Thanksgiving is a time many Texans look forward to—family gatherings, favorite foods, and the journey home. But with increased traffic during the holidays comes elevated risk. Whether you’re heading through crowded highways, navigating unfamiliar roads, or dealing with late-night fatigue, the likelihood of car accidents rises sharply. If you’re injured on the road during Thanksgiving travel, understanding your rights and knowing what to do immediately can make all the difference.
What Makes Thanksgiving Travel Especially Dangerous
The combination of long travel distances, adverse weather, and heavier traffic contributes to more accidents in late November. Drivers often travel early in the morning or late at night to avoid crowds, but reduced visibility and fatigue are major contributors to crashes. Rain, mist, or even early freezes in some parts of Texas can make roads slick. Sometimes motorists rush to get to a holiday destination, driving too fast, tailgating, or making risky maneuvers.
Another factor is unfamiliarity: people driving alternate routes, relying on GPS, or navigating in the dark. Passengers may distract drivers, or drivers may be distracted themselves by phones, changing holiday plans, or concern about arriving on time. Combine that with heavier loads in vehicles, pets, children, or extra cargo, and even a small mistake can lead to serious injury.
Texas Law: Your Rights After a Holiday Car Accident
Texas operates under a fault-based system when it comes to car accidents. If someone else’s negligence—speeding, distracted driving, failure to yield, or violating traffic signals—causes the collision, that party may be responsible for damages. At Hilliard Law, we emphasize how important evidence is: police reports, physical evidence like skid marks, photographs, witness statements, and medical records all help establish liability.
Texas also uses modified comparative negligence. If you are partially at fault—for example, momentarily distracted or maybe arriving too fast—you may still recover damages, but your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault. If your share of fault is greater than 50%, you may be barred from recovery. There is also a two-year statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit after a car accident. Waiting too long can jeopardize your ability to recover what you’re owed.
What You Should Do If You’re Injured During Thanksgiving Travel
If you are involved in an accident while traveling for Thanksgiving, prompt action helps strengthen your case. First, make sure you and others are safe—move out of traffic if it’s safe, call emergency services, and get medical attention even if injuries seem minor (some symptoms show up later).
Document everything. Take photos of vehicle damage, road conditions (wet, icy, visibility issues), weather, lighting, signs or lack thereof. Get contact info for witnesses. Make note of traffic, speed, anything you remember about what happened.
Report the accident properly. Call law enforcement so there’s an official report. Inform your insurance company, but be careful about statements you make—stick to facts.
Finally, don’t delay talking to an experienced attorney. At Hilliard Law, we prepare for trial from day one, collecting evidence, consulting experts, and building your case. Early legal guidance helps ensure you meet deadlines and avoid missteps.
Holiday Stress Doesn’t Have to Mean Legal Confusion
Dealing with the aftermath of a car accident during Thanksgiving is overwhelming—medical bills, repairs, possibly being stranded, and missing celebrations. You deserve both compassion and legal support. Our trial-ready approach means we don’t settle for the easy route; we aim to hold the responsible parties accountable and secure full, fair compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Recovering After the Crash: What Compensation Can Include
Depending on the severity of injuries, you might recover compensation for medical treatment, rehabilitation, ongoing care, property damage, and wages lost while recovering. Emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life are often overlooked but real consequences. If a loved one is seriously injured or killed, wrongful death damages may also be possible. Hilliard Law leverages decades of experience to ensure that all possible damage types are considered and claimed.
If you or someone you love was injured during Thanksgiving travel, you don’t have to face the road ahead alone. At Hilliard Law, we are dedicated to helping you navigate all legal steps—so you can concentrate on healing. Contact us for a free consultation as soon as possible to discuss your case and protect your rights.