Experienced legal representation makes a difference after a distracted driving crash. I’m Stephen Goldenzweig, a Houston distracted driving accident lawyer at Goldenzweig Law Group, and I understand how overwhelming a sudden collision can feel. Our team listens, investigates quickly, and fights for full compensation on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win.
We start by shouldering every legal burden, so you can focus on healing. From gathering crucial phone records to negotiating with aggressive insurers, my colleagues and I stand ready 24/7. Call 713-903-3988 for a free case evaluation today.
What Counts as Distracted Driving in Texas?
Distracted driving is any activity that steals a driver’s eyes, hands, or mind from the road. Texas law recognizes visual, manual, and cognitive distractions. Common examples include texting, reading emails, scrolling social media, dialing a phone, adjusting GPS, eating, or reaching for dropped items.
Less obvious habits matter, too. Streaming videos, applying makeup, “rubbernecking” crash scenes, and tending to restless pets all endanger others. Even five seconds of inattention at 55 mph lets a car travel the length of a football field blind, often ending in disaster.
Why Distracted Driving Is Especially Dangerous on Houston Roads
Houston traffic moves fast and dense on I-45, the West Loop, U.S. 59, and countless busy arterials. A single glance away can cause a multi-car pileup. Nearly one in five Texas traffic deaths involves a distracted driver, and state data show 2,900+ serious injuries and 400+ fatalities in a recent year alone.
Congestion, construction zones, and frequent stop-and-go patterns magnify the risks. Holding distracted drivers accountable through civil claims not only compensates victims but improves safety for every Houston family.
Common Injuries in Distracted Driving Crashes
Distracted-driving collisions often occur without braking, leading to violent impacts and serious harm. Victims frequently suffer:
- Whiplash and herniated discs
- Broken bones and joint damage
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord trauma and paralysis
- Internal bleeding or organ damage
- Deep lacerations, scarring, or fatal injuries
Beyond physical trauma, anxiety, nightmares, and post-traumatic stress can linger long after bones mend. Compensation must address both visible and invisible wounds.
Steps to Take Right After a Distracted Driving Accident
Swift, steady action protects your health and your claim:
- Call 911 and request medical help and a police report.
- Photograph vehicles, injuries, and any phone or food visible in the at-fault driver’s car.
- Collect contact details from witnesses but avoid confrontations.
- Seek a full medical evaluation even if you feel “okay.”
- Save every receipt, doctor’s note, and repair estimate.
- Speak with a Houston distracted driving accident attorney at Goldenzweig Law Group before giving recorded statements to insurers.
If injuries prevented these steps, we can still recover critical evidence on your behalf.
Proving the Other Driver Was Distracted
Solid evidence persuades insurers and juries. Our investigation often uncovers:
- Police citations noting texting or handheld use
- Cell-phone records time-stamped at the crash moment
- Traffic-cam or dash-cam video
- Event data recorder (black-box) downloads
- Eyewitness testimony describing swerving or phone use
- Social media posts or messages sent seconds before impact
Violating Texas’s texting-while-driving statute is negligence per se, turning a traffic ticket into powerful civil proof.
How a Houston Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer Helps
Thorough representation secures results. Attorney Stephen Goldenzweig:
- Manages insurers – shielding you from pressure and low offers.
- Builds airtight cases – hiring reconstruction experts, subpoenaing data, and interviewing witnesses.
- Calculates full losses – current bills, future care, lost earnings, pain, and diminished quality of life.
- Negotiates aggressively – leveraging evidence for the settlement you deserve.
- Prepares for trial – our courtroom readiness shows carriers we won’t settle cheap.
When you hire the distracted driving attorneys at Goldenzweig Law Group, you gain advocates who treat your recovery like our own mission.
Compensation Available After a Distracted Driving Accident
Texas law allows recovery for two broad categories:
Economic damages: emergency transport, hospital stays, surgeries, therapy, medications, property damage, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity.
Non-economic damages: physical pain, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement, and loss of consortium.
Families who lose a loved one may also pursue wrongful-death damages such as funeral costs and loss of support. In rare cases of egregious misconduct, punitive damages punish and deter reckless behavior. Every claim is personalized to reflect the victim’s unique hardships.
What Happens If You Are Partly at Fault?
Texas follows a modified comparative negligence rule. You can recover compensation if you are 50 percent or less responsible, but any award is reduced by your share of fault. At 51 percent or more, recovery is barred entirely.
Never assume partial blame ends your case. Our attorneys gather precise evidence to minimize any allegations against you and highlight the distracted driver’s greater culpability.
How Long You Have to File a Distracted Driving Claim in Texas
Most injured Texans have two years from the crash date to file a lawsuit. For wrongful death claims, the clock usually starts on the date of death. Limited exceptions, such as claims for minors or cases where a defendant leaves the state, can pause the deadline, but they are uncommon.
Evidence grows stale quickly. Contacting Stephen Goldenzweig soon after an accident gives us time to secure phone records and footage before they disappear.
Is Texting and Driving Illegal in Houston?
Yes. Texas Transportation Code § 545.4251 bans reading, writing, or sending electronic messages while driving anywhere in the state, including Houston. First-time offenders face fines up to $99; repeat offenders pay more and risk misdemeanor charges if they cause injury. Violating this safety law supports an injury victim’s negligence claim.
“If you’re looking for a great attorney with experience please don’t hesitate to call. These attorneys know what they’re doing. I was involved in an accident, where the other driver rear ended me on 610. Initially, the insurance did not want to accept responsibility but after I hired this firm, they immediately fought for me and they accepted liability. After my treatment, my case settled and I am very pleased with my settlement. Call them! You won’t regret it” – Rosalinda D.
About Attorney Stephen Goldenzweig
Stephen Goldenzweig is a personal injury trial lawyer and founding attorney of Goldenzweig Law Group, PLLC in Bellaire. Since earning his J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law in 2009, he has spent more than a decade fighting for crash victims, injured workers, and families facing wrongful death claims.
Get Your Free Consultation Today
Your health and finances matter. If a distracted driver hurt you in Houston, Bellaire, or any nearby community, reach out now. Our Houston distracted driving accident attorneys at Goldenzweig Law Group charge no upfront fees and collect nothing unless we win. Call 713-903-3988 or complete our secure online form for a free case review. We can meet at our Bellaire office, 6575 West Loop South, Suite 420, or visit you at home or the hospital. You’ve been through enough; let Stephen Goldenzweig fight for the justice and compensation you deserve.