1,050 people were killed in a crash involving a teenager between Memorial Day and Labor Day — a 14 percent increase over the rest of the year. And this wasn’t a fluke. There’s a reason this annual period is called the 100 Deadliest Days: as school lets out, more teens hit the road, and more collisions occur. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a motor vehicle accident, call the Austin [...]

Can Lawmakers Make Texas Roads Less Deadly?

June 3, 2019
Evans & Herlihy

While traffic fatalities in Texas decreased slightly from 2016 to 2017 — from 3,794 to 3,721, a decline of 1.92% — the state still holds the disgraceful distinction of leading the nation in motor vehicle deaths. In 2017: One reportable accident happened every 59 seconds. One person was injured every 2 minutes, 4 seconds. One person was killed every 2 hours, 21 minutes. Clearly, we have a long way to go in making the roads safer. If you’ve been hurt in a car wreck or you’ve lost a loved one in a collision, call the Texas car accident and wrongful death lawyers at the Evans & Herlihy Law Firm. Can the Government Help Eliminate Traffic Deaths? Lawmakers and state agencies are well aware of our dismal record when it comes [...]

2019 Prom Safety in Austin

May 1, 2019
Evans & Herlihy

The season is fast approaching. For many high school students, prom is the highlight of the school year — the gorgeous gowns and sleek tuxedos, elegant dinner, the ritual of the corsage and boutonniere, and, of course, the dance itself. As a parent, you may send off your son or daughter and marvel at just how grown-up they’ve become. But it’s important to remember that behind the makeup and fancy clothes, your child is still ... well, a child. Teenagers may look like they’re on the verge of adulthood, but their decision-making skills haven’t fully matured and they lack critical experience behind the wheel. It’s your responsibility to talk to your kid about staying safe on the road and to make it easy for them to get out o[...]

Why Texas is Considering Waiving Driving Tests for Teens

Teenage drivers are still learning the rules of the road

April 12, 2019
Evans & Herlihy

Texas roads are hazardous places. That’s especially true for teenagers, who may lack the critical-thinking ability and experience necessary to avoid dangerous situations and make those on-the-fly judgments so essential for safe driving. But, as reported by Houston Public Media, Texas State Representative James White — Republican representing District 19 — wants to make it easier for young people in the state to get a driver’s license. He has filed a bill to revoke the current requirement, which states individuals under the age of 18 must pass a test administered by the Texas Department of Public Safety in order to receive a license. White’s bill would allow a parent to administer the test to their child — as was the case[...]

Pay Attention, Texas: Observing Distracted Driving Awareness Month

April 2, 2019
Evans & Herlihy

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month As the Evans & Herlihy Law Firm and the National Safety Council observe Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, help us by doing your part to keep Texas roads safe. Distracted driving is nothing new. People have been eating, touching up makeup, and fiddling with the radio dial while behind the wheel since long before cell phones became part of the equation. But as much as advancements in technology have improved our lives and ability to communicate, they haven’t done many favors for our driving. In addition to all of the old-school distractions, we now have dashboard touch-screens, GPS devices, and those ever-present smartphones to tempt our eyes away from the road. Don’t endanger[...]

Grim News for Texas Pedestrians

March 20, 2019
Evans & Herlihy

Things are bad on Texas roads. In fact, we’re nearing the top of the list of states with the most pedestrian deaths. Our state’s increase in pedestrian fatalities is part of a bigger trend. In other words, the pedestrian safety problem is bad everywhere, but it’s particularly scary in Texas. Just how bad is it? During the first six months of 2018, the number of pedestrian deaths in the Lone Star State increased by 32 percent from the year before, bringing the total number of pedestrian fatalities during the front end of 2018 to 298. Only Georgia saw an increase that big from 2017 to 2018. This is a National Trend, Too An increase in pedestrian deaths isn’t unique to Texas. Nationally, there’s been a 35 percent increase in pe[...]

Should Texas Consider a Hands-Free Smart Phone Law?

February 11, 2019
Evans & Herlihy

Texas law prohibits texting while driving, but some safety advocates say that’s not enough to make the state’s roads safer. They’re pushing for a state law that would ban a driver's talking on a smartphone using his or her hands while driving. Distracted drivers kill and injure people every day. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that across the U.S. in 2016, 3,450 people were killed by distracted drivers; and 391,000 were injured in vehicle accidents involving distracted drivers in 2015. An estimated 481,000 drivers are using cell phones while driving during daylight hours. 100,687 accidents, or 19% of all reported vehicle accidents in Texas in 2017, involved distracted driving, according to the Te[...]

4 Ways to Stay Safe in Austin on New Year’s Eve

December 29, 2018
Evans & Herlihy

As 2018 winds down and you begin looking forward to 2019, remember: The best way to get the new year off to a good start is to stay safe on New Year’s Eve. Some common sense, planning ahead, and situational awareness will help ensure a smooth and festive transition from Dec. 31 to Jan. 1. These four tips are a good place to start. Have a house party where you control the environment. Sometimes it makes sense to avoid strange places and unfamiliar situations—and if you want to celebrate but stay in a safe environment, what could fit the bill better than your own home? If you host festivities at your place, you get to stay in control of all the elements of the evening: the guest list, the atmosphere, and what (and how much) peo[...]

What Every Limousine Renter in Texas Should Know

November 12, 2018
Evans & Herlihy

The limousine that crashed in New York state in early October, killing 20 people, should not even have been on the road. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo stated days after the Oct. 6 accident that the vehicle had failed its latest safety inspection—and the driver did not even have the proper license. The limousine itself was what some have called a “Frankenstein vehicle”—basically an SUV that has been cut in half and stretched out. "When we look at limousines and stretch limos, we see a really Frankenstein system of cars that potentially are cut up and put back together with parts and pieces that were not original to them," Deborah Hersman, president, and CEO of the nonprofit National Safety Council and former chair of the Nati[...]