Passenger Killed, Others Hurt, in Houston, TX, Accident on Eastex
Houston, TX -- January 9, 2017, a woman was killed, others were injured, after an accident in which a car overturned on the Eastex Freeway.
Authorities report that the incident occurred just before 10:30 a.m. near the intersection of Eastex Freeway and Aldine Mail Route.
According to initial investigations, a Nissan Sentra was traveling in the northbound lanes of the highway. Reports say the Nissan crossed several lanes of traffic toward the center lane. It somehow lost control in the process and veered out of traffic lanes.
The Nissan collided with the median concrete barrier, causing the vehicle to overturn onto the roadway. The front-seat passenger was ejected in the process.
According to authorities, the woman who was ejected died at the scene. The driver and other passengers were taken to Memorial Hermann with unspecified injuries. No identities have been released at this time.
Investigators have yet to determine what caused the accident. They've confirmed that alcohol was not a factor. Investigations are ongoing.
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Commentary
Single-vehicle accidents like this one can often be more complex than most people realize. There are a lot of possible factors that can cause them, such as texting and driving, tire blowouts, oil slicks, poor road or weather conditions, etc. The accident needs to be investigated thoroughly before anyone can make determinations on the true cause of the accident. One thing this accident also brings up is how victims who are passengers relate to personal injury and wrongful death law.
The rights of passengers is a subject that comes up a lot because many people tend to associate accident victims as drivers. To explain how passengers relate to car accidents, the concept is relatively simple. Unless the passenger did something to directly cause the accident, they most likely have a claim for their injuries. Basically, the passenger had no control of the situation, so most of the time there is nothing they could have done to contribute to the accident. As a result, it can be reasoned that their death or injury was caused by a third party.
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This could be many things, however, and it comes back again to ensuring a thorough investigation is conducted. If the accident was caused by a driver running a red light, that driver could be liable. If it was mechanical defect, a product manufacturer or auto body shop could be held liable. Even the driver of that person's vehicle can be held liable for the accident. It all depends on what the evidence points to as the direct cause of the accident.
Whether or not a passenger has a claim in an accident is a simple matter of conducting a thorough investigation. Once a professional, independent investigator has reviewed the facts of the case and examined all possible factors, victims and their families can decide the next best step forward with all the right tools at their disposal.
--Grossman Law Offices
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