Driving is such a big part of our lives that it is easy to forget that operating a motor vehicle is more dangerous than traveling by plane or pirouguing in the swamp. There are some measures you can take to avoid getting in a car accident and to avoid suffering serious injuries if another driver collides with your car. Avoiding distractions is the key to preventing accidents; although Louisiana’s laws on cell phone use by drivers are somewhat lenient, you should avoid looking at your phone while driving. Of course, you cannot control the actions of other drivers, but maintaining a distraction-free vehicle will enable you to react in time to avoid a crash. If you cannot avoid a collision, wearing a seatbelt is the most important factor regarding whether you avoid serious injuries. Car companies are developing new safety features all the time, but none has made as big a difference as the safety harness, the seatbelt that goes across your upper body and your waist. If you do get injured in a car accident, a car accident injury lawyer can help you recover compensation to cover your medical expenses and lost income.
Notable Car Accidents in Houma
These are some car accidents that made news headlines in Houma this year:
- In September, Michael Brown’s girlfriend notified Houma police that Brown had threatened her that he was on his way to their apartment with a gun to shoot her. When police located Brown’s vehicle, they signaled for him to pull over, but instead he kept driving. He ran several red lights on Martin Luther King Boulevard before his car hit a curb and flipped over, killing him. Brown was 36 years old.
- In April, Denise Jones turned left toward the Buquet Street Bridge, crashing her Nissan Maxima into a Ford F-350. Ahmad Jackson, a passenger in the Ford, was killed in the crash, and the three other people in the Ford sustained injuries of varying severity, but Jones was not injured. Jackson was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision.
- In November, a car struck the Walmart on Martin Luther King Boulevard. The two people in the car were injured. The crash caused a water leak that flooded the hair salon and checkout area of the Walmart, but no one inside the store was injured.
- In August, Reva Hood was driving on LA 57, when her car went off the road and crashed into a tree. Makayla Gregoire, 15, who was riding in the back seat, was killed in the crash.
Contact Patrick Yancey About Car Accident Cases
If your car accident was the result of another driver’s negligence, you might be able to collect damages. Patrick H. Yancey, a personal injury lawyer, can help you rebuild your life after the physical and financial devastation of a car accident. Contact the Law Office of Patrick H. Yancey in Houma, Louisiana to see if you have grounds for a car accident lawsuit.