Legal Recourse for Victims of San Antonio Street Racing Accidents

Racing cars on public streets, known simply as street racing, is illegal in Texas. A criminal case can hold a street racer accountable for reckless behavior, but a lawyer can help victims of such unnecessary accidents find justice by suing a driver who causes you harm.

In San Antonio, residents aren’t strangers to news of street racing incidents, including dangerous highway takeovers. If you’ve experienced injuries or property damage due to a street race, contact the San Antonio personal injury attorneys at Carabin Shaw to determine the best steps forward.

According to a recent study by the San Antonio Police Department, there were 213 documented reports of illegal street racing that led to 276 citations and 116 arrests from September 2020 to October 2021.

Victims of such accidents may include the following:

• Pedestrians
• Uninvolved motorists
• Race spectators
• Passengers

No matter your involvement, hiring a lawyer for a racing accident in Texas ensures that you form the most favorable case for potentially complex circumstances. You might assume, for instance, that you can’t recover any damages if you chose to ride in a racer’s car. Although all participation in street racing is against Texas law, our team can still help you sue the driver who owed you a duty of care.

In many personal injury cases, plaintiffs have the burden of proving that defendants caused damages due to negligence. But for street racing, proving fault is often even easier because of a legal concept called negligence per se.

In street racing negligence claims, negligence per se refers to fault for violating the Texas statute against highway racing. Negligence per se removes your burden of proof; unlike with ordinary negligence, you need to show only that a driver broke the law. In other words, demonstrating negligence is more straightforward when evidence clearly shows that someone disregarded a law designed for public safety.

At-fault drivers in San Antonio street racing accidents can also face criminal charges under Texas law. However, the kind of charge depends on the details and consequences of the accident.

Racing on a highway alone is a Class A misdemeanor, and many other charges are possible. For example, racing under the influence of alcohol could result in a felony charge for intoxication assault. Although criminal cases primarily seek to punish offenders rather than compensate victims, your attorney can use a criminal conviction to strengthen a civil case.

High-speed vehicle collisions are often serious, and compensation for street racing victims in Texas should account for all costs—both past and future, material and intangible.

A few examples of damages include the following:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Vehicle repairs and other property costs
• Noneconomic damages, for psychological consequences like pain and suffering

Our lawyers at Carabin Shaw ensure that no opportunity for securing maximum compensation passes you by. For instance, you might even receive punitive damages (intended to punish) for a lawsuit that successfully proves extreme recklessness due to racing. And, because we offer our services on a contingency-fee basis, you pay us only when we win compensation.

Our focused, caring, and thorough approach to justice is apparent in Carabin Shaw reviews. After suffering because of a street racer who has no regard for your well-being, finding a legal team that advocates for your best interests can be incredibly empowering.

Even better: our initial consultation is completely free. To set up an appointment in Spanish or English with our San Antonio-based staff, call the toll-free number 800-862-1260 at any hour on any day of the week.

For More Information:

• KSAT
• KSAT
• Texas Public Law
• OJP