San Antonio Area Personal Injury Attorney J. Gonzalez
by Benjamin Treviño | April 15th, 2026 | Blog, Negligence, Personal Injury
The importance of slowing down around crash sites
By: Benjamin Treviño
When emergency vehicles are present at a crash site, Texas law requires approaching drivers to do one of two things. Drivers must either move over or slow down to 20 mph below the posted speed limit.
Emergency vehicles include law enforcement cruisers, ambulances, tow trucks, and Texas Highway Department vehicles with activated lights.
Criminal Implications
Texas criminal statutes dictate that drivers move their vehicles out of the lane closest to any of the stopped emergency vehicles listed above. If moving over is impossible, drivers must slow down to 20 mph below the posted limit.
Violations can result in fines up to $2,000. Greater penalties or jail time can be assessed if bodily injury occurs.
Civil Law Implications
Drivers who violate Texas accident site laws and strike someone may automatically be considered negligent under a legal concept known as Negligence Per Se.
In layman’s terms, a finding of negligence per se makes it extremely hard for the alleged at-fault driver to deny liability in a personal injury lawsuit.
Safety Tips
The J. Gonzalez Law Firm suggests drivers slow down as soon as they see flashing lights. This can provide precious extra seconds of reaction time if evasive maneuvers are needed.
This should go without saying, but drivers should also put away phones to focus on unpredictable traffic flow around an accident scene.
If flaggers are present, follow all their directions so as not to interfere with or endanger on-site emergency personnel.
What if you are the victim of someone else’s negligence?
If you are the victim of someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for damages, including medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
The experienced personal injury lawyers at the J. Gonzalez Law Firm can help investigate your accident, communicate with insurance companies, and negotiate settlements.
J. Gonzalez and his professional team of attorneys and staff will provide you with personalized, and dedicated service, which has resulted in millions of dollars recovered on behalf of their clients.
The J. Gonzalez Law Firm is available 24/7 to handle complex litigation, including car, truck, and workplace accidents.
Make contact right now to set up a free consultation to discuss your case.
There’s never a charge for the first consultation, and our clients pay nothing unless we achieve a just settlement for their losses.
You can connect immediately via this website or by calling 1-800-CAR-CRASH.
Crash leads to brief closure of Interstate 35 near San Antonio
By: Benjamin Treviño
BEXAR COUNTY – Interstate 35 is open once again after an April 12 crash forced a closure of all southbound lanes.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, a vehicle was destroyed in a crash just before 7:00 a.m. near New Braunfels Avenue.
A KSAT crew at the scene reported that all I-35 southbound lanes were closed at the Walters Street exit. It was unclear if there were any injuries.