Major Pileup Backs Up Interstate 45
In an instant, a serious accident can happen on the Texas roads. Multiple vehicles can be involved in a chain-reaction crash, causing serious damage, injuries, and slowdowns on the roadways.
All this happened in Houston on the afternoon of January 9 at northbound Interstate 45 at SH 249 Mount Houston Road. At first, there were three vehicles involved in a crash, but that number swelled to nine vehicles in the same area less than 20 minutes later.
The cause of the crash is unknown, but an SUV flipped over. An RV, a minivan, and an 18-wheeler were involved in the crash, among other vehicles. At least five people were taken to a local hospital. The severity of the injuries is unknown, although the Houston Fire Department said that one of the victims suffered a broken nose. It took two hours to clean up the chain-reaction crashes.
Chain Reaction Crashes
Chain reaction crashes are when one vehicle crashes, causing other vehicles to crash as well. These crashes often occur on freeways as rear-end accidents involving more than two cars.
They tend to happen because of the force of the first collision. The last vehicle in a line of cars will rear-end the second to last car, which pushes that driver forward into the third to last car. This then causes the third to last car to rear-end the first car.
Because there are often high speeds involved, these accidents can be catastrophic and even deadly. Sometimes dozens of vehicles are involved.
Although chain reaction crashes can be the result of one driver’s negligence, these accidents may involve instances of carelessness by more than one driver. Multiple parties may be partially at fault, which means determining liability can be difficult. That’s because there are often many issues at play, such as another car accident, bad weather, road construction, drunk driving, distracted driving, or aggressive driving.
Chain reaction accidents can be caused by the following:
- Aggressive driving, such as speeding and tailgating
- Poor weather conditions, such as rain, ice, snow, winds, and fog
- Intoxication by alcohol or drugs
- Mechanical issues, like brake problems and bad tires
- Texting and other forms of distracted driving
- Road hazards, such as potholes, fallen trees, pedestrians, and animals
A chain reaction accident can result in a variety of injuries, including:
- Whiplash
- Back and neck injuries
- Head trauma
- Facial injuries
- Broken bones
- Soft tissue damage
- Paralysis
- Amputation
- Internal bleeding
- Scarring
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer
Chain reaction crashes can be serious due to the number of vehicles involved. Stay safe when on the roads and always be ready to slow down and stop if necessary.
A Houston auto accident attorney from The West Law Office, PLLC can assist you with your case. Get the medical and legal help you need. To schedule a free consultation, call our office at 281-347-3247 or fill out the online form.
Source:
abc13.com/north-freeway-crash-multivehicle-wreck-on-i-45-accident-at-sh-249-mount-houston-road-traffic/12681163/
