A two-car collision in La Marque, Texas  last month, which killed one 17-year-old girl and injured three other young women, has resulted in two civil lawsuits.

The mother of the girl who was killed and the grandmother of one of the injured girls have filed separate lawsuits against the driver of the car that caused the accident, alleging he was  drunk when the accident occurred.

According to the original petition, the defendant’s conduct “… involved an extreme degree of risk, considering the probability and magnitude of the potential harm to others, and the defendant was actually, subjectively aware of the risk involved, but nevertheless proceeded with conscious indifference to the rights, safety, and welfare of others.”

The defendant has also been charged with one criminal count of intoxicated manslaughter and three counts of intoxicated assault with a motor vehicle.

If you or a loved one was inured in a car wreck in Texas, and you suspect that the driver of the other vehicle was driving drunk, you should contact an experienced Texas car accident attorney for professional insight.

It seems as if alcohol is a factor in almost every traffic accident involving people in their early 20s.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released a study involving alcohol related deaths in this age group. The study included data from the years 2003 through 2007.

The statistics show that drivers between the ages of 21 and 24 consistently have the highest level of involvement in alcohol impaired driving fatalities. In 2007, 35% of the people in that age group involved in a fatal crash were impaired by alcohol (a blood alcohol level of .08 grams per deciliter or more).

This problem is more prevalent at certain times of the year. The percentage of impaired drivers involved in fatal drunk driver accidents during the last two weeks of December increases among all age groups, but the percentage among the 21-24 age group is the highest.

If you are going to a party and you intend to drink, designate a non-drinking driver. It’s not only safe and smart, it could save a life. If you or a loved one has been involved in a drunk driver accident, consulting with an attorney experienced with Texas accident law will give you more insight into your rights.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the driver of a casino-bound charter bus has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs.

The bus crashed and killed eight people.

California authorities are investigating whether prescription or nonprescription drugs were involved in the crash. The bus drifted off a two-lane road before the driver overcorrected and swerved back onto the road before tumbling into a ditch, ejecting some passengers. Other passengers on the bus were rolled and crushed. The bus also had invalid license plates.

“The roof collapsed down, the windows were broken out, and the bus was not only rolled over onto its side, it rolled completely over. It was facing the opposite direction,” said patrol spokesman Patrick Landreth.

This has been at least the eighth accident in the last three years that has involved buses carrying people to and from casinos that have caused death to the passengers. While the bus had “Greyhound” marked on its side, a Greyhound official said their company sold the bus more than two years ago.