Four Injured in a High-speed Drunk Driving Chase

On the evening of Sunday, September 8th, an off-duty police officer was involved in a car chase with a drunk driver. The incident ultimately ended in the injury of four individuals. The suspect driver, the officer, and two other individuals suffered injuries.

An off-the-clock police officer received reports of an intoxicated woman who was attempting to drive her vehicle. The off-duty officer would follow her in his personal vehicle and then radio in the incident to the Houston Police Department.

HPD responded to the off-duty officer’s call and initiated the pursuit. The chase led all the way to Pasadena. 

Two victims in a white sedan who were hit by the intoxicated driver. The suspect driver had to be assisted from her vehicle. A Harris County deputy was also involved in the crash. 

Across America, an average of 40,000 individuals die in car accidents each year. Additionally, approximately 2 million drivers suffer a permanent injury, 40 percent of fatal accidents are caused by alcohol, and 33 percent are a result of negligent driving.

The top 7 causes of car accidents in the United States include the following:

In 2018, there were 3,639 deaths recorded in Texas caused by motor vehicle collisions. That year, 12,161 serious injury crashes occurred. 

In the State of Texas, distracted driving and alcohol are two large contributors of car accidents. Last year alone, alcohol contributed to 26 percent of all Texas motor vehicle deaths, or 940 fatalities in total. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that Texas had the highest number of alcohol-related crash fatalities in 2015.

The city of Houston has its fair share of negligent drivers that get behind the wheel while intoxicated. In 2016, Houston had a total of 1,492 DUI crashes, ranking it second amongst all Texas cities for intoxicated driving accidents. 

The statute of limitations to file a personal injury case for a car accident in Texas is limited to two years. This means that victims who wish to be compensated for their injuries or damages to their vehicle should file within two years of the incident

However, it is always better to file sooner, as your attorney will need enough time to investigate and build your case with necessary evidence.

In terms of insurance, Texas car insurance laws require all drivers to have a minimum amount of liability coverage in the event that they are involved in a crash. That minimum liability includes $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. 

The state also upholds the “modified comparative fault” rule in which a victim that held partial fault in their accident may still recover compensation so long as they hold less than 50 percent of it. The amount that the victim is able to recover is reduced by the percentage of fault they held. 

In filing a personal injury claim, you may be able to recover compensation for but not limited to:

Know that you do not have to suffer your injuries alone. In order to establish proof of the at-fault party’s negligence, you will need the help of skilled and resourceful car accident attorneys. 

Source: ABC13

Four Injured in a High-speed Drunk Driving Chase

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