One person is dead and another injured in Austin car crash

Texas criminal laws targeting driving while intoxicated are designed to protect Austin motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists and other users of the highways. When a car accident is caused by a drunk driver or a distracted driver, the civil law gives car crash victims the right to make a claim for compensation against the negligent driver.

State law imposes a duty upon motorists to use reasonable care while operating their vehicles. This means keeping their car or truck under control, obeying posted speed limits and keeping watch to avoid collisions with other vehicles or pedestrians. Those failing to drive as the state requires could be found to be a negligent driver if their actions cause personal injury or property damage to others. So far this year, 60 people have lost their lives in Austin from car crashes.

A recent car crash involving a 23-year-old driver, who was charged with intoxication manslaughter, illustrates the devastating effects of alcohol on a driver’s ability to operate within the reasonable care standard expected of all drivers.

Police claim the accused drunk driver ignored a red light and hit another vehicle. One person died and another was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

Passengers in the car with the accused drunk driver described him, in the moments before the accident, as a reckless driver who was speeding and refused their demands that he slow down or pull over. The driver is alleged to have consumed beer and whiskey, along with cocaine and marijuana, before getting behind the wheel of his car.

When a car crash is caused by a negligent driver, a car accident victim, or the family of someone killed in a car wreck, might be entitled to make a claim for compensation.

Damages could include pain and suffering, medical expenses and lost wages. A personal injury attorney might be the best source of information for the victim of a car accident.

Source: KXAN, “Police: Driver was under the influence in deadly crash,” Eric Janzen, Dec. 3, 2014