For people injured in an accident, understanding how personal injury law works can be a headache. You may not have gone to law school, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a basic grasp on the laws regarding your accident. And the case of the parade float accident out of San Antonio offers one major lesson.
On November 15, in a veterans’ parade in San Antonio, a float crossed the train tracks just after the safety crossing arm began its descent. As a result, the float was hit by an oncoming train. Four veterans on the float were killed and more than a dozen others on board were injured.
Just this week, San Antonio police announced they were done with their investigation and were handing it over to the Midland County District Attorney’s Office without filing any criminal charges. Now, a grand jury will hear the facts to determine if criminal charges are warranted against the driver of the float, a 50-year-old man who was behind the wheel of a Smith Industries flatbed pulling the float and its occupants.
Despite the potential for criminal charges being up in the air, the driver and/or the company he was working for could be held responsible for the accident in civil court.
What does this mean? It means that under our system of law, there are two court systems—the criminal courts in which people are charged with crimes and then punished (in essence) with a sentence, and civil courts in which people are held financially responsible for negligence, carelessness, or recklessness.
Car accident claims and injury claims are handled in civil courts and are a separate matter from criminal courts. If you are injured in a car accident, it doesn’t matter whether the other driver is found guilty of a traffic offense in criminal court; they can still be held civilly responsible, or liable, in the civil courts.
As an accident victim, you want to understand what’s going on with your case—and you deserve to be kept in the loop. But, you shouldn’t feel like the tough legal decisions rest on your shoulders alone—you need a teammate.
Kevin Krist, Houston Accident Lawyer
Whether you were hit while crossing the street or were rear-ended at a stop light, I may be able to help. Anytime you are hurt in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you could be entitled to compensation for your resulting injuries. Contact me today to discuss the details of your case and the options available to you. Call 281-677-3960.
