Every day on roads like Interstate 45 South, FM 518, and the Gulf Freeway through League City, drivers are rear-ended, sideswiped, and run off the road by people who took their eyes off the road for just a few seconds. Distracted driving is not a minor mistake. It is a choice that can destroy lives in an instant. If you or someone you love was hurt by a distracted driver in League City or anywhere in the Greater Houston area, you have legal rights, and Gustin Law Firm is ready to fight for you. Our principal office is in Houston, Texas, and we handle serious personal injury cases for people throughout Galveston County and Harris County. Attorney Abraham Gustin and the team at Gustin Law Firm have recovered over $50 Million for injured clients, and we are here to help you pursue every dollar you deserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Texas Transportation Code Section 545.4251 makes it illegal for any driver to read, write, or send an electronic message while operating a motor vehicle unless the vehicle is fully stopped. That means texting at a red light on Bay Area Boulevard or glancing at a notification while crossing the League City Parkway overpass both violate Texas law. This is a primary offense, which means an officer can pull you over for that reason alone, without needing any other traffic violation as a trigger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The law covers more than just text messages. Emailing, tweeting, posting to social media, and sending instant messages all fall under the same prohibition. Drivers under the age of 18 face an even stricter standard. Under Texas Transportation Code Section 545.424, those drivers cannot use any wireless communication device while driving, including hands-free systems. School bus drivers with children on board are also prohibited from using a cell phone at all under Section 545.425.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fines for a first offense under Section 545.4251 start at $25 and go up to $99. Repeat violations can reach $200. But when a distracted driver causes a crash that results in serious injury or death, the consequences escalate sharply. A conviction in that scenario can bring up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000. Beyond the criminal side, a traffic citation for distracted driving becomes powerful evidence in a civil personal injury case. When a driver breaks this law and causes your injuries, that violation can help establish negligence and support your claim for compensation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Texas also follows a modified comparative fault rule under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 33.001. This means that if the distracted driver is found more than 50% responsible for the crash, they cannot recover damages. If you were injured by a distracted driver, your recovery is reduced only by your own percentage of fault, as long as it stays below 51%. This framework is important to understand before you accept any settlement offer from an insurance company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
League City sits at the intersection of some of the Houston area’s busiest corridors. Interstate 45, Texas State Highway 96, and FM 270 all run through or near the city, carrying commuter traffic, commercial vehicles, and families headed to and from Clear Lake, NASA’s Johnson Space Center, and Galveston Island. The volume of traffic on these roads means that even a brief lapse in attention can trigger a chain-reaction crash with devastating results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Distracted driving claimed 3,208 lives across the United States in 2024. An estimated 315,167 people were injured in traffic crashes involving distracted drivers that same year. These numbers reflect the national picture, but Texas carries a significant share of that burden. The Texas Department of Transportation reported that distracted driving played a part in almost 17% of fatal crashes in 2023, equal to nearly 2,800 serious injuries and close to 400 deaths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The physical danger is easy to understand when you look at the science. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for five seconds, and at 55 mph, that is like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed. At that speed, a driver traveling on the Gulf Freeway near the Kemah Boardwalk exit has no chance to brake or swerve before a collision. The injuries that result from these crashes are often catastrophic, including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, broken bones, and severe burns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Distracted driving crashes also tend to produce rear-end and intersection collisions at high speeds. These are the types of impacts most likely to cause permanent disability. When a commercial vehicle driver on one of League City’s industrial corridors is texting behind the wheel of a large truck, the consequences for other drivers can be fatal. The size and weight difference alone makes these crashes among the most destructive on any road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Proving that a driver was distracted at the time of your crash requires evidence, and that evidence can disappear fast. Phone records are one of the most direct tools available. A subpoena for the at-fault driver’s cell phone records can show exactly when messages were sent, received, or read relative to the time of the collision. Surveillance camera footage from nearby businesses, traffic cameras along Interstate 45, and dashcam recordings can capture the moments before impact and show a driver’s behavior behind the wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Witness statements matter too. If someone at a nearby gas station on FM 518 or a passenger in another vehicle saw the driver looking down at a phone, that testimony can corroborate your account. Police reports are another key piece of evidence. Officers responding to a crash in League City will note any observations about phone use or distracted behavior in their report. That notation can carry real weight in a civil case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n