Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

If you were recently involved in a traffic collision, there was likely a prompt investigation conducted by a law enforcement agency. When police arrive at the scene of a crash, they gather important details regarding how a crash occurred and who was at fault. This information is documented in a car accident report.

Your car accident report can serve as evidence to support your case against the at-fault driver and his or her insurance provider. This can be obtained online at the Texas Department of Transportation website and costs $6 for a regular copy and $8 for a certified copy (the official document used for a legal proceeding).

When you obtain a copy of your crash report, it’s important that you know how to read it and ensure that all information is accurate. To better understand your Texas car accident report, Smith & Hassler, Attorneys At Law has offered a complete guide below.

Page 1 — The basic information

Here is what you will find on page one:

• Identification and location: Here, you will find the time, date and location of your crash. This will include the street, city/town and county where your crash occurred. It will also mention whether the crash occurred at an intersection or construction zone and what the posted speed limit was.
• Vehicle, driver and persons involved: This section includes driver and vehicle information and if anyone was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• Identifications of parties involved: This is where the names, addresses, phone numbers, vehicle information and driver’s licenses are documented. It also states whether or not seatbelts were used or airbags were deployed, as well as if anyone was ejected, injured or killed.
• Drug/alcohol information: In this section, police will document the names, addresses and phone number of parties who were under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. In addition, it will include whether or not a sobriety test was given or if specimen was taken.

Click here for a visual reference of page one.

Page 2 — The narrative of the crash

On page two, you find:

• Injuries and deaths: This section will list the names of parties who were injured or killed in a crash. This will include the names, date of birth, if they were taken to a hospital and how they were taken to a hospital.
• Criminal charges and citations: Here, you will find a list of parties who were criminally charged or issued citations by police.
• Damage to property: This section lists damage inflicted on property other than vehicles, as well as the names of the property owners.
• Commercial vehicle crash information: If a commercial vehicle was involved in your crash, the carrier name, cargo type, vehicle weight and driver information will be documented here.
• Narrative and diagram: The investigating officer will provide a written narrative on how he or she thinks the crash occurred. In addition, the officer will draw out a diagram on how the crash occurred. This will include the directions of both vehicles involved, any intersections involved and the potential events that led to the crash.

Click here for a visual reference to page two.

How can I pursue a car accident claim after obtaining my car accident report?

After obtaining your accident report and getting medical attention, it’s critical that you speak to an experienced Houston car accident attorney who can help you pursue a legal claim. Our law firm can conduct a further investigation and reveal more about how your crash occurred than what is stated on the crash report.

You do not have to wait until you have your police report before contacting Smith & Hassler for a free case evaluation. In fact, if you choose to retain Smith & Hassler before your police report is available, we will obtain a copy of the accident report so you don’t have to.

We’ll also handle the insurance companies on your behalf and fight for a fair financial settlement. Contact us online and schedule your free and confidential case evaluation.

21-year old Joseph Pena was driving home from work after finishing his shift when he was involved in a hit-and-run collision with another vehicle that has left Joseph serious injured and his mother wondering how the other driver could callously leave the scene. Joseph was giving a friend a ride home at the time of the crash, which sent Joseph’s car into a light pole. Joseph’s mother says he is now in critical condition and his heart has stopped twice since the wreck. The hit-and-run vehicle is described as a gray Toyota Scion; Harris County Sheriffs are investigating the crash.

Last night a Houston Police Department patrol officer had pulled over a suspected drunk driver and was conducting an investigation when the officer’s patrol car was smashed by a second suspected drunk driver. This is not a rare occurrence in Houston, and for some reason rather than emergency lights serving as a warning to drunk drivers, the lights seem to draw them in like moths to a flame. The crash happened on Houston’s North Loop (coincidentally Smith & Hassler’s office is on the North Loop). The officer and suspected drunk driver #1 were reported to be uninjured thankfully, and ABC Channel 13 has video of both drivers being sobriety tested.

If you’ve been hurt by a drunk driver, in Houston or anywhere else, give us a call and we’d be glad to explain what your legal options are.

A fatal crash early this morning shut down all lanes of Interstate 45 at the North 610 Loop. According to Channel 2 News, a black car was stopped in the fast lane of I-45 to change a flat tire. A white-colored Honda car stopped behind the black car to assist. One of the drivers was standing behind the white Honda when a white-colored Dodge Ram pickup slammed into the back of the Honda, killing the person who was standing between the two vehicles.

Congratulations to Smith & Hassler attorney Daragh Carter who was selected as a Super Lawyer in the Personal Injury practice area for 2017.

Daragh joined Smith & Hassler in April 2006 and has been representing injured clients ever since. He is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Daragh Carter

A man attempting to run across Interstate 45 North last night has miraculously survived being struck by an 18-wheeler. The accident happened just before midnight near Tidwell. Witnesses credit the 18-wheeler driver with attempting to swerve to avoid the crash, and after clipping the man the trucker pulled over and called 911. It is very difficult to gauge the speed of an approaching vehicle and how much time there is to cross a multi-lane roadway during daylight, let alone at night, so while taking a shortcut is tempting it can often prove fatal. The safer play is wait for help, don’t try to cross the freeway.

Pedestrian hit by big rig on I45

Two drivers are lucky to have survived a four vehicle accident the afternoon of Thursday March 23, 2017.

According to Channel 13 News, a flatbed hauling some pipe was traveling the 600 block of Blue Bell Road when it struck the rear of a large white box truck, causing the box truck to make an out-of-control turn and topple over onto two passenger cars. The box truck partially crushed a gold colored Honda and a dark-colored Cadillac behind it. Accident witness Mr. Cruz Hernandez told Channel 13 that a female existed the Honda bleeding from her head, and the Cadillac driver was up and moving after the crash.

Both were taken to the hospital to be checked out. The box truck driver wasn’t hurt in the crash, and the driver of the flatbed truck who cause the accident is going to be issued a citation for failure to control speed.

An 18-year old male driver and his 17-year old female passenger miraculously survived a crash with an 18-wheeler that ripped the roof completely off their vehicle late Monday evening. The couple’s pickup went under the trailer of an 18-wheeler that had pulled out onto the roadway at Decker near Oakland in Baytown, Texas.

Houston personal injury attorneys Smith & Hassler have been helping injured Texans get compensated for serious injuries from 18-wheeler accidents since 1989.

One person is dead after a car accident on Almeda Road and Reed Road at 11:30 p.m. last night. A black-colored Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck crashed into the rear of a silver colored sports car, possibly a Nissan 370ZX. Law enforcement told the media that the pickup was traveling at a very high rate of speed; the impact propelled the sports car forward into the front bumper of a Houston Rodeo bus that was parked and unoccupied at the time. The driver of the pickup appeared disoriented after the crash to bystanders who rendered aid, and there will be an investigation to determine if alcohol played a role. The driver of the Nissan died at the scene.

The crash victim’s vehicle

One person died and several others were injured early Sunday morning in a two vehicle accident on Honea Egypt Road in Lake Conroe. A 17-year old male was driving a Dodge pickup truck and pulling a flatbed trailer. He took a turn too wide and collided with a silver passenger car occupied by a family. A woman in the passenger car was killed and a man and two women were transported to hospital for treatment.