When most of us think of car accidents, we often think of a crash on a crowded highway. Although accidents happen every day on Texas highways, they’re far from the only place where car crashes occur. With millions of accidents happening every year in the US, it’s an unfortunate reality that they occur in places we normally don’t consider.
Familiar Places Sometimes Harbor the Greatest Danger
It’s easy to believe that most car accidents happen because people are driving in an unfamiliar area, on roads they’ve never driven before or during a long road trip when the driver is drowsy. But, the truth is, most crashes happen within 25 miles of home.
The repetition of driving the same roads every day leads us to relax. Our brains go on autopilot, causing us to pay less attention to the familiar road. It’s important to remind yourself to stay vigilant until your car is safely parked at home.
Five of the Most Common Places Where Accidents Occur
Hundreds of car accidents happen every day in Texas, many of them taking place in locations you might not expect, including:
- Parking lots: With so many vehicles maneuvering around in a tight space, accidents are frequent. Most of the incidents may be of the “fender-bender” variety, but people still get hurt in these scenarios. Also, people walking through the parking lot may be struck by a vehicle backing out or pulling into a spot without looking.
- Rural roads and gravel roads: Get out of Dallas and you might find yourself on an old country road. People sometimes drive faster or pay less attention due to the lack of traffic. Head-on collisions and single-vehicle rollovers aren’t uncommon on these kinds of roads.
- Crowded highways: Whether it’s people rushing to work, traveling for a holiday or just driving too aggressively, major highways are the location of thousands of crashes. Sudden lane changes, swerving, tailgating and dozens of other potential errors are to blame.
- Intersections, stop signs and stop lights: Intersections are always hazardous. Someone could run a red light or a stop sign, try to beat a yellow light, or even stop too early and cause a rear-end situation.
- Neighborhoods: The familiarity we talked about earlier causes people to relax too soon, which leads to accidents. Also, neighborhoods may have children darting into the street, pedestrians walking along the road, and other variables that must be accounted for.
No matter where a car accident occurs, some or all of the people involved may suffer injuries, some potentially life-changing. In those cases, the injured person may be able to recover compensation from the other driver or his/her insurance company. Car accidents are the most common reason for personal injury lawsuit filing in America.
Our Dallas Injury Lawyers Represent Car Accident Victims
The Fell Law Firm is dedicated to seeking justice and compensation for people hurt in auto accidents. Our Dallas attorneys have decades of personal injury litigation experience and are always ready to help. Contact us today for a free initial consultation with one of our lawyers.
