Officials say a spike in fatal car accidents in San Antonio over the last three years is due to driver negligence as well as population growth.
The numbers published by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) are striking:
- 159 fatal motor vehicle accidents and 164 deaths in Bexar County in 2017.
- 174 fatal motor vehicle accidents and 180 deaths in Bexar County in 2018.
That’s a 9.4% increase in fatal accidents in a single year, and a 9.75% increase in car accident deaths.
Within the city limits of San Antonio, there was actually a slight decrease from 2017 (140 fatal accidents and 143 deaths) to 2018 (135 fatal accidents and 139 deaths). It’s a 3.5% decrease in fatal car accidents and a 2.8% decrease in deaths.
San Antonio Police Sgt. Brian Sullivan told News 4 SA at the end of September that, “We’re up (in fatal car accidents) right now compared to where we were this time last year. And every year they seem to tick higher and higher.”
Sullivan also said distracted driving is a factor in the increase. “All the electronics that are on your car can distract you,” he said.
Fatal Car Accidents in San Antonio Stats
As of November 1, the TxDOT crash database showed:
- 43,668 car crashes in San Antonio in 2019, of which 117 included at least one fatality.
- Through the same period in 2018, there were 43,158 crashes, including 115 fatal accidents.
- 20,883 distracted driving crashes in 2019 – almost 48% of the total crashes
- 30 fatal car accidents blamed on distracted driving in 2019
In wider Bexar County, the numbers are higher:
- 51,368 car accidents, of which 145 included at least one fatality.
- Through the same period in 2018, there were 50,215 crashes, including 152 fatal accidents.
- 24,670 distracted driving crashes in 2019 – 48% of the total
- 39 fatal car accidents blamed on distracted driving in 2019.
What Are the Leading Causes of Fatal Car Accidents in Texas?
The TxDOT defines distracted driving as any activity that takes your attention away from the task of driving. Distractions can include anything from texting and talking on a cell phone to eating and drinking, putting on makeup, shaving, reading, programming a navigation system, watching a video and even adjusting the radio. TxDOT says distracted driving of any kind is dangerous and that distracted driving continues to be a problem in Texas.
What do the numbers show? In TxDOT’s report of Crash Contributing Factors 2018 statewide, the leading causes of fatal car accidents include:
Total Distracted Driving Accidents: 382 fatal crashes (101,644 total crashes)
- Driver Inattention: 260 fatal crashes (84,835 total crashes)
- Distraction in Vehicle: 61 fatal crashes (12,484 total crashes)
- Cell / Mobile Device Use (Talking, Texting): 61 fatal crashes (4,325 total crashes)
Total Speed-Related Accidents: 1,322 fatal crashes (166,258 total crashes)
- Failed to Control Speed: 494 fatal crashes (138,269 total crashes)
- Unsafe Speed: 440 fatal crashes (25,714 total crashes)
- Speeding (over limit): 388 fatal crashes (2,275 total crashes)
Total Alcohol-Related Accidents: 707 fatal crashes (23,185 total crashes)
- Under Influence of Alcohol: 513 fatal crashes (14,345 total crashes)
- Had Been Drinking: 189 fatal crashes (8,840 total crashes)
- Failed to Drive in Single Lane: 575 fatal crashes (37,719 total crashes).
Other Causes of Accidents:
- Under Influence – Drug: 214 fatal crashes (3,058 total crashes)
- Wrong Side of the Road (not passing): 184 fatalities (2,067 total crashes)
- Fatigued or Asleep: 172 fatal crashes (9,496 total crashes)
- Ran Stop Sign: 109 fatal crashes (27,020 total crashes).
The TxDOT notes that multiple factors may contribute to a crash.
How Can a Car Accident Attorney Help Me in San Antonio, TX?
If you have lost a loved one in a car accident that someone else caused, you have a right to legally address the anguish and stress that the loss of a family member can cause. Your family may be facing large hospitals bills, funeral expenses and the prospect of maintaining your household without the financial support of your lost loved one.
Texas grants the immediate family of a person who is killed as a result of someone else’s negligence the legal right to file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover compensation for the losses. Texas law says a spouse, child or parent may file a wrongful death lawsuit after a fatal car accident.
If Herrman & Herrman represents you and/or your family in a fatal car accident case, our San Antonio accident attorneys will explore all options to pursue compensation for you and ensure your family’s future is financially secure. We will take all the necessary actions to get your case resolved as quickly as possible. If we cannot reach a satisfactory settlement of the case through negotiations with the insurance company, we will consult with you about whether to proceed to court to seek justice.
A wrongful death claim following a fatal car accident may demand compensation for:
- Medical expenses and funeral costs
- Loss of the deceased’s earning capacity, services and household support
- Loss of parental guidance, counsel and instruction that a parent would have provided a child
- Pain and suffering.
In any substantial personal injury or wrongful death claim, you can expect the insurance company to try to pay out the least amount possible so that the payment does not cut into company profits.
When the stakes are high, you need an experienced attorney representing you and advocating for you against the insurance company’s low-ball settlement offers. We will calculate all that you are due and push hard for compensation that helps your family pay all outstanding bills and reestablish financial security.
Contact Herrman & Herrman Car Accident Lawyers in San Antonio
If you have lost a loved one in a car accident in San Antonio or the greater Bexar County area through someone else’s negligence, contact a San Antonio lawyer at Herrman & Herrman, P.L.L.C. to discuss how we can help you move forward. We handle wrongful death cases involving car accidents and other acts of negligence in San Antonio. Herrman & Herrman, P.L.L.C. has offices in San Antonio, Brownsville, Corpus Christi and McAllen to assist clients throughout the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas.
