The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) says approximately 2.5 million rear-end collisions occur every year on U.S. roads. You’re more likely to be in a rear-end collision than any other type of auto accident. About 30 percent of all crashes involve one vehicle running into the back of another.

Rear-end collisions cause serious injuries to thousands of Texas drivers and passengers each year. Dozens of these accidents are fatal. Some of the most common reasons for these devastating impacts are as follows:

• Tailgating — When the trailing driver follows too closely there is often not enough time or space for them to react to changing events on the road, leading to impact with the vehicle in front.
• Distracted driving — About 20 percent of Texas auto accidents are caused by distracted driving. Whether it’s texting, talking on the phone, eating, fiddling with GPS systems or even putting on makeup, being distracted behind the wheel is dangerous. By the time the distracted driver looks up, it’s often too late and they end up slamming into a vehicle in front of them.
• Speeding — Drivers who speed may not be able to stop in time to avoid hitting a car in front of them, causing a violent collision. Some of these rear-end accidents  are caused by speeders and may even involve parked cars.
• Brake failure — Faulty brakes could prevent a driver from stopping the car safely. Brake failure might be attributed to lack of maintenance, improper installation, ruptured brake lines or defective parts.
• Drunk driving — Intoxicated drivers have slow reaction times and may not even be aware of other people on the road at all. One common scenario is when a drunk driver approaches an intersection where other drivers are stopped at a red light but the drunk driver hardly even slows down and plows into the back of another vehicle.
• Weather conditions — Rain and other weather-related hazards make roads more dangerous. Drivers often fail to adjust for weather conditions and don’t slow down, making them more likely to rear-end someone.

In these situations, the trailing driver triggers the collision and Texas courts often presume negligence on the part of the trailing driver. However, sometimes a rear-end collision is caused by the driver in front. For example, a driver in the leading vehicle could cause a rear-end accident by:

• Slowing down drastically or stopping suddenly and for no reason
• Cutting off another driver
• Failing to signal a lane change
• Having inoperable brake lights that don’t warn the trailing driver to slow down

At the Law Offices of J. Kent McAfee, PC we help victims of rear-end collisions pursue full and fair compensation for serious injuries. We have a decades-long track record of success and we’ll work tirelessly to obtain the compensation you need. Call our Fort Worth office at 817-332-7676 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation.