Austin Illegal Driving Maneuvers Accident Lawyer

Turning from the wrong lane, making an illegal U-Turn, going the wrong way on a one-way, and passing in a no-passing zone are a few of many illegal driving maneuvers that create a significant risk of a motor vehicle accident. When a driver breaks the rules of the road and you or someone you love is hurt as a result, an Austin illegal driving maneuvers accident attorney at The Loewy Law Firm is here for you.

Our Austin injury lawyer believes every motorist deserves to be treated with respect on the roads. This means other drivers need to exercise reasonable caution and avoid engaging in high-risk maneuvers that are likely to cause harm. We fight to hold motorists accountable when they put their own needs first and caused crashes because they couldn’t follow basic driving safety rules. We’ve helped our clients recover millions of dollars in compensation for their injuries after an accident, and our 10/10 rating from Avvo shows both our peers and our clients highly respect us.

You have a limited window to act if you want to claim compensation for your injuries after a car accident. Get a free initial consultation from our firm today by calling (512) 280-0800 or visiting our contact page.

Common Examples of Illegal Driving Maneuvers

There are many different rules that Austin drivers are expected to follow, which is important because these laws are designed to keep everyone on the roads safe. When drivers don’t follow these rules, they’re much more likely to cause an accident and can be held responsible for their negligence. Here are a few of the most common types of illegal driving maneuvers:

Failing to stop at stop signs and yield signs
Running red lights
Making illegal U-turns
Driving the wrong way down a one-way street
Passing in no-passing zones
Turning from the wrong lane
Failing to use your turn signal when making a turn or changing lanes

Common Injuries from Illegal Driving Maneuver Accidents

Drivers place themselves and others in great danger when they make illegal driving maneuvers. Many illegal driving maneuver accidents happen at high speeds and at unusual angles, making severe injuries much more likely for both the offending driver and others on the road. Some of the most common injuries from these kinds of accidents include:

Broken bones and fractures
Soft-tissue injuries, such as torn muscles, ligaments, and tendons
Damage to internal organs
Severed or crushed limbs
Neck and back injuries, including whiplash
Injuries to the head and face
Spinal cord injury, including paralysis
Traumatic brain injuries

Who is Responsible for a Crash Caused by an Illegal Driving Maneuver?

Whenever a driver violates a traffic law, this creates the presumption that they were negligent. In motor vehicle crash claims, a victim or a surviving family member of someone killed in a crash can pursue a claim for damages if they can prove that negligence was the direct cause of the accident.

This means that if you can show the safety law violation, this is sufficient to prove negligence and you simply have to show the illegal maneuver was the direct cause of the collision. When you successfully convince the insurance company or a jury of this fact, you are entitled to full and fair compensation for all damages you’ve endured.

The Loewy Law Firm knows that it can sometimes be hard to prove a driver made an illegal maneuver. The driver could claim he was following the rules of the road and did not do the illegal actions. We’ll help you to make sure it is not just your word against the word of the other motorist. We can find accident reconstruction experts who can help to prove what happened, as well as interviewing witnesses, obtaining footage from any nearby cameras, and otherwise doing what it takes to show how the crash happened.

Our Austin illegal driving maneuvers accident lawyer has helped many crash victims to hold drivers accountable after they did something they should not have on the roads. We can also help victims to determine if any other individuals or businesses, such as the employer of the careless driver, may be to blame for the resulting crash.

Evidence in Illegal Driving Maneuver Cases

The more evidence you and your Austin car accident lawyer can find to show your losses and prove the defendant was liable for your injuries, the better chance you have of recovering compensation for your injuries. Some of the evidence that’s commonly used in illegal driving maneuver cases includes:

Police crash reports – Law enforcement agencies are generally required to investigate any accident in which someone sustains a serious injury. They’ll examine the crash scene to determine what happened and who is responsible for the accident. They may even cite the other driver for a traffic violation. You can obtain a copy of a crash report and use the information in it to build your claim.
Eyewitness accounts– Your testimony and testimony from others who witnessed what happened can provide crucial context in a car accident claim. In the aftermath of the accident, be sure to get contact information from anyone who might have witnessed the crash if their testimony could prove useful later on.
Photos and video from the scene- Photos and video of the accident scene can help shed light on how it occurred and who may be to blame. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to take pictures of your vehicle and the surrounding area after a crash. If you can’t take pictures yourself, see if you can get someone else to take a few pictures for you.
Your medical records– Your medical records serve two key purposes in a car accident claim. The first is to help establish how your injuries occurred. The second is to demonstrate the value of what you’ve lost, both in terms of your medical bills and the pain from your injuries. Be sure to hold on to all your medical records after the accident if you want the best chance of recovering compensation for your injuries.
Testimony from expert witnesses– Accident reconstruction specialists, medical experts, and other specialists can all help substantiate your claims against the other driver. Our extensive experience with these sorts of cases has put us in contact with many experts we can call on to help you get fair compensation for your injuries.

It’s important to act quickly after an accident if you want maximum compensation for your injuries. Evidence can disappear or deteriorate over time, and Texas law states that you only have two years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit. If you wait too long to make a claim, you could lose your chance to recover any compensation for your injuries.

Compensation After an Illegal Driving Maneuver Accident

The physical and financial costs of an illegal driving maneuver accident can be substantial. The injuries can leave accident victims in excruciating pain, and the financial costs include both expensive medical bills and lost wages. Depending on the extent of your injuries, you could be unable to work and/or in serious pain for the rest of your life.

Thankfully, Texas law allows accident victims to recover compensation for a wide range of losses after a crash. This includes compensation for things like:

Your medical bills (hospital stays, doctor’s visits, surgeries, prescription drugs, lab work, physical therapy, X-rays and other diagnostic imaging, the cost of transportation to get treatment, etc.)
Your lost wages from any missed work due to your injuries
Your reduced ability to work and earn a living
Any of your property that was damaged in the accident
The physical pain you’ve suffered
The emotional pain you’ve been through

One question we get from many prospective clients is, “What if I’m partially at fault for an accident?” While you’ll want to talk to a lawyer to determine whether you may be partially to blame for a crash, bearing some responsibility for your injuries doesn’t necessarily bar you from recovering compensation.

To explain how this works, we need to talk a little about Texas’s negligence rules for car accident claims. Texas uses a modified comparative negligence standard for personal injury claims. This basically means you can still recover compensation for your injuries if you’re partially to blame for an accident, as long as you are not more than 50 percent responsible. If you are found to be partially responsible for an accident, your compensation would be reduced by your percentage of responsibility. (For example, if you are found to be 20 percent responsible for the accident, your compensation would be reduced by 20 percent.)

Contact an Austin Illegal Driving Maneuvers Accident Attorney

The laws established to protect motorists and passengers on the road exist for a reason. A motorist who disregards them should be held responsible for all economic and financial losses that he caused if his negligence leads to a crash. The legal team at Loewy Law Firm works hard to help crash victims negotiate settlements or prevail in litigation, so they do not suffer uncompensated losses because of illegal maneuvers. Give us a call today to schedule a consultation and learn how we can put our legal experience in car crashes to work to help you make your case.